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I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in eleventh grade history and Mrs. Lowe told us we weren't having a test today and turned on the tv. I remember sitting there, pencil at the ready and my pencil just broke when I saw what happened. I was scared and shaky and I didn't even know why. At that time, I had a friend who was a congressional aide in Washington DC and I remember thinking, "My God, Kristy's there. Where is she, how can I contact her (we were online friends) and what am I going to do if she's gone." In retrospect, that was kind of stupid given there were people who had real life friends and family that they lost or had a danger of losing, but that was my story.
I remember shuffling from class to class that day, the television a constant fixture. Only Mrs. McKinney wouldn't let us watch the news and I remember how upset some of us were by that. In retrospect, it was probably good that we watched M*A*S*H that afternoon. We needed something to take our minds off the tragedy that was unfolding on television.
Fast forward two months. I went with my journalism class to New York to attend a conference on writing. When we went to the financial district, the smoke and the fire was still there. After two months, it was still smoldering and I couldn't believe it. I cried, overwhelmed by the sense of so much loss. This was before many people were allowed to Ground Zero and we couldn't get any closer than about three blocks. I did make another visit to Ground Zero, this time in March 2003. I had my photo taken looking out over Ground Zero, the cross from the wreckage clearly visible. I don't have that here, but it's at home. I'll scan it someday.
In short, I love my country. I love her for that which she stands and even though I don't agree with a lot of things, visiting that site stirred in me the kind of patriotic feelings that anyone should feel and not just on September 11th.
I remember shuffling from class to class that day, the television a constant fixture. Only Mrs. McKinney wouldn't let us watch the news and I remember how upset some of us were by that. In retrospect, it was probably good that we watched M*A*S*H that afternoon. We needed something to take our minds off the tragedy that was unfolding on television.
Fast forward two months. I went with my journalism class to New York to attend a conference on writing. When we went to the financial district, the smoke and the fire was still there. After two months, it was still smoldering and I couldn't believe it. I cried, overwhelmed by the sense of so much loss. This was before many people were allowed to Ground Zero and we couldn't get any closer than about three blocks. I did make another visit to Ground Zero, this time in March 2003. I had my photo taken looking out over Ground Zero, the cross from the wreckage clearly visible. I don't have that here, but it's at home. I'll scan it someday.
In short, I love my country. I love her for that which she stands and even though I don't agree with a lot of things, visiting that site stirred in me the kind of patriotic feelings that anyone should feel and not just on September 11th.
