nmah4392.xml

nmah4392.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I was a freshmen in high school last year. I it was first period, and my teacher stepped out of the room. She came back in and told us about the first plane. She turned on CNN. The picture was fuzzy, someone had to keep moving the cable so we could see. The bell rang and we had to move on to switch classes. My teacher in 2nd period had no idea. Even when we told her she didn't understand it was an attack; she tried to teach. Once she stepped out of the room, we turned the TV just in time to see about the Pentagon and the collapse of Tower 2. No one thought they would fall, but after that, they new that it was only a matter of time before the other one.
I remember at lunch that day in the courtyard of the school; it was so quiet. Know one knew what to say really. We all acknowledge what we saw, kept repeating things over and over trying to make sense.
The rest of that day I spent with my classmates, watching fuzzy pictures of the towers, the pentagon, and the explosions. When I got home my family didn't know what to do. We all had diner and then we retreated to our respective rooms; we all had that same need to be alone and think.
That night, I'll always remember. I was so happy to go to bed. That day was finally over. It seemed like it had lasted for so long. I'll never remember that brief feeling of relief I had as I was able to fall asleep that night, knowing exactly where all my family and friend were.

I have learned to appreciate the men and women that take the hits for me. I never used to realize that I was not protected by some magical aura, but by people who were willing to put there lives on the line so that I could live a safe, secure life.

We should remember the unity, and the courage, that came from that day. There was a new America forged in the heat of those explosions. We know that we can stand together, unblinking, in the face of any challenge

I always had an American flag flying on my front porch.