"Where Were You....

(From the LA Times, Opinion Page, 9/10/08)

....when the world stopped turning, on that September day?"

9/11/01....it was a Tuesday. I was a senior in high school, in my 1st hour class with Ms. Minar - Newspaper. I was in a side room making some calls to local radio stations about sponsoring us for a car wash, or something....I got ahold of someone at one of the stations, who snippily told me, "We're worried about the state of our country right now!," and hung up. I went back to the classroom and relayed what the rude DJ had said to me. At about that time, there was an announcement over the PA system to turn on all the TVs in the classrooms - which we did, and right at that moment, we saw the 2nd plane hit. I remember where I was sitting in the classroom, and what I was wearing....

I remember that day like it was yesterday. A "code red" was issued for the entire school (beacuse of bomb threats at my own Terre Haute South, and across town at Terre Haute North) which meant that no one was allowed to leave the room they were in, and it was like that for about 3 hours. The whole day was off after that. I got to my next class in the weight room and a code orange was issued.... At lunch, the whole school was evacuated to the football field...and if I remember right, everyone was finally released early. I quickly found Megan to get out of there, and took her locker neighbor, Kelly, home too. Gas had shot up to about 5 bucks a gallon. We got home to a stunned Mom and 6-year old Anthony. My boyfriend at the time, Shaun, sold Kirby vacuum cleaners and I was frantic when I couldn't get ahold of him. He finally came to my house around 8:00 that night and I was so glad to see him. Everyone's nerves and emotions were shot.

It was such a crazy and sad time, and I can't believe that its been 9 years since that fateful day. So much has happened in the world, and in my own life, since then....but 9/11 will always have special meaning for our generation.

It's hard to imagine a world with religious and political tolerance....a world with peace....a world with compromise and patience instead of war and threats....and I'm not sure that I will ever see that in my lifetime, nor will my children. All I know is that more than anything, I had never been more proud to be an American after that day. Blood drives were set up and lines went around the block. I remember South passing around buckets at football games to raise money. Everyone was so proud to be part of a country who could and would stand up to terrorism....and I still am. You can disagree with the war, but you better believe in the reason - otherwise think of all the lives that have been lost for nothing.

Always remembered, never forgotten.........