nmah5698.xml

nmah5698.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-09-10

it was an ordinary day. those common blue skys that give you the feeling that absolutly nothing could go wrong. it was one of those days that started out like normal in my town. the neighbor walked his dog in the park on the way to school, the kids lounging about the entrence before the bell rings, and the occasional hollar of the vice principal when a few kids are acting out of line... abosolutly nothing new was happening, or at least that was the mindframe in Winthrop.

how were we supposed to know that something that would change the way we feel about our world was about to occur, how were we supposed to expect the thousands of lost lives, how we we supposed to know of the people in our skies that only wanted to give us harm??? but we didnt, we were all fooled by the saphirly blue sky...

i was sitting in the middle of Social Studies when the whole day aura changed. we were just about to start class when the principal ran into our room, she was quick to pull my teacher Mr. Pinkman out of the class. at that momment my whole class knew something was up...

so the day contienued with people in the hall trading secrets about what they think was happening. but i didnt trust a single word. i can even recall a kid saying, "its probably a big bombing goin on somewhere in Eruope or something, nothing could never happen here." but sadily my good friend was mistaken, we soon heard from my science teacher that there were "situations" going on around the United States.

i came home later on the day to see my sister sprawled on the coach under a down comforter, she seemed shocked at what was going on, on the TV. i turned and saw the one of the buildings falling... i can never get that image out of my head.

we all have changed from that day further, whether we admit it or not. i knew i have never thought of the airports and the flag in the same way after the attacks.

when 9-11 occured, i came to my house and didnt find my parents there at all, my mom works for the airlines, and the tenants living with us are both flight attendants, so i was horrified. never have i thought of my mom in the same amount of fear than i did at that momment. so about five minutes later, my sister finally got off the ohone, then she told me that both of my parents, both with psycology phds, were at the Logan airport counseling people. i forgot to mention that my town is basically touching Logan Aiport, and that we house alot of their employees. so BIG is an understatement or the attacks effect on my town.

we all met in the towns center, later on in the week, there the affects were really felt. people we crying and we were bein adressed by the selectman of our little town, hear you could feel the loss of some of the townsfolk, there i knew that we all we connected, maybe not by blood but by another source, there was a large feeling of love there and i will never forget it.

in the week of the tragidy's aftermaths, i didnt see my parents for days, they practically slept at the airport that night, and my sister was on the phone 24-7. so i was left there a my house feeling all alone, thinking about all of those people who lost their lives, i couldnt help but cry.

thats how i changed from that day forward, i knew i have to learn to be more independant, but to be able to love other people just for the sake of them being there. i also learned that showing your emotions isnt wrong or weak, for thousands maybe even millions were doin the same thing at that very momment. That day changed all of us, some in small ways but for me, i felt it in a big way.

we should rememeber the feeling of comming together with a new form of unity, that could only come from such great of a tragedy. We should remeber that we live in a smaller world than what we allow ourselves to believe. We should remember the little ray of hope that can arise from the bottom of Pandora's box. We MUST remember that this goes on everyday, maybe not in the same amount of catastrophy, but terrorism happens everyday to less fortunate people in third world countries, thats what must be remebered from this expirence.

yes my family did fly our flag. the flag took on a new meaning in my life at least, after the attacks. i used to think it was just a flag, nothing to show TOO much patriotism in, cause then you would look like a fool. but now it has a greater meaning...

this flag has become a bond between all us Americans, whether we accept it or not. it is like a chain between us all, not one of slavery but one of obligation. Obligation to love another person, not because of what they are, but who they are, they are human beings just like you or i. we are all humans, though we may have a different skin color or religion, we are all one in the same. we cannot be brought down to the level of hate, or this chain that we have connecting all of us together, will be broken...