Never Forget

Has it really been 10 years? I can't believe that 10 years ago, I was an awkward 13 year old at the orthodontist checking out listening to the ladies talk about what was happening in New York. I was really confused hearing words like "American Airlines," "planes," World Trade Center," etc. For some reason, I thought there were planes that had hit the brand new American Airlines Center in Dallas. By the time I got to school, Kidd Kraddock was talking about it on the radio, the teachers had been briefed during what was the middle schoolers PE time (while I was at the orthodontist) and my bimbo of an 9th grade English teacher was telling us about the hole in the building with her hands (which of course meant very little to us).

Being at a private school, we had an "upper school" chapel and talked about what had happened and prayed. The rest of the day was spent watching TV. All day. When I got home, I watched more coverage. I saw what was left of one of the towers fall. I also spent a lot of the day wondering if our 8th grade trip to DC would happen in February (it did and I remember seeing the construction on the Pentagon and the giant American Flag flying there).

Two years ago, I went to DC for the 2nd time with my mom (who doesn't have a memory of going but apprently went when she was younger). I remember going to the Newseum in 8th grade and how cool it was so I insisted on going again - only they had moved and it was bigger and better than ever (especially for journalism nerds like me). They had a huge 9/11 exhibit and it was awesome. They had the antenna from the WTC, part of the concrete from the Pentagon, the charred eagle from the top of the flagpole at the Pentagon, among other things from DC, NYC, and even Shanksville, PA, if I'm not mistaken. Around the antenna was a timeline of that morning. What was really powerful to me, we one of the walls - covered with the headlines from September 12, 2001. I think they said there were 136 of them - 50 states plus DC, and major papers from all over the world.

WTC antenna

Today we remember the thousands of lives lost and their families and friends and stand together as a nation. God bless America and God bless her allies and even her enemies.