9/11

It was a beautiful Tuesday morning; I love Tuesday mornings in September, probably because I was born on a gorgeous Tuesday morning in September. This particular Tuesday morning started out like most days in September; fall was in the air and it was beautiful. I was 17 years old, 9 days shy of my 18th birthday and I was a freshman at Grand Valley State University. My Tuesdays that semester consisted of Freshman Seminar at 8am and my Algebra class at 1pm, so I had a large break in between where I got to go home and hang out with my pets.

I remember leaving my 8am class and heading out to the parking lot so I could chill before my afternoon class. I remember getting into my moms 1988 Oldsmobile that we called Delta (why I was driving her car is beyond me) and turning on the radio to 104.5 WSNX. The Steve & Sabrina Morning Show was normally on and I was excited to listen to their show. The first thing I heard when I started the car was what I thought was a clip from the Hindenburg blimpe incident. In the 6th grade we listened to a clip from that event and the horrifying screams of "OH THE HUMANITY!" stuck with me, even to this day. So instantly I thought maybe it was the anniversary of the event.

It's amazing how so many thoughts can race through your head in a mere 30 seconds. Once Steve & Sabrina came back on the air after playing the clip from the news regarding the first plane hitting the World Trade Center, I realized what was going on. I grew up less than 5 miles from the University, so thankfully I was home within minutes and I was glued to the TV. I remember sitting on our couch with my new kitten, Numy, watching all the events unfold. I remember seeing the 2nd plane hit the other WTC and I thought it was a joke. I couldn't believe I saw it happen! Being a naturally fearful person, I was scared to death. I don't think I even went to my afternoon class because I was afraid the campus would be bombed...I didn't want to leave the house.

We all say that we'll never forget, but our memory's are tricky things. As I watched 2 hours of 9/11 footage today, memories of that day came flooding back. It's crazy to think of how much I've forgotten. I think it's one of those "traditions" that I think I have for the rest of my life. I want to make sure I watch that footage every year on the anniversary so I will never forget.

God Bless America and all those who serve to protect it!