Where Were You?

I don't know anyone who doesn't remember where they were on 9/11/2001. I didn't realize it at the time, but it's a day I'll never forget. I was a freshman in High School. I was walking from my first period class to my second period art class when I heard people talking about a bombing at the Pentagon. I assumed it was a small bomb that resulted in a few injuries and maybe a death or two. Sad, but I didnt' think it was a huge deal. When I got to my art class, my principal came over the intercom and said that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. At that time, I wasn't even completely sure what the World Trade Center was. We didn't watch anything on TV in any of my classes, but I know some classes did. I heard various rumors throughout the day. I still didn't know how bad it was. I don't remember if I went to my mom's or dad's house after school, but I know we watched the news that night. I was shocked when I finally realized how bad things really were. The amount of smoke that was covering the sky, the people jumping out of the buildings, then the buildings actually collapsing. It was unreal to me. Thousands of people died that day. Thousands of moms, dads, siblings, children, spouses and friends would never be coming home again. SO many people could only sit around and wait, for what must have seemed like forever, to hope that someone they loved would be found. I can't imagine the agony they went through. Losing someone that way must be horrible, but not even knowing if they're dead or alive...if they're dead when their remains will be recovered...I just can't imagine. I never dreamed something like that would happen in the US. 

It was already a very very sad situation, but once I started to see the stories of families who lost people that day, it really just hit me. I remember seeing a story with a man who had lost his wife on 9/11. They had a 3 year old little boy and he had been asking where mommy was and when she was coming home. This poor man who lost his young wife now had to explain to his toddler that his mommy wasn't coming home. I just can't imagine how he felt. I can't imagine someone being evil enough to cause so many people to have these types of conversations with people they love. 

I had never been to New York at that time, so I never got to see it with the towers still there. I finally got to go a couple years ago, but the memorial wasn't ready at that point. I saw the memorial on TV today and I think it's beautiful. Hopefully I'll get to see it in person before too long. 

Until then, Baltimore has a small memorial that I got to half see this weekend. It was unveiled today, but we went Saturday. The marble has a timeline of the day on one side and the tarp covered thing is a piece of one of the towers. We'll go back to see it before too long. 

God Bless America!