Sept 11 2001, I was 16

There are many things through out the day that I often think I should blog about. Something happened, or pops into my mind and I think "OH! That would make a good blog!" I find that often I don't actually get around to sitting down and putting it into words though. Time runs out quickly after work is over! Today however there was a special on TV about Sept 11th. I needed to take some time and reflect. Especially now that the 10 year anniversary is approaching. I needed to put my thoughts down this time. Even if it meant staying up a little past my bed time.

Sept 11th 2001. I was 16 years old, a junior in high school at Legacy High. I was in Advanced comp/lit. An English class. My teacher was Mr Warner. An announcement came over the intercom and teachers were told they were allowed to turn on their TVs to watch the news with students during class time. I'm glad he did. As scary devastating and potentially terrifying for some students as it might have been.  My class sat there in silence. Not quite knowing how to take it all in with our 16yr old eyes. We were watching live as it was all unfolding. Death... destruction...terror....evil. We saw the towers fall. Crumble to the ground. Heard the screams the desperate cries of how's and whys. I could not begin to imagine being there. It was hard enough to watch. Left a scar on my heart, even just through the TV. School went on through the day. Some evil EVIL people flew planes full of innocent humans, CHILDREN even into a building. Killing anyone on bored and all the people in the buildings. That part of it didn't hit me until later in the day. I watched, and that's it! Just watched things happen. Is this real? And at that point, I got more angry than anything else.  The thought of all the lives lost, the thought of putting yourself in their shoes... was beyond comprehension for my 16 year old brain while watching. It took time to process... Its still hard to process..... its not a movie full of magic effect... this is really going on.... that plane really just flew into the building on purpose... that building just crumbled to the ground....all those people.....

The end of the day offered something a little different. Students were encouraged to stay and participate in some after school games. I suppose to keep things "light" and "normal" seeming. To keep our minds off of things maybe? I'm not totally sure. My sister and I ended up staying with our Christian Student Athletes group. We played capture the flag out in the fields behind the school. We talked, reflected on what we witnessed through the day. And PRAYED for everyone.  I can also remember feeling a little scared myself during one of our capture the flag games. 3 jets zooooomed past our school through the skies. It made me think twice... another crash? Our teachers assured us that it was military jets patrolling the skies, all flights except military were grounded. I never did really understand why they would be patrolling our skies. Not much in Co, that I knew of. Although we do have a big Air Force base in the Springs. Ill never forget that day... and the war continues today. I never thought I would... or that it was even possible to live in a time when a war would be started, and America would fall under attack. I had always thought it was safe. All that stuff that happens in other countries, is for them! Not America. We changed as a nation that day, forever. I'm thankful to say that I didn't know anyone that died or was affected by 9/11 personally. But my heart ached and continues to for those who did. I still get angry too, angry that such evil exists in the world, and is capable of such destruction. God Bless America