September 11, 2001

On September 11, 2001 I woke up just like everyday before and after, not knowing how drastically everyone's life was going to change that day. I was out on Long Island that day. There was something different in the air. People were upset, going home, calling people. I knew something was different, but I wasn't sure what. Until there was an announcement saying that our city had been hit. They thought there were eight highjacked planes, and were fuzzy on the details. I wasn't sure if my dad had gone into the city for a doctor's appointment. This was before I had a cell phone so I had to find an available landline. Thankfully I reached my father and he had stayed at home in Queens that day. I was probably one of the few people coming from Long Island into the city that day, and it took about an hour and a half to go a half hour root. The highways were closed for emergency vehicles, and everyone was frantically trying to make sure their loved ones were okay. When I got home I watched the news for hours, I couldn't believe what had happened to my country, my city. I still somewhat can't believe it. One of my really close friends lost her uncle, and I knew many people who lost fathers, husbands, wives, nephews, nieces, loved ones. But yet this terrible tragedy brought us together. Across the US and around the world we were united as one.

I would like to take a moment to commerate not only the people who lost their lives in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on all the airplanes, but also the firefighters who went into the burning towers to save people. The victims were all heroes in their own right, but especially the rescue workers who knew they were safe and could have ran the other way, but instead decided to risk their lives in the hopes of saving as many people as they could. We must remember September 11th not only as the deadliest terrorist attack in American history but as a day when America lost 3,000 people. May they rest in peace, and never be forgotten.