I Remember

Where were you when the world stopped turning…?

Alan Jackson – Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)

I was a twelve year old kid ten years ago.  I was sitting in school, in history class ironically enough, when both planes hit.  I remember glimpses of the day.  I couldn’t tell you what we were studying, only that with every hour more of my classmates were taken home by their parents.  I remember the looks on my teacher’s faces.  I remember their hushed whispers.  I remember not knowing what was going on.  I remember being scared.

The next day I went back to school.  It was a Wednesday.  We didn’t learn anything in school that day, or the rest of the week.  Many students were still kept home by their parents.  Teachers were unable to think, much less plan lessons.  We were being babysat rather than taught.  I remember we had construction paper.  We were drawing signs and writing cards.

We posted signs up on the walls.  “God Bless America” “In God We Trust” “United We Stand” “Never Forget”  We wrote encouraging cards to send to the New York Police Department and the Fire Department of New York and the Port Authority of New York.  We wrote letters to the families wishing them luck finding family members, and encouraging them to stay strong and hopeful.

I remember when I left school everyone had American flags in their yards, on their cars, outside buildings.  Flags were raised high and proudly.  Neighbors were cheerful and wishing each other well wishes.

I remember how close we felt as a nation.  I remember how supportive of each other we were.  I miss that.  What happened in the last ten years?  Why can I drive down the street and not see a single flag?  Why can I say hello to a neighbor and get a grunt, if anything, in reply?  What changed?

In no way do I wish to have another attack like we had ten years ago.  I do wish there was something to bring us together again though.

Natural disasters haven’t done it.  Hurricane Ivan didn’t bring us together in 2004.  Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita didn’t bring us together in 2005.  The tornadoes in April, stretching from Alabama to Ontario didn’t bring us together this year.  The tornado in Joplin this past May didn’t bring us together this year.  I don’t wish for a stronger natural disaster though either.

I don’t suppose there will be another event that unites the country as strongly as the attacks in New York and Washington D.C. did ten years ago.  I just hope that if there is, its not nearly as tragic.