beautiful fat feet: 9/11--Where were you?

September 1, 2001
via

6:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 11, 2001: My alarm went off. It was time to get up and get ready for another day of elementary school. I don't remember exactly how that morning played out, but I'm sure it was the usual throw myself together, grab some lunch money, and rush out the door to get to school before the tardy bell rang.

I was in grade school at Fairview Attendance Center at the time. The morning had gone just as it normally would. It was Tuesday, which meant it was my class's day in the library.

Library days always excited me! For one, I had plenty of time to finish up my homework for the day, which meant more free time at home in the evening. Library days also meant I got to check out a new book. I've always loved reading.

I wish I could remember what book I was reading that day, but I just can't remember that small detail.

I was sitting at the first table. The table directly in front of the librarian. I guess you could say, she was your stereotypical librarian. Not one to talk too much, and definitely didn't want to hear your murmurings. It was the library afterall.

I was sitting there in perfect peace reading my book.

Suddenly, the whole world seemed to change. Teachers were running down the hall yelling, "Turn your TVs on!! Hurry!" It was about 8:45. We still had the whole day of school ahead of us, and the events that were about to unfold...were more than any of us were prepared for.

Flight 11 had just crashed into the first tower. As the reporters were coming across the TV announcing the Breaking News to America, I was scared. Terrorist had taken over the planes and crashed them? What did this mean? Why would they do such a horrible thing? My small mind couldn't grasp it. As we sat there staring at the TV, the librarian tried to help us make some sense of it. She explained to us who these terrible people were, and told us that we were watching history take place.

I remember her saying, "Years from now, you will be helping your children with their history homework, and they will be studying this very day. You can tell them you saw it whenever it happened. You lived through this."

Flight 175 crashed into the second tower. One crash was too much to take in..now there's a second one? The rest of the day was turmoil. Teachers were trying to make sense of it, and help the students make sense of it. People were crying. Children wanted their parents. The whole country was scared.

When hurricanes are coming, people prepare. They prepare the windows, and things that might prevent flooding. When snow is coming, we head to the grocery and stock up on milk, bread, and the likes, because we never know how long we might be stuck indoors. But..a terrorist attack? There's no preparing for that. There are no drills to teach us how to handle it. We were all clueless.

I remember getting home that evening and repeatedly asking my Mom and Dad, "What does this mean?" "Are we going to be okay?" There were really no answers.

It's the ten year anniversary. It's sad to think back on that day. The lives lost. It's too much. I hope and pray all of those who lost loved ones, have taken what happened on that terrible day and used it for the good. I pray our country continues to remember that day and, take a terrible thing and turn it into something better. Something that might make an amazing change in our country.

As we go about our day today, let us not forget to remember the heroes who give their lives for the sake of others on that September day.