Saturday, September 11, 2010

Where Were You When ...

Today is 9-11. One of those events in our lives that we'll always remember where we were at the time the planes hit the towers, Pentagon and the downed plane in Pennsylvania.

I was in my second year of college in Belleville, Ontario. We were between classes and a small group had formed around one of the TV screens in the hallway. It was a strange feeling ... seeing that first plane in the tower and thinking about what a strange accident it was. And then watching the second plane hit and knowing it was no accident and that the world was about to change.

That week was a blur. Our next class didn't last very long and we all returned to huddle around the TV. I remember going to the library to chat on MSN with mom about what was going on. The next couple weeks were ones filled with watching CNN in every spare moment. We also watched many military planes in the coming weeks, as Belleville is right next to Trenton

It was a moment of extreme loneliness. A realization that I lived 'too' far away. If things had really gone south, I couldn't drive home. It wasn't like I lived a province or a town away. I lived half a country away!

Of course, the world has changed since that day. Air travel will never be the same. Politics in several countries will never be the same. Families and children affected by the 9-11 and the wars that followed will never be the same.

It's a moment none of us will ever forget. Where were you and what were you thinking when all this happened? How will you tell your kids as they grow and wonder what the significance of this date is?

At the very least, remember how incredibly lucky we are to live in a country that is relatively free of conflict and terror. What a wonderful country we have!

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