It is hard to believe that 15 years have come and gone since the tragic event that took place on September 11th, 2001.
I was only four years old when the world trade center was attacked. I did not live in New York. Yet, I felt the ground shake underneath my feet. I did not personally know anyone who was in the buildings or on the planes. Yet, I felt my heart break.
September 11, 2001 was just like another day, until it wasn't. I got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth and went to preschool. My mom was scheduled to be the teacher helper for the day. I don't particularly remember what we were being taught that day, but I do remember painting a giant red strawberry and wondering why my dad was at my school when he was suppose to be a work. My dad sometimes would surprise me after my half-day preschool class and meet me and my mom for lunch. So maybe that was it. Maybe I'll finally get that happy meal toy I've been wanting. Maybe today was the lucky day. I soon realized by the look on my mothers face, that today was not that day. Something was wrong, very wrong. On the way home I asked my mom what was going on. She explained that some men who didn't like America did something really terrible. I was a four year old full of questions, what men? What did they do? Where? How terrible? It only took but 5 minutes in front of the television to see what she meant. My eyes were glued to the screen as I watched the clip of the planes fly into the towers over and over again. I think this was the first time I realized that there was a lot more to the world than my little life on Melanie Drive in a small town in Michigan. ALOT MORE than I could possibly know or begin to understand. As I sat there watching the live video of smoke rise from the destructed buildings, I remember being scared. I was not scared for myself. I was scared for the people in the building, for the people on the streets, and for the firefighters. What would happen to them? What would happen to their families? My mom kept the news on the whole day. I didn't even think of complaining when I missed the episode of Aurthur that I typically watched at 3 o clock on PBS, because I knew that this event was far more important. I continued to hear words that I had never heard before throughout the day, like Taliban, al-Qadea, and terrorist. Most of the news commentary went right over my four year old brain. I just kept wondering why. Why would somebody do something so cruel? How could they? At four years old, I did not understand. I would consider myself to be less naive than I was fifteen years ago. However, I still cannot wrap my brain around the events that took place on 9/11. I cannot begin to comprehend what would compel someone to commit such an evil act.
Gone but never forgotten.
