story3072.xml

story3072.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

Wednesday, September 11, 2002
It has been exactly a year since the horrific tragedy of
the fall of the twin towers and the beginning of
America's fight against terrorism. I woke up this morning
put on my red, white and blue to represent my partriotism.
I headed out the door and off to school. After i sat in
my first period art class for a half an hour our room was
called to go out to the stadium for our assembly. I met up
with one of my friends in the hallway and we walked together
down to the stadium. As I looked towards the stadium and
at the hundreds of kids before me all wearing their red,
white, and blue the stadium, the atmosphere, the mood, it
suddenly all brought on a different feeling. I can't even
think of any adjectives to describe it, you can't describe
it really, it was just something that was needed to be felt
in order to understand what I'm talking about. As we walked
on our loose gravel track onto the bleachers the wind was
wiping and throwing the loose rocks into our eyes. Everyone
turned their backs and began to walk quickly to the stadium
to get saved from this stinging. As I sat in my seat I
observed everyone around me. I couldn't help but notice my
English teacher of the previous year walking up the steps
with the most solemn look on her face. It touched my heart.
After knowing how hard it was for her last year to cope with
tragedy I knew the pain she had to be feeling in her heart
at that very moment. I felt like crying suddenly, but my
thoughts were interupted when the teacher who is in charge
of Student Council came to the podium in front of the stands
and welcomed everyone. After his speech was done the band
begin to play a song by Mozart that was being played but
millions of other people in our country at that very moment.
At that very moment the wind stung harder than ever, but I
realized something just then. The wind, it wasn't really wind
at all. Rather, it was the souls of the people who had lost
their lives exactly one year ago. They were spinning around
us and through us letting us know we are still strong, we are
still wise and we will still stand strong. If we can make it
through this, we as a country can make it through everything.
I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason even
though at the time we may not understand or even know the reason.
Sept. 11th, 2001 will be a day never forgetten and never forgiven.
Without it though, we would not be the strong-willed, determined,
perserving, and loving country we are today. We have conquered
something that many other countries could've crumbled from,
but us Americans, Never! I still cry sometimes when I think
about the mothers, the fathers, the sisters, the brothers,
the child who's mommies may never been coming home, and all
the people who were unable to come home to their loved ones
that day. America will never be the same again, and although
I didn't know any of the people who were killed that day I
still pray for them and carry them with me in my heart for
they have become a piece of me. This day will forever belong
to them. For there courage, compassion, and most of all their
love for one another. For all of those who were lost, I would
like to say one thing, I will carry you with me everywhere I
go and you have changed my lives you never thought imaginable.