nmah4641.xml

nmah4641.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

i woke up that morning to a beautiful clear day in yellow springs, ohio. It was between second and third period and someone came up to me in the hallway and said "they blew up the world trade center". who did i asked, there was no answer. at this time it was about ten till ten a.m. and imediately i went upstairs to my algebra class where a group of students was already watching CNN. We sat in silence for 45 minutes that class. I watched, eyes wide open, as the second plane hit. I felt a wave of sadness and helplessness as the camera crews zoomed in on the buring buildings, and the hopeless people jumping from the hundreth floor of the towers. I remember my whole body was in shock. the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end like saluting soldiers. and then the bulidings fell. I have watched movies with building blowing up and people dying, but i have never really seen such a horrific event, even if it was only from a tv screen in a sleepy town in ohio. I felt a tear stream down my face, and then another. All i could do was sit and watch...i have never felt so alone in my life.

I think that everyone has changed since September 11. For starters i have given up on "God". i was never really a religious person, but i never doubted that there was something higher up there, looking down and sort of watching over. I don't think that anymore. I also began to look into forigen affairs. I began to investigate the United States involvement in other countries and in general furthered my studies of Middle Eastern culture. to me it seems that the only way to find a little comfort is to realize that so many others feel the same pain. I found that my personality changed a little. I made a solid effort to be more patiant and kind to others. i now have a profound appreciation for human nature, which before this i had little faith in.

i think that what should be remebered is the perserverence of the human spirit. Even in the midst of so much tragedy, people came together to find solice and healing. I remember listening to a news report about a small town in New Foundland, where all the existing planes were rerouted to. The kindness of this little town is truly touching. The people there were not americans and yet they were just as willing to help. I think that while we should remember our heros on the homefront, we should also remember that the rest of the world also lent support. i think what i will remember most will footage of people just walking the Brooklyn bridge. Silent.Mysterious. Powerful.

i did not fly an american flag on september 11th. i flew a flag of the world. Even though the united states was attaked in a way the whole world wept and has been weeping from terrorism for hundreds of years.