story5016.xml

story5016.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

My story occured several days after 9-11. We had our first scheduled AYSO soccer match since the tragedy. Our team assembled at the university soccer fields where several hundred other families were meeting to play. Saturday, was the first day that planes were being allowed to take off from our local airport, right next to the university soccer fields. We had just started to play when a loud noise erupted. We stopped and stared as a lone United Airlines jet was taking off, banking to the left, right over our heads. Every child on every field, stopped and looked. All of the adults stopped, everyone seemed to be holding their breath. What if anything would happen to this plane, were there more attacks to come? For what seemed like an eternity, several hundred of us just watched the plane until we could no longer see it. The look of fear on my child's face,the looks of aprehension and anticipation on each adult's face is something I will never forget. Then, each child turned their attention to their game and started to play. The apprehension and fear was replaced by sounds of laughter and resilience. That too I will never forget. Our hearts may have been broken by 9-11 but our spirit will never be broken.