9.11.01

September 11, 2001

I was in 8th Grade. 

Mrs. Anderson's Algebra Class, to be exact. 

Even though she turned the TV to the side so we couldn't watch the scenes unfolding, 

I sat far enough over that I could watch.

I remember seeing the second tower collapse. 

In Mrs. Adam's class, we sat in silence and listened to the radio narrate the horrific events. 

I remember feeling angry, and I wanted the whole day just to go away

 and to stop thinking about what had happened. 

But, I also remember feeling a renewed sense of pride in my country and sense of Patriotism. 

I cannot express how grateful I am to be an American. 

If anything, I think that this terrible incident truly helped to increase Americans 
sense of togetherness and a realization to come closer to God.

I have had the opportunity of standing at Ground Zero and see the work that is being done
on the memorial. It was a very humbling experience. 


I have also had the amazing experience of having a personal guided tour through the Pentagon. 
There is now a chapel where the plane originally hit. 
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures....it was sort of illegal to take a camera in.

The miracle of the Pentagon is that they had recently been reinforcing the building. 
The plane hit the side that had been reinforced, causing the plane to go only halfway through that part.
If the plane had hit a different segment, it could have gone all the way through the wall, through the middle grassy area, and through another wall on the opposite side.

While Trent and I were living in Washington D.C. working on Capitol Hill, I spoke with a co-worker who
was there during 9-11. Her description of the chaos and fright experienced was chilling.
Since she was working in the Senate building, they were evacuated into the National Mall.
There were planes flying overhead trying to intercept the last flight 93,
and everyone was going into shock.
If Flight 93 had hit the Capitol Building as planned, she and everyone else would have been killed.

Despite this horrible tragedy, I am grateful for the small miracles that Heavenly Father provided.
I am grateful for the individuals who sacrificed their lives to protect our freedoms we enjoy.
Freedom isn't free.

While I personally didn't know anyone who was killed in the events of 9/11,
but it still hurts, because it was an attack on American, and I am an American.
I love this poem that circulated afterwards. It reflects my feelings perfectly. 

The Binch

By Rob Suggs

Every U down in Uville liked the U.S. a lot, 

But the Binch, who lived Far East of U-ville, did not. 

The Binch hated U.S! The whole U.S. way! 

Now don't ask me why, for nobody can say, 

It could be his turban was screwed on too tight. 

Or the sun from the desert had beaten too bright 

But I think that the most likely reason of all 

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

But, Whatever the reason, his heart or his turban, 

He stood facing U-ville, the part that was urban. 

"They're doing their business," he snarled from his perch. 

"They're raising their families! They're going to church! 

They're leading the world, and their empire is thriving, 

I MUST keep the S's and U's from surviving!"

Tomorrow, he knew, all the U's and the S's, 

Would put on their pants and their shirts and their dresses, 

They'd go to their offices, playgrounds and schools, 

And abide by their U and S values and rules. 

And then they'd do something he liked least of all, 

Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small, 

Would stand all united, each U and each S, 

And they'd sing U-ville's anthem, "God bless us! God bless!" 

All around their Twin Towers of Uville, they'd stand, and their voices would drown every sound in the land.

"I must stop that singing," Binch said with a smirk, 

And he had an idea -- an idea that might work! 

The Binch stole some U airplanes in U morning hours, 

And crashed them right into the Uville Twin Towers. 

"They'll wake to disaster!" he snickered, so sour, 

"And how can they sing when they can't find a tower?"

The Binch cocked his ear as they woke from their sleeping, 

All set to enjoy their U-wailing and weeping, 

Instead he heard something that started quite low, 

And it built up quite slow, but it started to grow-- 

And the Binch heard the most unpredictable thing... 

And he couldn't believe it--they started to sing!

He stared down at U-ville, not trusting his eyes, 

What he saw was a shocking, disgusting surprise! 

Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small, 

Was singing! Without any towers at all!

He HADN'T stopped U-Ville from singing! It sung! 

For down deep in the hearts of the old and the young 

Those Twin Towers were standing, called Hope and called Pride, 

And you can't smash the towers we hold deep inside.

So we circle the sites where our heroes did fall, 

With a hand in each hand of the tall and the small, 

And we mourn for our losses while knowing we'll cope, 

For we still have inside that U-Pride and U-Hope.

For America means a bit more than tall towers, 

It means more than wealth or political powers, 

It's more than our enemies ever could guess, 

So may God bless America! Bless us! God bless!

I am proud to be an American!

God bless the U.S.A!!!