I, along with everyone else on the planet, will never forget where I was that day. I was in college, on my way to class when I heard someone say that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in NYC. I sat through class, not knowing AT ALL the magnitude of the situation. I thought it was a horrible accident. After class the halls were abuzz with more news- we were under attack...TWO planes had hit the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and one crashed in PA. I immediately left and went to Christopher's house (after calling my dad who worked in DC...he had actually stayed home that day.) Chris's house was only a minute from school so I went there to watch the news. He was working the evening shift at Capital One so he was home when I got there. I just couldn't believe it. I felt so awful. And angry. I couldn't peel myself away from the news- I listened to it all the way to work and throughout the afternoon. When I got to the bank everyone was somber and listening to the news...I remember customers looking very scared.
My most vivid memory still makes me emotional...I drove home and saw my parents sitting on the porch. I got out of my car, walked up to them and started crying. My dad just hugged me for the longest time. All I could say was, "All those people..." I was just so sad. I kept the news on for days, waiting for another attack. I was so, so angry as we learned more and more about the situation. To me, terrorism was very new...I knew about Pan Am 103 and the Olympic bombing in 1996- but this was just unreal.
It's very sad to me that we live in a world where these kinds of things happen. I can only hope my girls never have to experience something so tragic. But, as I told my students when we discussed Patriot Day, I am choosing to focus on the heroes of that day. I remember very well how Americans united and feeling very proud to be one. We will never forget.
