Remembering For a Decade: 9/11

I've shed tears today. I actually lost my left contact today while crying at what I was hearing on TV during one of the special ceremonies. I looked around on the carpet for the contact, even tried blinking a few times to see if it was in my eye, but never did find it.

The eye contact I lost today while showing emotion of the 9/11 events is ridiculously miniscule compared to what so many lost on September 11, 2001.

I do not personally know anyone who was killed on that day. I actually didn't know too much about The World Trade Centers before that day. Growing up in FL, and being only 14 years old at the time, I honestly just didn't have much knowledge of their purpose. I soon found out just how important those two buildings were, and more importantly, how many people worked inside of them.

I remember vividly standing at my gray-colored locker in what was known as the "Anchor Area" at my high school. The locker was in the middle of three rows. I was headed to Physical Science with Ms. Erb, which was only a few steps away from where my locker was. Someone, I think my boyfriend at the time, told me "The World Trade Centers have been hit by a plane." We didn't talk much because we both needed to head to class. I walked into Science. The look on my teacher's face helped me understand the severity of this situation. She had the news on and we just sat quietly, watching everything unfold.

The rest of the day was somber. My dad was on medical leave at the time, and he was home when I got home from school. Together we watched the news, and I began to ask him my many questions. He tried to answer as best he could. My mom informed me later that day that President Bush was in my hometown of Sarasota that morning, reading to students at an elementary school to promote his education campaign.

I remember just trying to imagine what it would have been like to be there, in the city that day. What would it have been like to be standing in the street, watching two famous buildings burn, and then one second later, running as fast as you can to escape the smoke as one tower begins its collapse to the ground? What was it like for children to see falling bodies from the tower, bodies of people who decided they couldn't stand to be in the tower any longer, and that their best option was to jump to their death? What was it like to be hoping to get a phone call from that person who you knew was inside of the building and the phone call never came?


I truly cannot imagine. There are many things about that day that I truly cannot imagine. I'm devastated and moved just thinking about the thousands of people who have to face these realities daily.

I shed tears today as I heard the survivors of the victims of 9/11 read the names of their loved ones. I cried harder when it was a child saying the name of their mom or dad, followed by, "I didn't know you because I was in my mom's tummy at the time." Or, "Dad, I wish you could still be here to give me advice." And, "Dad, I wish you were still here so you could watch me play sports."

Heartbreaking.

Today, I saw emotions expressed by relatives of 9/11 victims that show how real their pain still is. How fresh the tragedy still is, ten years later. Emotions that most likely, will always be worn on their sleeves.

I have spent much of today watching coverage of the special ceremonies, highlighting the ten year anniversary of the day that changed America forever. I've spent a lot of time reflecting and thinking of the thousands of innocent lives that were lost within a matter of a few hours.

In one of MSNBC's documentaries tonight, a reporter stated it perfectly. "Even when the fires stopped burning and the smoke went away, even when the debris had stopped flying and Ground Zero was cleared out, 9/11 still lives."

We will never forget September 11, 2001. I will never forget.

{images from Google}