9/11

My life, like that of most Americans, can be broken into two very different pieces: life before 9/11 and life after. Sure, I didn't know anyone personally who was lost that day, but I certainly lost my feeling of safety in my own country. I was a senior in high school on September 11, 2001. I was sick that morning and my mom had called me in. (I miss those days...) I was in bed watching tv when the news cut in and said a plane hit a building in NYC. I remember thinking, "what an idiot pilot! How could you hit a building?!" little did I know what was really happening. Watching it unfold was so surreal. Another plane hitting the WTC, another down in a PA field and a last into the Pentagon. What was going on? How could this happen? I headed to school as I just could not sit at home alone while my country fell apart. What I never expected was that this tragedy would show such beauty. People were different. They were caring. Churches were filled. Families were close. People told each other that they loved one another. 

2 weeks after 9/11 my Mom and I went to Hawaii to watch my Uncle Derek retire from the U.S. Navy. I did NOT want to get on a plane. I'll never forget crying and begging my mom not to go. We did go. I sat next to a man who was of the same descent of the terrorist from 2 weeks prior. It was really a scary flight. I eyed him the whole time. Every single time that man moved, so did I. (What was I going to do is he tried something? I don't know...) We landed and I was so happy to be land again. Whew. The whole trip was odd. I was in all black (naturally) and had a laptop so I was always being searched by security. 

Life and especially traveling would never be the same. Suddenly we weren't the safest country. We were under attack. Things would never be the same again.

I miss life before 9/11 and I am certain I'm not the only one.