Intermission: 9-11

2001: A hefty year.

September 11, 2001

A normal morning in the life of little fourth-grader me.  I woke up and started getting ready for the day, following my regular routine — wake up, make the bed, get dressed, go to the bathroom, go downstairs to eat breakfast.  I got out of the bathroom and walked to the top of stairs, directly across from my mom's open bedroom door (this was her old bedroom, before she married Jerry and before the remodel).  I paused when I saw her standing in front of her TV in the far corner of the room, arms folded and very still.

"What's that?" I saw billowing black clouds on the TV screen.
"This just happened in New York," she said. "Bad men flew airplanes into these buildings."
"What does that mean?" I didn't understand, I couldn't understand.
"Some very bad people just attacked our country.  Lots of people have died."
I understood that part.  How sad!

I was saddened by what happened.  But at the same time, it was so far away.  I went downstairs and got breakfast.  Then Mom walked me and Brooke across the street to La Costa Heights Elementary School.  I don't remember anything about that day except for the morning announcements.  Dr. Meek, our principal, gave the announcements over an intercom each morning but that day they were different.  She gave a heavy, brief explanation of the morning's events in New York City, then she asked us all to take a minute of silence and pray to our God, whomever He may be.  I sat at my desk and folded my arms in front of me, bowing my head with closed eyes.  In my head, I said a short, silent prayer. Heavenly Father, please watch over those people in New York.  Please save them.  Please help their families.  Please make the bad guys stop doing bad things.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

That day changed our country forever.  From then on, tight security was enforced in airports.  The Department of Homeland Security was established.  The United States of America was no longer an invincible nation.  We were attacked.  I was too young to understand the implications, and I was too young to understand the incredible extent in which that day changed America.  I didn't understand anything about Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden.  But every year following that one, I learned in school about the 9-11 terrorist attacks.  I learned about them from news stories, from word of mouth, from living in California.  I grew up with September 11th.

And so it goes.

Love, Me