I will never forget...

I remember, I was in 7th grade. I was in homeroom when the vice principal, Dr. Jackson went on the PA and told everyone that there were going to be no after school activities, EVERYONE WAS TO GO STRAIGHT HOME!!!!! Dr. Jackson was very strict and was always stern when he spoke, but no heard ever heard him speak any more stern than at this time. There was confusion. Why not? We all found this odd. Why did he not say why?

It wasn't till I was in my afternoon explo, Mrs. Hubbard's music class, that I knew why we were to go straight home. She started class by asking if we knew what happened? Half of the class said yes and half of us said no, I was part of the no. Finally I was going to learn what happened! She turned on the TV and I saw. My heart stopped in my chest as goosebumps came all over my body! America was being attacked! As I sat there watching, it became so real to me, I felt as if I was there, watching, running, screaming! As much as I hated that school, I was thankful, I was there, and not in New York!

Mrs. Hubbard turned off the TV after some time and spoke to us. I really don't know what she said, my spirit was somewhere in New York! She might have spoken comfort to us, maybe hatred, possibly fear. I snapped out of my temporary shock. I then heard her say, "We will never forget today!" She talked about the day JFK was assassinated. She could tell us every detail about that day! She said that she first heard of it at a diner with her friends. She told us more of the day, but that's all I remember. The next thing she said has stuck with me these last 10 years and will always be with me. She said, "Never in your life, will you forget where you heard and saw the towers fall, just like I will never forget the day JFK was killed!" We didn't have assigned seating in her class, but 10 years later, I can tell you how the room was set up and I can tell you the exact seat I was sitting in, and I remember thinking, 'right here in your class Mrs. Hubbard! This is where I was!'

I love hearing of all the stories of 9/11. I've heard so many of people that for whatever reason, their alarms didn't go off, they missed the public transportation whether ferry or train, couldn't find a cab, etc. They should have been on that flight but was only a second too late. My favorite story is of 'The Hand' as I call it. With all the smoke, you couldn't see. But there was this women who heard a voice say "Take my hand" and all she saw was a hand. She took the hand and followed. By this, she found many others trying to find the way out and she said, "Come follow, grab a hand" I don't remember how many people was in this hand chain, but it was many. When they came out, she wanted to thank the person that told her to grab their hand, but found herself at the front of the long line.

9/11 caused much pain, angry, heartache, grief and hatred, but let us not forget, the good that came from it! Many became grateful for many different reasons including being alive and the sparing of a loved one, many started to believe in God, it united America as a whole!!! Some people wonder where God was that awful morning. Let me assure you, God had a very busy morning and had many angels to assist Him!

"WE WILL NEVER FORGET 9/11'
And I will never forget how I felt, or where I sat, when I saw those Two Towers fall to Ground Zero...
God Bless America!!!!