09/11/2023
That morning I was sitting in History class, of all classes to be in...
We had the TV on because we were actually going over current events.
Suddenly the screen flashed with "Breaking News" and it cut to a shot of the first Tower burning.
You could tell the news anchor didn't really know what was going on, and no one really did at that point.
Was it an accident like a mechanical failure?
It had gotten rather loud in the room as we all started trying to figure out what was going on.
There was a lot of speculation, but then right on screen a second jet flew into the second tower and erupted in a ball of flame and debris.
Suddenly... it was completely silent, no one dared to speak, and everyone had their eyes fixed on the screen in complete fear.
I can't remember the name of the girl sitting at the desk beside me, but I do remember she started to cry.
I just sat there in silence the whole time.
A few years later I was in Drum Corps and we went to a practice site that was just across the Hudson River and you could see the New York City skyline and I remember feeling so much sadness when I saw the emptiness where the towers once stood.
I didn't personally know anyone who was there that day, but there were many in the Corps that did.
Again... I was silent
My first year in college I went to a place called the "Oak Grove" very often and would sit there a lot and just read and sometimes watch people going around to classes and such.
At the one end of the Oak Grove there was a memorial that had been placed there, and the center piece of it was an actual section from one of the Towers.
It was a Saturday... very quiet, slightly chilly and a bit windy that day.
I watched from a distance a small service that they had there, and afterwards I walked up close to the memorial and just stared at it for a while in reflection of those events just a few years before.
After a few minutes I reached out and placed my hand on the cold metal and felt overwhelmed with memories and emotions.
For the first time since all of it happened... I cried.
Younger generations won't really appreciate what happened since they didn't experience it and only saw the events on videos, so in a way they are spared from it and it isn't really their fault, but also have things they have had to deal with and I never have.
Things like "active shooter drills" which didn't exist when I was in school.
We all have our own unique experiences and challenges that shape our lives.
This was one of mine... and one I'll Never Forget.
