9/11/01

Waking up on September 11th 2001 felt like all the other mornings preceeding it. My mom had woken me up for school, I lay there under the covers, not wanting to get up but knowing it was inevitable. Finally I get up and get dressed. I brush my teeth and then head into the kitchen. My mom had made breakfast for me, usually a pop-tart or toast and orange juice, but I cannot remember. The reason I cannot remember is because all I can recall after walking into the kitchen is my mom and dad glued to the television. They almost never had the TV on in the morning, let alone the news.

I asked my mom what was going on and her reply was direct and to the point, "two planes have hit the world trade center towers in New York, some sort of terrorist attack". Now I was immediately glued to the television. All I recall was seeing the towers with smoke spilling out of it into the sky. Then the South tower collapsed. Shortly after, the North tower fell. At some point shortly after the North tower fell, I left for school.

Upon arriving at school, all of my friends had also seen the plane crash on TV and we jumped right in, talking about what we had heard and saw, which was basically the same thing, but we shared it anyways. Now my first two periods were off-site at another school, which we had to take a school bus to get there, so me, my best friend Matt, my other friend Sunny, all piled onto the bus. When we got to our classroom, our teacher was glued to the television set which was on one of those rolling carts and the TV had a ratchet strap around it, securing it to the cart so it wouldn't fall off when being transported from class to class. There were some of the other students sitting in the room, also fixated on the television. We took our seats and joined in. I don't think the teacher even said that class was essentially canceled, instead, as if we all knew, we ignored the fact that we were supposed to be in class and watched the news. On the bus ride back to our high school, I remember someone brought up war and perhaps others cities would be attacked. The idea didn't frighten me because I felt we were far away from any large cities and there was no reason to attack the central valley of California, but the broader idea of war here in America, that was concerning.

We went to our respective third period class and repeated the same proceedure, sat down, watched the news. I recall walking into my 4th period class and sitting down, and within a few minutes the loud speaking crackled on and announced that school was being canceled for the remainder of the day and that we were all to vacate the campus.

Instantly there was a buzz in the air, all of this built up stress, anxiety, excitement even, was now put into motion. School was out, we could go home, but we none of us wanted to go home I recall. It wasn't that we didn't want to see our families, I can't explain it, but for my group of friends, we just wanted to be together. So we decided to all meet up at a nearby restuarant grill and have lunch. I called my mom to let her know what was going on and let her know I was going out, she seemed good with it but wanted us to stay in contact.

All I really remember for the next few hours was eating lunch, watching the news some more from the restaurant. Then it's a little fuzzy on the timeline, but by the late afternoon into the evening, we were in our cars, me and Eli and maybe one other in my car, my buddy Matt in his red truck with his cousin, and my friend Tom in his red Cadillac went cruising down McHenry boulevard blaring patriotic music and waving American flags out the window. Now we must have come back to my house to burn a CD with those songs, because I wouldn't have had that "mix". Likewise, we had to have gone and purchased an American flag somewhere, but I honestly don't recall doing those things. I just remember blasting songs like Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA, Kid Rock's American Badass, Jimi Hendrix's National Anthem and others loudly as we drove up and down McHenry. There was this real sense of patiotism. For some reason, through the hours and hours of news coverage we had consumed, our release and response was "USA!". It was as if we needed to show our American pride, and the more pride we demonstrated and the louder we were, the more we fought back against the terrorists. I know that sounds silly, but that's how I remember it. I actually remember that evening as a great one. We were all so happy driving and singing and chanting "U-S-A". We felt alive and invigorated. I honestly don't remember the following day. The days after 9/11 just blend together and I cannot pick them out from one another. Obviously our patriotic emotions subsided and life returned to normal, except for a few that I know who joined the Marines that week.

It's almost surreal that it's been 23 years. Where did the time go? I don't even know that kid anymore that was driving that 1993 Pontiac Grand Am down McHenry. What came from that day, those events? Those questions are far too big for me to answer. But I do wish that people could feel that sense of American pride again. Seems like waving an American flag gets you yelled at by some. But I proudly fly one in my front yard every day.

I will say this. I am so pleased and proud that I remain friends with several of those guys who were cruising the boulevard that day. Each of us is just as patriotic as we were then, but in a different way. I can't help but think of the ending to the movie The Sandlot, when he's narrating what everyone went on to do, but how some remained friends. I may not know that kid anymore that was me, but I am happy of the man I've become. I hope to never again see a day like September 11th 2001. So many lives were lost, so much chaos and disruption followed. Time will go on, the event will become almost surreal to most, just something they read in a history book. But we must never forget. Never forget the lives lost, the sacrafices made by first responders and regular citizens who did manage to save the lives of some thanks to their quick and heroic actions. But also never forget that our government works for us, and in times of crisis, they take advantage and often get away with, or create things that can be harmful long-term. Never forget to have pride in our country, for she has given us so much, she is so unique and if lost, will never be seen again. Reflection is important for all of us. Each person who remembers where they were, what they were doing on this day will each have their own story. Never forget it.

I didn't really have a point to this blog, other than just to write down my recollection of my day. Don't read into anything, its just a blog.

God Bless America

Rest in Peace all of the lives lost on September 11, 2001