8th grade, reading class, 8:46a.m.

Source: google.com via Ariana on Pinterest

This morning as I got up, I couldn't help but have the significance of this day on my heart. Like many, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the world stood still.

It was a Tuesday that began like any other Tuesday at school in 8th grade. The first time I heard this news was when we got out of math class, and I had to rush to the library for my co-taught reading class. In the midst of the crazy hallways and class switching, I overheard two boys talking about New York City and plane crashes. I remember it was some time between 8:40 and 9:00am. I didn't think too much about it, even though I was in New York City for the first time for Labor Day weekend the week before.


In fact, I was thinking of New York a lot that day. I fell in love with New York and all its beauty. My parents and I had a late summer vacation to this great city. Exactly a week before 9/11, we were still exploring the city on a little group tour. On that tour, the first stop was to the World Trade Center towers at 8:30am. I remember looking up at the towers from the street and feeling so small. We waited in line, went up the elevator that took us up the multitude of floors, and saw the city from the very top of the towers.

So I was just as shocked as everyone else exactly a week later. Add in the fact that my family and I were there, in the city, in those grand buildings, that previous Tuesday.

Near Ground Zero- March 2010


FDNY plaque-- March 2010

It's surreal that it was merely 10 years ago. Remembering every little moment of that day makes me think it was just days ago. I remember my English teacher worried about her uncle who worked in the city. I remember how each classroom's TV was glued to CNN, how the channel replayed the horrific clip over and over. I remember hearing and talking about things on the bus with friends, things I never knew as a 13-year old about terrorists and hijackings.

It's so crazy to describe. I just know that life has been going on and continues to go on even though 9/11/11 happened. Tomorrow will be 9/12, and the day after that will be 9/13. Life goes on whether we want it to or not.

When I discussed 9/11 with my students last week, I was very surprised that so many did not know the significance of this day. This made me feel a little aged, knowing that none of them were actually even born in 2001. But I was glad to talk with them about this important day and why it means so much. To tie it into our writing curriculum, students wrote acrostic poems about America, unity, and patriotism after a brief talk about 9/11. They were beautiful!

I love you, America. I love you, New York.