Today is a day that has changed a lot of things in a lot of different ways.
It is a day of unspeakable loss and tragedy, and a day of courage and patriotism.
I always remember my parents talking about how they remembered exactly where they were when Kennedy was shot, or when the space shuttle Challenger exploded. I had hoped that my generation would never have one of those days.
September 11, 2001 was that day for my generation.
Ten years ago.
I still remember every single detail of that day like it was yesterday.
I was a sophomore at Penn State, getting ready for my Political Science class at 10:10 at the Forum. I watched the Today Show every morning, and was sitting on my floor curling my hair. I remember the breaking news of a plane hitting one of the towers. I continued to get ready, and I remember thinking how stupid someone had to be to crash a plane into the towers. As they continued their coverage, a second plane hit the other tower, and that's when the entire world realized it wasn't just an accident. I left for my class, knowing at that point that another plane had also crashed into the Pentagon. I don't think I quite understood everything that was happening, and what it all really meant.
By the time I made it to the Forum, the first tower had collapsed. Our professor had the TV going in the lecture hall, and announced that class was cancelled. He told us that we could stay- because we were watching history unfold. While I sat in that classroom, the second tower collapsed.
The whole week was a fog of emotions, tears, and sadness. Penn State held a candlelight vigil on Old Main lawn that Friday. I think that's when it finally hit me what all had actually happened to our country.
I could go on and on- because I really do remember every detail of that day. But this day- September 11- ten years later- is not about me.
It is about those that had no idea that would be the last time they saw, spoke to, touched their loved ones.
It is about the innocent lives that were lost at the Pentagon, at the World Trade Center, and in a field in Pennsylvania.
It is about the families that will forever have an empty seat at the table, and forever have a piece of their heart missing.
We can never forget the lives lost that day. We must make sure that the next generation knows of this day, and knows how it changed our lives forever.
Hopefully, the next generation will never have to face such unspeakable horror, sadness, and tragedy the way we, as a nation, did on September 11, 2001.
We will never forget.
I was a sophomore at Penn State, getting ready for my Political Science class at 10:10 at the Forum. I watched the Today Show every morning, and was sitting on my floor curling my hair. I remember the breaking news of a plane hitting one of the towers. I continued to get ready, and I remember thinking how stupid someone had to be to crash a plane into the towers. As they continued their coverage, a second plane hit the other tower, and that's when the entire world realized it wasn't just an accident. I left for my class, knowing at that point that another plane had also crashed into the Pentagon. I don't think I quite understood everything that was happening, and what it all really meant.
By the time I made it to the Forum, the first tower had collapsed. Our professor had the TV going in the lecture hall, and announced that class was cancelled. He told us that we could stay- because we were watching history unfold. While I sat in that classroom, the second tower collapsed.
The whole week was a fog of emotions, tears, and sadness. Penn State held a candlelight vigil on Old Main lawn that Friday. I think that's when it finally hit me what all had actually happened to our country.
I could go on and on- because I really do remember every detail of that day. But this day- September 11- ten years later- is not about me.
It is about those that had no idea that would be the last time they saw, spoke to, touched their loved ones.
It is about the innocent lives that were lost at the Pentagon, at the World Trade Center, and in a field in Pennsylvania.
It is about the families that will forever have an empty seat at the table, and forever have a piece of their heart missing.
We can never forget the lives lost that day. We must make sure that the next generation knows of this day, and knows how it changed our lives forever.
Hopefully, the next generation will never have to face such unspeakable horror, sadness, and tragedy the way we, as a nation, did on September 11, 2001.
We will never forget.
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