nmah4373.xml

nmah4373.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

Living in Atlanta, GA, I watched the horror unfold moment by moment in my living room. It began as a normal morning as I planned to make cupcakes for my son's second birthday party the next day at his preschool. He was no longer interested in the cartoon he had been watching so I switched the channel to a morning news show while he played with our dog. At that time, the first plane had just struck the tower. Initially, in the confusion, it was reported that a possible problem with air traffic control was to blame. Then, with cameras focused on the billowing smoke spilling from the first tower, I watched in horror as the second plane hit. At first I was in shock, realizing that I had just witnessed the last moments of life for those on the plane and many in the second tower. I hoped they did not know what was about to happen. It became quite clear at this time that we were under attack. A reporter commented that the tower appeared to be leaning but attributed it to the camera angle. A while later, the first tower collapsed, soon to be followed by the second in a very surreal scene. Another reporter was broadcasting from the Pentagon. In the middle of his report, he said the Pentagon shook and that he heard an explosion. Soon we learned that the Pentagon had also been hit by a plane. As my mother works in Washington DC in a building that would have been a likely target, I frantically tried to reach her. My friends immediately began calling to see if I had talked to her, which I had not. Over two hours passed before she was able to get through. I had never been so happy to hear her voice and know that she was alright. She had been evacuated and finally made it home. However, during this time, another plane was reported down in Pennsylvania and all planes were being forced to land. It seemed as if the attack would never end and that we were living an unimaginable nightmare. With all the chaos and activity on the news, the skies were eerily quiet over our neighborhood without the familiar sound of jets and small planes that, until that day, I had never paid much attention to. I still pause and feel a twinge of panic when I hear a plane that seems to be flying unusually low. Looking back on the anniversary of that horrible day, we know how it ended. However, at the time, no one knew how many more planes had been hijacked, how many more targets would be hit and how many more innocent people would lose their lives. Thankfully, my son did not understand what was happening and will never bear the emotional scars of witnessing the horror unfold live in our living room. I am most grateful that he could blissfully laugh and play when all I could do was cry.

I, like most Americans, have a much greater appreciation for family, friends and freedom. During the first months after the attack, I lived fearfully, regularly experiencing sleepless nights and nightmares. I wondered what kind of world my son would grow up in as it seemed vastly different from the one I knew prior to September 11th. I wondered if I could keep him safe and protect him from harm. I never enjoyed flying as an adult, and still have no desire to board a plane, though I will eventually have to face that obstacle. However, as time passed, I decided that my faith was stronger than my fear and that I would continue to live with the purpose of being a good person and a good citizen. This is our country and we will see our ideals and way of life prevail.

The people who perished that day were mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, husbands and wives. They aren't faceless names or impersonal numbers. They were us and we are them. They paid the ultimate price for simply being Americans. In their honor, we should no longer take our freedom for granted, but remember that it was bought and paid for with their blood, and that of many before them throughout our history. We should always remember that we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude, embracing our freedom and the responsibilities that come with it.

I have an American flag flying outside my home and have since September 11th. I am embarrased to say I had never flown one before that date. Prior to that day, I did not fully understand what a gift I had been given to be called American simply as my birthright. I realize that it is not just a title, but a priviledge and a responsibility that must be defended. I will instill this in my child, that he may be a good citizen and stand for what he believes in. The American flag, my flag, will always fly outside my home in defiance of those who seek to destroy our ideals and way of life.