Most of us can remember it like it happened just yesterday. We remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news that the United States of America was under attack by terrorists. We also remember the horrible feeling that we experienced when watching the television coverage of the carnage that had been delivered to our doorstep by Al-Qaeda. Two thousand, nine hundred and seventy three lives were taken that day during the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and Flight 93 in Shanksville, P.A.. The devastation sent shock waves throughout the United States and across the globe. Unfortunately for the terrorists, the act that they thought would bring us to our knees ended up making us stand taller, stronger, and more united than ever.
It would be one of the first and only times my children had ever seen their father cry. I was sitting in my office on a normal, busy, summer day when my wife called to tell me that a plane had struck the WTC. Being under the impression that it was a small commuter plane that had possibly malfunctioned in some way, I replied with a simple “I hope there weren’t many people hurt”, or something of that nature. Not until the news reports started to flow in on CNN.com did I understand the scope of what was happening. I remember feeling a mixture of sorrow, anger, and disbelief while reading the steady flow of breaking news.
When I got home from work that evening and watched the coverage on TV, the emotions were uncontrollable. Like the rest of the United States, I sat in front of my television with my wife and children watching the news coverage for hours upon hours with tears running down my cheeks. It was a day I hope to never duplicate.
The outflow of patriotism in the next several weeks was incredible. Almost every store in the U.S. was completely sold out of American flags within two days following the attacks. Everywhere you looked you would see red, white and blue shirts, hats, bandannas, stickers, posters, etc. Businesses whose windows were normally bare were now plastered with patriotic posters and flags. The unity was so unbelievably strong that you could feel it everywhere you went. Continue reading ‘Remembering September 11, 2001′
Loading ...