nmah4196.xml

nmah4196.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I had just walked into my second class, Mrs. Davis's class.
I'm an art teacher and at the school that I was at, I was a traveling art teacher.(I go classroom to classroom, hauling my art materials.) Mrs. Davis, ran up to me and whispers that the World Trade Center had been bombed. "Oh, my God," was all I could think, "Marlene works at the World Trade Center. My best friend. Oh, God, let her be O.K." Mrs. Davis said she was going to the Teacher's Lounge to find out what's going on. Then she left me there . I had to teach her class... my eyes filling with tears, a huge lump in my throat, and my shaking hands. My mind kept wandering, but I did it. When the class was over, I pactically ran to the art room to get my cell phone. No answer. "Call Jorge, my husband, and see if he knows anything" was my next thought. He told me he had spoken to J.P.,(her husband) and Marlene was O.K., Good. The shaking of the hands stopped but the lump remained.We were JUST there, 3 months before. We had spent the whole first day at the WTC. We were tired, so we sat down- We people watched. And then the buildings went down. GOD HELP US ALL. IS THE WORLD COMING TO AN END? ARE THESE THE FINAL DAYS? I didn't know what to think. Thank you God, for letting me experience the WTC and New York in a happy mood. (We went for the 4th of July to spend it with our friends.) I can now tell my future kids what N.Y. was like before 9/11/2001. Before all this happened. He let me take pictures for future generation to see and HAPPY memories to talk about. Thank you God for sparing Marlene, Jean Paul and all their friends that we met in New York. God help all those families who lost loved ones. I hope and Pray that they can look down at us. All united in mourning.

I am more aware of the posibility of death- for me, my loved ones and my friends. Not that I'm scared,(I know what my eternity holds.) I know where I'm going. Just that- it could be soon. We dont know when or where. Its a little sad to think of those that suffered.

The togetherness and the fact that it could happen again. Anywhere and anytime.

Yes, I did fly a few flags. I have always loved Old Glory's colors and the symbol of our flag. Many items in my life containsthe stars and stripes. My feeling have never changed about our flag. Even though I was born in Puerto Rico, I have always considered myself 100% American. That will NEVER change.