I REMEMBER......

We all have our stories of where we were on 9/11.  Some were right there in New York, D.C., or Shanksville as the tragic events unfolded.  Some, like myself, were hundreds of miles away.  The one thing that connected us was that we were all Americans and that we knew the events of that day changed everything.  We as a nation felt a loss so great on that date that it still has repercussions on our daily lives.

Whenever I see the American flag flying proudly outside of my home, I can't help but be reminded that those stars and stripes are more than just a collection of fabrics to show patriotism.  It reminds me that I was born in the greatest nation on the face of this planet and that there is substantial responsibility that comes along with that greatness.

I remember that I was leaving a class that I truthfully did not even want to get up for that morning.  My only mission was to head back to my dorm, crawl back into my bed and get some rest for my classes and work later on that day.  I ran into a good friend of mine as I headed to the exit gates and was shocked to learn that we were being attacked, but there were not any details on how, just vague reports coming out of New York.  

So I headed to the school's community service office and found everyone gathered around the television set, and what I saw ripped my heart to shreds.  The North Tower, smoke pouring out.  Caught in the moment, I immediately went to call one of my relatives that lived near the city, but could not contact them for any firsthand updates.  I knew another of my friends who lived near the campus had cable service, so I ran over there. My friend and his roommate already had the news on and could barely divert their eyes to my presence.  Then I saw why.  To my horror, the second tower was in flames.  I sat there in awe as they showed replays of both towers being struck by planes, and then it hit me......all of those lives on the flights, all of those lives in the buildings. Time seemed to drag, report after report came in, no definite answers could be found.  

Then the Pentagon was struck.  Later, reports came in that a plane went down in somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania. We watched as the towers came down.  The only thing we could say was that we were under attack by an unknown foe.  The only things we could feel were pain and loss.  On that day, we knew what pure evil could amount to.

As dire as that day was, America still showed its resilience as being a nation that will rise in the darkest of hours.  Story after story came in of heroes that risked and gave their lives to save as many people as possible.  Firefighters, police officers, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersy, the passengers that fought to take back Flight 93, regular everyday citizens, all of them knowing that life is more than just a 9 to 5, or something that we should not take for granted.  

Their sacrifice for the greater good is what we as Americans will give all to preserve.  The sanctity of humanity and to help our fellow citizen is something that we hold onto and cherish no matter how bleak things are.  On that day, it was not about politics, it was not about financial gain, and it was not about one's status in this world.  

On that fateful Tuesday morning, we witnessed the purest act of terror, yet we still rose.  I remember 9/11 not just because our nation was the victim of hate and crazed ideology; I remember that day for how we as Americans rose up to that hate, looked it in the eye and said "No matter what you throw at us, no matter how badly you hurt us, we will not fall.  We will not roll over and concede to your fear.  We will not let your shroud of darkness cloud our future.  We will heal.  We will rebuild.  We will be stronger than ever before.  We will not let you take away what we hold dear.  We are America, and we will rise."

On this 10 year anniversary, our nation still stands as the beacon of freedom and hope.  Never will we bow to terror, and never will we forget the lives lost and the heroes of that day.  America remains the land of the strong and the home of the brave.  Yes, things have changed over these ten years, but everyday we exist, we defy those that seek to harm us.  Our courage, our devotion to our fellow man, our perserverence, and our unbreakable wills preserve this nation, ensuring that no one will ever have the capacity to destroy it or what we hold true.  It is because of this that I remember.  God bless America.