911

The strangest thing just happened to me. As I was catching up on everyone blogs and reading how people remembered 911, I looked at my clock and it was on exactly 9:11!! I stopped for a moment of silence to remember those who's lives were lost on that terrible day.

Like everyone else, I too have a memory of where I was and what I was doing as if it were just yesterday. I was in between classes, like my friend Tiffany on our Sr. yr of High School when an announcement was made. Something about "turn on the televisions, there's been a plane crash at the World Trade Center." I made it into my 2nd period class, Psychology w/ my 2-time war veteran teacher, just as everything was being televised. My first thoughts were of any typical teenager, what's the World Trade Center? Moments later the 2nd plane hit.

I went into a slight panic mode-not crazy, but def. worried. See, my big brother Sterling was actually on a plane heading over seas as that happened. He had been in the Marines for 3 yrs and as heading out for his first tour of duty. I just wanted to know where he was. I knew he was flying out of North Carolina, but didn't know where to. Luckily, his plane was grounded and the following weeks were Hell on our family. Putting him on a plane and then the plans would change and he'd get off. Way too many goodbyes for my mom to handle! We finally watched him fly off one final time as he went to the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. Luckily, he made it home, but later ended up serving over seas 2 more times! Needless to say, he's a retired Marine at 28 yrs old.

I won't get into any politics of this, but I'm just glad he and many others made it off their planes that day & out of the Twin Towers that day as well. I still feel so sorry for all the lives lost on 9/11 and there after b/c of the terrible attack. I've visited New York twice since then & there are not words to explain the feeling you get when you walk by Ground Zero. The people, firefighters & police & pilots will be Remembered forever.