story657.xml

story657.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-05-20

September eleventh is a day that will be in everyone?s minds perpetually. It started out as a mundane day, where I suspected nothing out of the ordinary to happen, yet who would know that history would forever be changed on this particular day? I was just proceeding from gym and going to my third period class, English. As I imperturbably walked to English, I noticed that all the classrooms had the television monitors turned on, which was unusual. As soon as I reached English class I realized what had happened to the ?Towers?. A commercial airplane had just crashed into one of the ?Towers?.
My first reaction was that the incident was just a mishap due to technological malfunctions or deficient navigational directions, yet still the thought of this catastrophic event being intentional never crossed my mind. Although that thought and my initial reaction was then expunged once the second plane collided with the other tower. I then felt anger towards the people who could implement such a ghastly tragedy upon their own mankind. Are we not all human, though we may look different from one another, in perspective we are still humans? Several people in this world have an arduous time dealing with people that are different. Although, is it not the variations among mankind that indeed makes this world go around, for wouldn?t life be tremendously dreary and monotonous if everybody was like everyone else? I not only felt anger, but deep dejection for the ones who lost their lives and for the families of the victims as well. I did not lose anyone in the terrifying tragedy, but in a way I still felt as if I had. I feel that everyone is connected together in one way or another and when countless, innocuous people lose their lives, it effects everyone in their own personal way.
Also, I believe that everyone?s lives have changed after the attack, whether they actually had a connection with the victims or not. Throughout the day I witnessed both of the towers fall to the ground. It was even more disquieting to see that the hijackers knew where to direct the planes, so, as the towers would eventually collapse to the ground. Why would other human beings want to cause so much anguish to other innocent people that intended no harm? I also witnessed throughout the day the terror and perplexity of the people and the circumstances that surrounded their situation. I feel that the survivors and the families of the victims have great valor to live their lives with the injuries they sustained, physically and emotionally, and the impediments that they must endure everyday of their lives. There is no amount of pain that could compare with that of which they must live through each day of their lives. Yet, there is a quote that I find valuable in time of need and it is, ?Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it,? as stated by Helen Keller. Many people take things for granted in this world, but life is short and you must live everyday as if it is your last because you may never have another chance to do the things you love. Subsequent to this dreadful tragedy, there was another quote that came to my mind. It is, ?Time will bring you better tomorrows,? though the author of this particular quote is anonymous, it may help those in need, because there will always be better tomorrows no matter how calamitous a situation seems, there will always be something better in the future. ?The past cannot be changed, the future is still in your power,? ~ Hugh White.