This is from a trip I was able to take in middle school. I think we're sitting at the Statue of Liberty "looking back" at New York. This was my one and only experience with the Twin Towers. As it is with many of you, 9/11 is a day that that will always stay with me, however my initial experience with that day is probably a little different. I was blocked from almost all media and it wasn't until I came home from school late that afternoon that I saw what was really going on. I was in the dark at the beginning and a lot was lost on me at first because of that. I got bits and pieces of what had happened throughout the day but never really understood the magnitude of what our nation was dealing with. I never saw the events in real time, just edited reports of what had occurred. It wasn't until later that I grasped the reality of what had happened and what it really meant. It seemed unreal as I finally saw the images and listened to the reports which were no longer questions about what was going on but were the first pieces of the puzzle already coming together. It wasn't as much a question of who and why but a matter of what do we do now? It was a turning point in my life because I saw what our nation was capable of. I saw millions of people come together, those in the middle of it and those who could only help from afar, in ways that impressed me deep down to my soul. I finally saw a flag on every door step and I saw those around me finally understand what it means to be a part of this country. I watched my teachers explain with raw emotion their feelings, their anger, for what had happened and their hope for what we could all become. It was a reminder to me that we are blessed and that this nation is truly a land given to us by God. It was the first time I realized there are people who will fight to the ends of the earth to take away what we have been given. It blossomed a deep sense of pride and really made me understand what it means to be an American. I love my home. I love my country. I am proud to be apart of this nation. I am proud to be an American.
I will never forget.
