As I look back on this date every year, I get a sense of pride. This pride comes from knowing that fifteen years ago our country banded together and overcame and attack. An attack that was the biggest attack on United States soil since the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
I’m proud to be an American. I may not be proud of some decisions our country’s politicians have made, but I’m proud to live in a country where I have freedom. I’m proud of the men and women that keep me safe by putting their life in danger. As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said “Today is a day which will live in infamy.” He was referring to Pearl Harbor, but his words ring true to September 11th, 2001. Today we use Never Forget, but it has the same feelings.
People say they remember exactly what they were doing when tragic events happened. Like Kennedy’s assassination, the Challenger explosion, Nine Eleven. I was just starting my first year of college at John A. Logan College. I had an afternoon class that day, but I had a doctor’s appointment earlier in the day. I turned my TV on and saw the Pentagon on fire. I thought nothing of it and fell back asleep for a few minutes. When I woke up for the day was when I saw the first tower fall. At that moment I knew this was more than just the Pentagon on fire. I ran into my parents room to wake up my mom. I told her something bad has happened. We watched TV and just cried together.
After and hour of watching things unfold I had to get ready to go to my doctor’s appointment. I watched as I got dressed for the day. I listened to the radio as I was driving to the doctor. The waiting room was silent. No one was talking. Just watching everything happen. It was a strange feeling not knowing what was going on, but seeing it go on at the same time. My name was called to go back into the exam room and the same silence everywhere.
My doctor’s appointment ends and I go to get lunch before my class. On any other day I wouldn’t remember what I had. I went to Subway that day. I took it to school with me and ate in the common area while going over some class notes. There were TVs set up and other students were huddled around watching and consoling each other. It was just comforting to see people standing together for our country. People that have never met and wouldn’t know each other after that.
During class, my instructor didn’t even teach. He came in and said he had a lesson plan for the day, but after the events of the day he couldn’t teach.
After all the events of the day a felt a sense of unity in our country. A unity that came together in a time of need. Unity that brought a country together when we were kicked down.
