nmah228.xml

nmah228.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-19

September 11, 2001 began as a spectacular day. The weather was beautiful. I drive a school bus for the Vocational Technology District in Delaware. I arrived at work in the wee hours of the morning, ready to begin another day. My ride was uneventful. Even the traffic was light. After my morning run, I arrived back at the main yard, and began chatting with fellow co-workers, as I had done everyday before. At 9:12am, I remember because someone had just asked me what time it was. As I uttered the time, a co-worker ran into the room and uttered out, Did you hear, a plane just hit the World Trade Center? We sat there for a few moments absorbing the news. We then went into the next office to turn on the television. It was as though time stood still. We watched the television with shocked looks on our faces. After that I went into some type of trance. I was numb, for better lack of a good word. I thought to myself, This is America, they cant do this to us. Thats just it they had done this! I wondered aimlessly, trying to deal with the news. Each time we checked the television, there was more horrible news. When the towers dropped, our phones started ringing. They were canceling school. Our company services three different districts. For the few moments that we had to organize all of the drivers to return to the school, my mind was diverted. Sadly it felt good to have something else to think about. I then called my grandmother, who had just had her ninety-second birthday earlier that year; she said as she always had, What do you know? I held back my tears, and sniffled. I asked her, Did you hear? Her reply still brings tears to my eyes, Yes honey, we are at war. Just a simple statement from a woman who has lived through all the wars in history, and the few she has read about. I told her I loved her and hung up the phone. The tears then started rushing down my cheeks. I then called my mother, but there was no answer. All of the cellular phone use had tied up the lines. At this time, I picked up the children, holding back the facts that I became a little girl and wanted my mother to hold me. After work I got into my car and went to my mothers home. She held me as she did when I was a child, and told me Everything will be okay. I smiled because they were comforting words, but would we be I wondered to myself? As she walked me to my car over twelve hours after the first plane had stuck the towers, we both stopped in our tracks. We turned towards each other, and as if we were inside each others heads, we both asked, Do you smell that? We both went silent. I softly uttered the words, It smells like burning flesh. I kissed my mother good-bye, and told her I would call her tomorrow.

How has the even changed my life? Well, I still get up everyday and brush my teeth. I still go to work and live my life the same way I had done before the attacks on September 11,2001. It has however changed my way of thinking. When things arent going my way or when life seems really hard at that moment. I say a prayer, and thank God to be alive and that I must be here for some greater purpose. I no longer let the little things in life bother me. I am lucky to have all of my family around me.

My fiancé and I have discussed this issue. We think that everything should be remembered. Not so much the fine details, but the fact that it happened, why it happened, and what we as Americans can do to fight the war on terrorism. Also we think they should build some sort of labyrinth of concrete walls with all of the names of the victims from all of the crashes on it. I have to agree to that to some degree. The only thing I would add to that is if they must charge a fee to view the wall, then at least put the money to good use and help the victims families, especially the children who lost their parents in this tragedy. Create a college scholarship program or something like that.

Yes I hung a flag, but it did not take this event to be proud I was and American. It only reaffirmed it! My feelings about the American flag have not changed. I am proud to be American. Here everyone is free, I cant imagine living in another country and having those strict rules. To me everyone all over the world should be free, God did not create man to do the devils work!