Extemporaneous notes to myself, on September 11, 2001,by Matthew
I know that forty years from now, I will be rooting through an old box and will come across this paper. I’ll brush off the dust and will immediately remember the fateful day of September 11, 2001
What a beautiful day it was. The sun's warmth mixed with a cool breeze gave the day the sensation of life. I sat on the bus and stared out into space. I had been to the Science Place Museum on field trips many times before. I was elated and cheerful when our school bus pulled into the parking lot. I didn't see many cars in the lot, but I didn't take that into consideration at the time. We walked in a herd across the street. A car nearly hit me because I jumped out into the street so quickly. I was wearing my beige shorts and my favorite blank-white T-shirt. Over that I wore an over shirt that was blue and yellow plaid.
I made my way up the steps and got into the single file line that had been formed. A man who worked at the Science Place counted us one by one. The main lobby was empty and the gift shop closed. We were early. It was pleasantly cool inside, and the room echoed our voices playfully. After being divided into two groups, the children were given instructions. The first group went to the dissection lab and my group stayed in the lobby and waited for the Imax theater to open. I wandered around the lobby floor and decided to join the kids who were playing with the lobby camera. Just when I joined the crowd, our instructor informed us that we were not allowed in a public place. I was baffled as we all formed a line to exit the lobby. I heard someone say in the background, “The World Trade Center and Pentagon had been attacked!” I laughed and shoved it off as a joke. I thought to myself that the real reason that we had to leave was that the museum was closed that day or that they didn't have enough pig hearts.
Then I heard another voice state “ They were assaulted!” Still not believing it totally, I exited the building. When I saw the other group standing at the bottom of the steps, I had to accept it… we no longer had a World Trade Center, and the Pentagon had been attacked.
The thought stung me, and at the time, my mind had hardly accepted it. Just before we re-entered the bus, our science teacher, Mrs. Murphy, addressed us as a group. “Our country is in a state of emergency.The World Trade Center towers were attacked, and the Pentagon was attacked, too. I do not know anything else right now, but if you are a religious person, praying is a good idea.” “How can this happen?” I kept asking myself. The question haunted me on the drive back to Gunter. Now the day didn't seem so beautiful anymore, but rather dark and mournful. Discussion on the bus consisted of the qualifications for draft, and who might have felt inclined to attack America.
The few students who had radios kept shouting news to those of us who didn't. “They were terrorists! They hijacked and crashed planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon!” These words teased our minds for the duration of the trip. The constant bouncing of the bus and the smell of fresh laid tar enveloped us as we pondered the future, near and far......
Had the school flag not been flown at half staff (which nobody noticed or understood), you would not have known that it was different than any other day. On my trip to school, I noticed no flags on anyone's porch... no banners, signs, or ribbons of any kind. No overt signs of patriotism. I was only a Thursday.
We didn't even have a flag to fly before 9/11/2001. We don't fly the flag every day, but we do fly it on the 11th of every month. (And of course the standard flag holidays.)
We figure a monthly flag day on every 11th of the month is a tradition that can last for generations.
Matthew, we still are. We are a country of pride, deep feeling, and personal pain. A pain that has in some ways not gone away since Pearl Harbor. We are not always obvious and in your face but do not dispair, we as a country of patriotic people will prevail in the end. If you listen closely you will hear a slight rumbling of anger toward the politically correct outspoken left. We are close to the end of our patience they will find that they might be the outspoken but they are not the majority.
Matthew,don't ever give up your ideals. At times it will be hard and you will think that you are standing alone in what you believe but there are many more that feel as you do and they have not given up. Yes there were not as many flags as there should have been, but ther were thousands more than there have been in the past.
Here in Georgia in a public park there were 3,000! 5 foot flags flying that weekend. Didn't make that national news but they were there and thousands of people came to see them. This, Matthew is multiplied a hundredfold all over the country. We are not in your face with what not to do but we are behind you with what should be done. Just take the time to listen and you will hear us, as will the rest of the country and the world..
It's still there and will never be forgotten.
Unforunately some have gotten to caught up in their own lives and rely on others to remember for them. Others just don't know how to honor those who gave their all because they were never taught to show proper respect.
The good news is that those that have forgotten are in the minority and we in the majority will not let them forgot what happen that awful day in September just like my parents taught me to never forget that awful day in December
We will stand proudly by our flag with our hand on our hearts and pray for all those that were lost and all those that continue to bravely defend our freedoms, our liberties and our lives.
Have faith Matthew, for without faith, what else is left?
We will never forget and We will never give up!