nmah4362.xml

nmah4362.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

Typical day - I was late for work, and watching Good Morning America. And as I was about to leave for work, I saw the story - a plane hit the WTC. I called my dad at the family deli in New Jersey. Although I was now in a suburb of Chicago, far from ground zero, I knew my parents were only across the river, and my brother would be at the WTC that morning having taken the Path from New Jersey into New York City. He must have been underground at the subway at the time the first plane hit -- but he made his transfer to Brooklyn safely, and emerged to see smoke in the sky and people yelling "We're being attacked." I must have made more than 10 calls back and forth to my father, relaying the updates and what was going on around me. I remember watching in disbelief as the towers crumbled, and oddly enough, I worried about what my boss would say about my not being at work. I ended up leaving for work that day at 11 a.m., and listened to the radio the entire day to catch any news and make sure nothing more would happen, and just wishing I could be close to my family. My brother was stuck in Manhattan all day because they literally closed down the city entrances, bridges, everything. My mom told me he wouldn't talk much about the occurrences of the day for weeks after, but was very irritable. He was so close to everything that happened. Moments away. As for me, I struggled with relaying the depths of my emotions to friends who grew up in the Midwest and have never seen the New York skyline, and had no context for what had happened. I imagined my former school mates would be very close to everything happening -- and my town's firefighters, who would be in New York City along with all of the other hundreds of departments that were dispatched that day. I felt alone, and the thought and pain of what so many families were feeling and all of the lives that were lost moved me so deeply...and yet, I couldn't find an outlet - and so I just prayed, as I pray today, one year later, that these families can find some peace and that their aching can be eased. And maybe, just maybe, we will become a better society because of it.

My life hasn't changed drastically, but with remembrances of Sept. 11, my convictions are reenergized and I am reminded of how we should be thankful for the blessings of our family and our country. Although we're not a perfect society, we still have opportunities that many other governments do not afford to their citizens. In the past year I have tried to reprioritize how I live my life - everyday in this country, and how I should be focused on what is truly important. Life is short, life is unpredictable and life MUST be cherished.

It sounds cliche, but the thousands of people who lost their lives were everyday heroes. Just remembering the unique lives that were lost, the families they left behind and the hope that they led their lives with is a reflection of the United States and the unique opportunities we are given as citizens of this country. What I also think needs to be remembered is the fact that these people were leading their lives the way they knew best -- going to work everyday, likely taking things for granted, some probably having left a spouse angry after an argument, another having kissed their child goodbye and others focused solely on an upcoming meeting and how their performance might be viewed by their superiors. We must remember, reflect on what they stood for, and re-evaluate our lives in this same light. If we were in the same situation, with a towering building ablaze and hundreds of people running for their lives, would we make the decision that many firefighters made, to try to help others who were trapped? What of the people that stopped to help others along the way instead of worrying merely about their own safety. We must live life honorably - and September 11th is a reminder of the choices we have as citizens of the United States. Our country stands for freedom, and as human souls, we are given the chance to lead our lives as we think best. Terrorists attack our nation because they disagree with the way our government protects the equal rights and freedoms that it believes are given to humans at birth. We can fight terrorism in our own lives by living differently, by loving deeply and by changing the world one soul at a time.

The American flag has always held special meaning for me -- but never so strongly as now. It represents the fight for freedom and those who will try to shake the foundation our country is built on -- and shake the very soul of our country. My flag hangs along my balcony today, and when I look at it, I feel sentiments of courage, strength and love for life, family and the freedoms my country has awarded me.