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2002-09-30

An Unforgettable Day

A memoir by Caitlyn Meadows


As I awoke on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 I never thought of my life changing. The thought of thousands of lives being lost never entered my mind. Im sure everyone in New York thought the same, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, moms and dads, probably never thought that they would never see their beloved families again. Even men who were mad at their wives while they strutted off to work at the top of the World Trade Center never knew they wouldnt have the chance to come back and fight with their wives again. One morning, the lives of every American, even me, a fifteen-year-old girl in Kentucky, were changed forever. Frankly, my life was not changed immediately, or even so much in the days that followed.
I watched the reports on television mostly because there was nothing else to watch. But as I watched, I began to understand how tragic it really was. I tried to imagine what the people were feeling. Many hadnt heard from family members who had left that morning and had not come home. What would I do if a plane crashed into the middle of Versailles and I couldnt find my friends or my family?
My parents were very concerned about my brother, Adam, who had joined the Marine Corps Reserve two years before. He was trained to be a Military Policeman and was immediately put on alert. He could be called at any time, even now, over a year after the devastation in New York. When my brother brings it up, I can see tears in my moms eyes.
Before the invasion, I had not been aware of how different my life would have been if I had been born in Afghanistan. In America, I have always had everything I needed and school was something that I knew I had to do whether I liked it or not. I walked into stores wearing whatever I wanted, as long as my dad approved.
Ive often wondered what life would be like if I lived in Afghanistan. From what Ive seen, their technology and society is really not too advanced compared to the U.S. Men and women are illiterate; men are allowed to have up to 4 or 5 wives; women arent allowed to wear make-up, and must completely cover their bodies with a thick robe, except for their eyes. Women werent allowed to learn anything they were servants to what the Taliban wanted them to. I even heard about an old man who sold an apple to a woman on the street. The Taliban found out and beat the woman and killed the old man. It makes me feel so lucky with the freedom I have. The more I think about it, the more I think about the whole terrorist attacks is based on jealousy.
When I hear about people cursing Toby Keith for his cussing in his song, The Angry American, it makes me angry. I feel that he and all Americans have the right to show anger for our country. A Canadian news reporter stated, Toby Keith is acting as if hes still angry at the Afghanistan people. I feel like that is exactly correct. Time cant heal the loss of families. What happened has taken away some of our freedoms, but I dont think we are to the point that anyone can tell Toby what he can or cannot sing about.
When I flew to Florida for a vacation, I felt a little nervous getting on a plane for the first time, especially since the terrorists hijacked a plane. My sister and I had to go through security. Before the attacks it would have taken 15 or 20 minutes to get through, but it took 30 to 45 minutes to get through security and onto our plane. Even though I would never carry anything aboard a plane that would hurt someone, I am glad that they are making sure no one else does, even if it takes me longer.
Theyve brought our nation closer together, considering what Ive seen. The day that our nation was attacked, I remember driving home from school with my dad and saw a group of people holding up a flag and shouting something I was unable to understand. Even today, a year after the attacks, I see more and more flags in front of schools, houses, cars, etc. and think its a beautiful thing and now I can relate to the song, Im Proud to be an American.

My parents were very concerned about my brother, Adam, who had joined the Marine Corps Reserve two years before. He was trained to be a Military Policeman and was immediately put on alert. He could be called at any time, even now, over a year after the devastation in New York. When my brother brings it up, I can see tears in my moms eyes.
Before the invasion, I had not been aware of how different my life would have been if I had been born in Afghanistan. In America, I have always had everything I needed and school was something that I knew I had to do whether I liked it or not. I walked into stores wearing whatever I wanted, as long as my dad approved.
When I flew to Florida for a vacation, I felt a little nervous getting on a plane for the first time, especially since the terrorists hijacked a plane. My sister and I had to go through security. Before the attacks it would have taken 15 or 20 minutes to get through, but it took 30 to 45 minutes to get through security and onto our plane. Even though I would never carry anything aboard a plane that would hurt someone, I am glad that they are making sure no one else does, even if it takes me longer.
Theyve brought our nation closer together, considering what Ive seen. The day that our nation was attacked, I remember driving home from school with my dad and saw a group of people holding up a flag and shouting something I was unable to understand. Even today, a year after the attacks, I see more and more flags in front of schools, houses, cars, etc. and think its a beautiful thing and now I can relate to the song, Im Proud to be an American.

The millions of lives that were changed, the fact that our country is now closer together and that September 11th is now a symbol of the day all American's lives have changed, expeically the people who live in New York.

My feelings about the American flag haven't really changed, because even before the attacks I respected the flag, said the pledge, and was a true American. But after September 11th, the flag I think has more meaning to me. Every time I see the American flag, it reminds me of September 11th and is a symbol to it.