story1668.xml

story1668.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-03

I was woken up September 11th by my friend who insisted I turn on the news. It took me awhile to realize what I was witnessing, but it didn't really hit me until I saw the second plane crash into the towers. I still don't think it completely sunk in just then, because I persisted on completing my morning routine as normal. But as the day grew on and the air was thick with that occurence's activites, the horror struck me. For days I was mellowed with sorrow and shock, and at times I sobbed for the tradegy that was so new to Americans. But even so, I felt seperated from it, as though it was happening far away from me and I wasn't too affected by it. That's when I heard a friend of mine at work had a son that worked at the Pentagon when the attack happened there. For weeks his body was searched for, with no words of comfort to the mother. Finally the words none of us wanted to hear were spoken. His body was found, but unfortunately he did not survive the terrorists attack. He was pronounced dead about 6 weeks after 9/11. His name was Matt Flocco. His mother's only son, and friend to many. When I found out he was no longer living I felt the full force of the horror hit me and I once again felt the sorrow and shock of when I first heard of it. It angered me immensely to think that someone I knew was taken away so quickly from something so evil, and I realized that no matter where you were from in America, you could have lost someone in the attacks. You could have known someone who lost someone in the attacks, or you could have been lost in the attacks yourself. I never would have thought that I would've been directly affected from the tradegy, and I wish I wasn't, but it's a sobering reality check. Matt Flocco was a wonderful person, and so is his family. His mother, whose name I'll protect due to respect, is devastated still to this day. And who's to blame her? I haven't the slighest clue to what she went through and still is experiencing, but that doesn't stop me from feeling the pain she radiates from her everytime she's near. Even though America bonded together and finally became a nation again after many years, it still wasn't worth the lives lost. I suppose this piece is dedicated to the memory of Matt Flocco, and to all those who were lost that horrible day. May you never be forgotton, and you're families comforted in the days ahead.