story6361.xml

story6361.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

My brother was home with a back ache. My boyfriend and I had been up sick much of the night, fighting a cold and had just fallen to sleep when my mom called to tell me about the planes striking the towers. We turned the TV on and watched, shocked and horrified, trying to make sense of what had happened. A friend of mine was in the process of moving that day and I hurriedly called her and told her to get her still unpacked radio out to hear about what was going on.
What I remember most about September 11 was the confusion. What was happening? Was there really a plane going up the river, heading for the White House? Were we about to be invaded? Who was behind this? When would the threat be over? And most importantly, WHY would anyone ever do such a thing?
We've learned a lot of answers in the year since 9/11/01, but we're all still left with fears of travelling, fears of strangers, fears of the tall buildings we once marvelled at. And questions. So many more questions remain.
But fear wasn't all we were left with. On 9/11, a divided nation began to pull together. We forgot about the messy election of just a few months before. We realized that life is precious and all too precarious. We were reminded to treasure our families, our friends, and our way of life. We stood up, together, as a nation, and exhibited a newfound patriotism and thirst for liberty. We became a proud nation again.
Out of the ashes in NYC, out of the destruction at the Pentagon, out of the debris of courage in that Pennsylvania field came a nation forever changed. And I was changed too. I'm a better person than I used to be. I don't hide love and affection anymore. I show my appreciation. I say "thank you," "good job" and "I'm sorry." I don't take my life, nor the people in it, for granted.
The American WWII generation became a shining example of American courage. On Dec. 12, 1941, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto said, "I fear that all we have done is to awaken a slumbering giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." The slumbering giant has been awakened again. It's in all of us, in that fierce need for justice, tolerance, and peace. They tried to scare me. They made me stubborn instead. They tried to kill us. But they only made us stronger. We will shine again.