Remembering 9/11

On September 11, 2001 I was in my college dorm room at OBU blow-drying my hair and watching Katie Couric and Matt Lauer on the Today Show.  I remember standing there in awe, not fully grasping what was going on and then I saw the second plane fly into the tower. 

I remember nobody really knew what to do or say.  Nobody knew whether it was an accident or a terrorist attack.  Frankly, "terrorist attack" wasn't really even in anyone's vocabulary at that time.  My how things have changed. 

Last year, we were in NYC on 9/11.  It was a somber day and it was rainy and dreary.  I remember feeling unusually safe walking the streets of the city.  I wasn't afraid that something was going to happen.  Yes, it probably crossed our mind at one time or another, but we didn't give it any more thought beyond that.  I remember we discussed how chaotic that day must have been, along with the following days/weeks/months.  Being at Ground Zero really helped us understand the complexity of the rescue and clean up efforts.  I think it is amazing how our country banded together during that time; the thousands and thousands of people who volunteered their time, our leaders who were courageous and determined to restore our country's security, the rescue teams who worked day and night and lost their lives try to save others. 

We will all always remember 9/11 because it changed our country forever.  My hope is that my generation can stand up and never allow it to happen again!

What are your memories of 9/11?