Saturday, September 11, 2010

I Will Never Forget

9/11 will forever be etched in my memory. I was a second grade teacher. When I got to school that morning, I heard another teacher mention that an airplane hit the World Trade Center. This was just minutes before the arrival of our students, so we really didn't have time to turn on the televisions to see what was going on. I didn't think much of it. As I was teaching that morning, I saw someone tape a note to my door. That had never happened before, so I went to read it. It said that we were not allowed to go outside or turn on the televisions in our classrooms, and that the news was not good. I immediately felt very uneasy that we were not allowed to go outside. Most teachers at that time were doing exactly what I did, we got on the phone or on the Internet to see what we could find out. As the news of the day unfolded before lunch, the fear grew. My husband worked in the tallest skyscraper in Indianapolis at the time. I frantically tried to call him, but couldn't reach him. Later I found out that his office got to go home early. When I took my students to lunch, it was the first time out of my classroom since student arrival. I turned the corner and saw that the office was full of parents who were panicked and wanted to take their children home. I dropped my kids off in the cafeteria, then rushed to the teacher's lounge. Teachers were huddled in a small conference room with their lunches watching the news. One of our teachers was very upset because she had a relative that worked at the Pentagon that they couldn't get a hold of. The terror of that day will never be forgotten. It was the "not knowing" what would happen next that was the worst. We made it through the day and managed to dismiss the kids on time. After school we were instructed to leave immediately to go home to our families. At that time it was just me and my husband. I felt so scared driving home, looking at the sky for airplanes. That day made me realize how precious our lives really are, and how it feels to have to be strong for children in a time of fear. I will never forget that day. I was one of the lucky ones who didn't know anyone affected by the tragedy, yet it was still one of the worst days of my life.

I will never forget that day because it taught me about true patriotism.

Today I felt very grateful that I was standing in a tight little soccer concession stand, serving tiny soccer players their blue Slushies and popcorn with other soccer moms. The sweet, innocent children weren't even born yet when 9/11 happened. This was just any other soccer game for them. Not for me though.

Thank God we live in America and have people who fight so hard for our freedom. Thank God for soccer players and blue Slushies.

3 comments:

mom said...

I was at OHare in Chicago at a meeting. I watched the second plane hit live and I color. I had no way home to the burg and they were evacuating downtown because of the Sears tower. All the rental cars were gone and people were bonding together for rides to go all over the country. Fortunately my company sent a car to get me all the way to Chicago. I was so afraid for the first time as an American. I was afraid for my children. But we must remember that today is not about religion it is about fanatics and terror. All religions have zealots. I am proud of the men and women who risk their lives everyday for our freedoms. For those who burn Qurans don't push your 15 minutes of fame on my behalf, as you are terriorists in your own right.

mom said...

Hard to spell on blackberry! Need bigger keys or better eyes.

Lindsay said...

Mom, I couldn't agree more!