September 11, 2001. I was in my first sememster at the University of Toledo. I had just come out of Dr. Tucker's Intro to Communcation lecture at 9:15. I got in my car and turned on 92.5, Kiss FM; Denny Schaffer's Breakfast Club. (As a college freshman, I had no need for "Focus on the Family, so I had switched from my usual station 89.3 YES FM). I remember Trisha Courtney coming on with the news that there had been a plane crash in New York, that one of the twin towers had been hit, moments later, stating that a second plane had hit the other tower. I called my mom at home - she had just gotten off morning shift at work and turned on the TV. I drove home as fast as I could.
When I got home, hearing the news that the planes had come from Boston, and we were calling our family to see if anyone had been traveling that day, fearing that one of my family members might have been on those planes (they weren't). I remember sitting frozen in front of the television with my mom; my brothers were in school and my dad was at work, horrified by the images that we were seeing. I went to my 11:30 class and there were student's who had been in classes all morning who had not yet heard the news. Class was ended early that day - they were cancling classes the rest of the day.
I remember calling my husband that day (my ex-boyfriend at the time), begging him to not enlist. His family is a military family, but I didn't think it was the right path for him - he agreed. I don't think we'd be married if he had joined up. I have the utmost respect for the men and women in the military; I pray for their safety and for the peace of their families when they are a away.
It was hard to believe what was happening - and I was so proud to be an American that day. For the first time in my life, patriotism was important and our country's needs became a priority. I wanted to do something, but there was nothing I could do - there were people flooding blood banks, but I am ineligeble to donate (small veins and anemia). I spent the day listening o YES FM - I didn't need to hear any more of the destruction of the terorist acts, I needed to hear the hope of this counrty.
Months later, while with my husband visiting his father, he showed us a tape - he saw what was happening and as a military man needeed to get to work ASAP after the attacks. He had set the VCR to record and had everything on tape. Watching it again was devestating. Last year I saw the special created from diferent people in New York who had set their cameras up durning that awful morning. It was hard to watch, but inspiring.
Recently we were going through old photo files and saw some pictures my husband took at ground zero 3 years later. It's sad because it still looks pretty much the same. Where did it all go? What happened to the patriotism that we all felt? What happened to wanting to work together to make the USA worth fighting for? I want hard work and morals and values promoted; I want to be given the option for charity and giving, not forced to give my earning to help others who won't help themselves; I want my children to have a future where they can freely worship The LORD in the manner that they feel is pleasing, not forced to hid their faith because it could be offensive to others. Jesus, many are saying that you are coming soon. Let me be a voice that leads someone to you, so that we may all join you when the trumpet sounds...
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