Remembering 9/11 my American viewpoint

A normal September Tuesday morning. I'm getting ready to go off to teach a group of squirrelly fourth graders.  The radio is on in the background announcing that it's National 9-1-1 day. I think "What a great teachable moment."  As I'm making my 26 minute drive to work, I plan out my little discussion of the people that put their lives in harms way everyday to help our country. As we are getting into our discussion, one of my students says "I know why it's National 9-1-1 day…because something bad is going to happen."  "No," I assure them "nothing bad is going to happen."  No sooner do I get those words out of my mouth...knock, knock, knock. "Miss Swanson, may I speak with you a moment" says my coworker coolly. thinking we are about to discuss lunch plans, I step out side the room. " A plane has hit the World Trade Center building."  I think ok, a plane hit a building. She waits patiently for that to really sink in. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks…"there are people IN the building."  I lean against the wall and wonder aloud, "what do we do with this information?"  We are instructed to continue the rest of the day as if nothing has happened. This is a difficult task.  It's hard to teach when I'm wondering why on earth a plane would crash into a building.  Students begin trickling out as concerned parents, who just want to hug their babies, check their kids out of school. Radios and televisions are on in the office and through out the building during teacher planning periods. All teachers are eating lunch with their students to monitor conversations. All teachers are out at recess. The eerie calm of no planes in the air lingers in the air.  Everyone is told to go home once their duty was over.  That eerie calm follows me home as I lived minutes from DFW airport. My roommate is glued to her computer and My television is on in room where just that morning I left excited about National 9-1-1 day.  My memories do not compare to my fellow American who lost family members that day but they are memories that will stick with me forever. 

Remembering 9/11