Ten Years

Ten years. A decade. Half a lifetime ago, and I remember it all so vividly. I was sitting at the kidney table in my mom's classroom, and we had the Today show on. The bell to announce the day was starting had rung, and I was going to get ready to go when the news announced that a plane had hit the first tower. They were quickly saying how it was an accident or, possibly, a terrorist attack. Freshly turned eleven, I didn't think it was possible for the United States to get attacked. We were an impenetrable fortress of peace and power, how could anyone attack us? So I remember thinking, until that second plane hit, that this was a horrific accident.

My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Vigniss, was smart enough to leave the news on for us. We were ten and eleven, but we needed to see this. It was history. I was upset hearing that some teachers turned their televisions off to continue with the day. We would sit at our desks, or gather together in front of her on the floor to talk about it. There was no other activities that day. We watched, we talked, and we waited.

I didn't see the first tower come down, because we went to lunch. The school was letting students go early if their parents picked them up. Nobody was talking about Pokemon, or Harry Potter, or some sports that day. The roar that the cafeteria was usually filled with was dull and cold.

We came back to class in time to see the second tower fall. We heard about the Pentagon being attacked, and a plane crashing in Pennsylvania. I remember wondering how many more planes would crash. We all did.

Near the end of the day Mrs. Vigniss let us draw, use the computer, or talk amongst ourselves. I don't think everyone really understood the magnitude of what happened, judging by the number that went to the computer. People drew pictures of the event, and nothing else. We all talked. Even at eleven, I knew everything was going to change. But, like everyone else in the world, I didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

Ten years is a long time, but it doesn't feel that long. I think 9/11, the wars in the Middle East, politics, and the economy, have really left our generation with a sense of bitterness and apathy. 9/11 ended our sense of joy and innocence from the 1990's, and started our long, slow path to where we are today.

But, as always, hope endures. Children are born everyday. People get married or find love. Jokes are shared, good grades are won, and soldiers come home safe and sound to their families. Life goes on. And that's what happened on 9/12. We kept going. We are a resilient species. Even when times are darkest, we keep going.