"This is a day when all Americans from all walks of life unite in our resolve for justice & peace, America has took down enemies before and we will do so this time, none of us will ever forget this day, yet we move forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world" G.W. Bush
I can still remember exactly what I was doing, where I was and I still remember how scared I was. I was in class and it had just started. Some students were still getting their supplies out of their cubbies when Dr. Phenix came on the intercom and asked that every member of the staff please turn on their television sets with caution and he would be making announcements as to what to do momentarily. When I tuned in I saw the second plane smash into the 2nd tower. Nobody knew at that point what was going on. With the first plane going into the tower everyone thought it may have been an accident, but with the second one everyone knew we were under attack!
Moments later there was an announcement that told everyone to gather your students, all of their records and meet in the gymnasium. I did just that but then as I was calling my dad frantically I didn't get an answer and I was able to talk to mom at the bank where she informed me that we are indeed under attack and that the Pentagon was just hit and my father who still had clearances there was going to be there! I took my class to the gymnasium and I took off! As I was heading to McLean traffic was horrible and my cell phone no longer worked. I had no idea where any of my family was, I didn't know what to do at all. So when I got to my Mom's Becca was there and Ian pulled in right away with Haven and the boys. Haven didn't know that Dad was at a meeting at the Pentagon, when we told her she lost all control. As anyone would on such a fucked up day. Finally Mom & Dad pulled into the driveway and My dad & Ian talked alone and we didn't get to hear anything at all. We were all crying hysterically and when My brother saluted my father I knew something was wrong. He tried comforting us and telling us that it was a terrorist attack and it's under control but then the first tower was in shambles. And yet everything was going to be okay. My grandparents were going crazy as they were scared and were fearing the worst as we all were. Hearing the sirens blast thru the air, seeing all the traffic heading out of Washington --total pandomoniam. Seeing the images on tv where people were jumping to their deaths in tower 2, seeing people running in the streets and paper everywhere. No control at all. Nobody knew anything and our Commander in Chief was in Florida.
So we decided we were getting out of the target area and we went to my grandparents house in Luray and spent the next couple of days there. Adam, whom I was dating at that time met me at my grandparents house. He knew how scared I was and even with a broken arm he drove the 2.5 hours to be with me. My Mom & Adam bonded. We all actually talked about what we thought was happening and who we thought did it. I remember Isaiah & Chandler never had a care in the world and being the kids that they are they had no idea what was going on, Thank God! We spent the night in front of the tv, hoping and praying.
The next day Adam & I decided we needed to get away for a while and we drove into this quaint little town and on the Sign at the Bank it said "GOD BLESS AMERICA" and it dawned on me that it was never there before and finally we're all uniting together! And it didn't stop with a sign, there were Vets atop this bridge waving a big American Flag and everyone honking their horns and saluting these men.
And months later my Dad & I were at this gas station getting fuel and there were these Chinese tourist in front of the Pentagon all smiling and having their picture taken in front of the rubble when my Dad decided to chase them off! It was the funniest thing ever, but it pissed my father off that these people were laughing and smiling!!!
So my first visit to Battery Park was unforgettable. Even a year later there was still a huge memorial. There was still people on their knees crying, there was still memories and souls lost in this big hole. None of it still did not make any sense.
Three (3) years later it still doesn't, but time has a way of helping us heal and deal with our pain. There were so many lives lost. So many innocent lives lost because some fucked up man thought he was going to Heaven with 70 virgins! And each time I walk into Grand Central Station I think about how many people road the trains every day and how many road them that day to get to heaven.
I'm not going to be doing anything extravagant today. I'm going to say prayers through-out the day for everyone!
God is a loving God and he's a just God. God Bless!
