I drove home after work a bit slower this evening. Frank informed me with the news of Osama Bin Laden's death at the hands of the American military. "Wow," I whispered to myself, "What a day!" I changed the radio station to MPR News. All I can hear in the background of the news reporter, were the crowds cheering, singing the national anthem and cheering, "USA! USA! USA!" That was when I began to feel the water fill at the bottoms of my eyes. I was a PROUD AMERICAN that evening.
I remember nearly a decade ago, when I awoke for what I thought would be another ordinary school day of my junior year in high school. As a habit, I would turn on the television, while I executed my morning routine. My eyes widen and I ran into my parent's room. I yelled for my mother and father to wake up and watch the news. Honestly, I did not know what the Twin Towers were, beside the fact that they were huge buildings in New York. I never knew the implications of the attacks on these buildings at that very moment. I just knew people were dying. I witnessed innocent people running for their lives away from the racing smoke & ashes. I witnessed people decide that jumping from a skyscraper was a much better decision than waiting for the help that would have never come. I witnessed people searching for their loved ones in despair, searching for any form of communication to confirm that they are okay. I mourned for those lives loss and affected directly and indirectly.
After arriving for my initial class, I quickly noticed the difference in atmosphere. The school's campus was quiet and nobody knew what to say to one another, beside, "Did you hear about what happened?" This was the first time throughout my education where teachers allowed for students to sit and just listen to the news via the radio, excusing the curriculum planned for the day.
From that day on, American lives were forever changed. Everything changed, from operations at the airports, to what people can/cannot state on the www/phone with the fear of being investigated by the government, to how American Muslims were viewed and treated in ignorant eyes. There have been many changes since 9/11/01 that have, now after almost a decade, become accepted as a norm as part of American society.
Many of the oldest children I work with, were either just born in 2001 or younger. These children do not know a life without that umbrella of "The War in the Middle East." They have no memories of where they were when the towers were hit by the 2 commercial airplanes. That morning I cried for those lives affected, for the children and families who lost loved ones, for those brave police and fire heroes, and for those who have merely woke and gone to work, but did not have a chance to say good bye.
Tonight, I can say, I will lay my head down on a pillow that is provided by our brave men and women in the military. We, as Americans, have no idea what our troops are enduring overseas, while we go to work, attend school, eat our meals, play at the park, watching our favorite sport on television and bathing in the sun. We have taken many things for granted this past decade. We should choose from this day on to live our lives, embracing our freedoms, enjoying the presence of our loved ones and positively achieving as much in life as we can. This day should allow us to realize that we are born into a country that allows us to choose how we want to live our lives, not into a country which suffocates its people into a life and only allowing for dreams which will never have a chance to be accomplished. Tonight, I cried of proud tears for those who have sacrificed, for those who are brave and for those who have kept their faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment