September 11

Today is September 11, 2011.  It has been 10 full years since the terrorist attacks of 2001.  When I think back to that morning, I, like everyone else I know, remember exactly where I was when it happened.  It's just one of those major events of history, that if you were alive and even remotely old enough to realize what was happening, you remember it.  I did not personally know a single person that died, or even anyone related to someone that died.  I can only imagine what those families must have felt.

As a student at A&M at the time, I remember feeling so helpless.  I watched in disbelief from the safety of my dorm room hundreds of miles away as Katie Couric and Matt Lauer interrupted their show with breaking news of the first plane, and on live TV, a second plane hit the buildings.  It is crazy when I think that Grayson will not have these memories.  He will only know what we teach him about that day. I can see now what my parents and grandparents must feel when they attempt to describe events like the assassination of JFK, and Pearl Harbor Day.

While I remember the hopelessness and the fear, I also remember the pride I felt when EVERYONE displayed an American flag in the following days.  I wish that had not faded.  I also remember the pride and togetherness I felt when I went to the A&M football game that weekend and stood in my blue t-shirt and looked around the stadium at the other 82,601 fans.  It seems like it took everyone in College Station working 24/7 to print and sell that many t-shirts in such a short amount of time, but it was so worth it.  It was one of the most awesome sites to see. The red, white, and blue out game raised $210,000 to donate to the first responders.

I hope we never have another event like that.  While it was incredibly devastating, it brought our country together like nothing I've ever seen.  It's sad that it took such a horrible event.  But hopefully on this day we can remember and focus on the hope that came out of that tragedy.  That is what I hope to teach Grayson about one day . . .   

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