where were you when the world stopped turning?

So today is September 11th. I'm sure everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they heard what happened. I was in my eighth-grade English class and Dr. Moore asked our teacher, Mrs. Smith, to go out into the hall with him. When she came back into our classroom, she was bawling and we could barely understand what she was saying. She told us that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center, and we all just kind of looked at her like, "And...?". I don't think any of us even knew what the WTC was. In our next class, Pre-Algebra (ha - yeah right), our teacher turned on CNN and we just watched that for the whole period. I don't think any of us really understood the gravity of what happened, and we were just glad to not have class (like we ever really did!). I'm kind of ashamed to admit this now, but I remember they kept showing the front of a hospital and there was an older overweight shirtless gentleman sitting in a wheelchair and me and my friends thought that was really funny. We were immature and self-centered middle-schoolers, so I guess that can count for some kind of excuse. I didn't really start to understand the seriousness until that evening, when I found out that the grandma of one of my classmates had seen what happened on the news and committed suicide because she thought the world was going to end. So that upset me because it hit a little closer to home and I started to think about all the people who had lost their loved ones. The surge of patriotism afterwards was commendable, but it's died down considerably since and I think it's sad that it takes a terrorist attack or something crazy like that to make people appreciate all of the blessings we have as citizens of the United States. It also makes me sad that September 11th gets less and less recognition every year, but I guess it is important to move on. But we shouldn't forget this tragic event, the "Pearl Harbor" of our generation.

In remembrance, I decided to donate blood today. I was kind of excited because they gave me a medium shirt that looks normal, because they usually give you an XL with some ugly design on it. Anyways I'm not trying to sound like a redneck (although I personally don't think there's anything wrong with being one) but I am proud to be an American. I found a video for one of my favorite songs ever for your viewing pleasure - "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?" by Alan Jackson. You might want a Kleenex nearby......