Then yahoo.com popped up as my homepage. Then I remembered.
How could I forget?
Faced with the images once again of those buildings being struck by the planes.
The images of people sobbing on the street, covered in soot.
Of those brave ones running IN to the buildings to save others.
How could I forget?
I remember every single second of September 11, 2001. Still in college, I had thrown on a sweatshirt and trekked across Buffalo State College campus to just barely make my history class on time. I hadn't even turned on the TV yet.
Initial reports thought it was an accident. HAD to be an accident.
Then we watched the second plane hit the tower.
There was silence.
Absolute silence.
And then we were dismissed.
What was going to happen next? We were so close to Niagara Falls...could that be a bombing target? What about our families?
I remember one of our quad mates, she was from Brooklyn, crying hysterically unable to get through to anyone back home.
I left campus. I couldn't be there. I drove to Randy and curled into a ball on his little twin bed and cried.
This wasn't supposed to happen here. Not to us.
By then the other planes had struck. More lives lost.
I didn't expect to be so emotional going through today's news reports. I didn't expect the impact that seeing these images again would have over me.
But I've never forgotten. I never will.
On this day I ask that we all remember. That we all take a moment to remember those lives lost. Take a moment to remember those lives affected. Because we've ALL been affected by this. You may not remember with the clarity that I do of where I was when those towers were struck...but you'll never forget the day Americans across the country stood together, cried together.
Never forget. Never surrender.
"You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy."
--Colin Powell
--Colin Powell
1 comment:
Your post gave me chills. I don't know that any of us could possibly ever forget.
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