story4858.xml

story4858.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I was home recovering from surgery when my phone rang. It was my best friend telling me to turn on the TV that "something was happening." I turned on the news channel and heard the reprt of the first plane striking the Towers. As I watched in stunned disbelief,the second plane struck. I couldn't believe my eyes. I called the school that I teach at to make sure that they were aware that America was under attach. They had already heard the news. I returned a call to my friend to have someone to talk to. She said, "I don't think it's over yet." A short time later we heard that a plane hit in Washington. We ended our conversation to sit and stare at the TV. Then the news of Pennsylvia. I'm 50 years old, recovering from surgery and all I could think of was that I wanted to fight back. I wanted to join our military in any position in which I could be helpful. I suddenly understood how my parents' generation must have felt upon hearing of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I cried, I gasped, I sat in silence. When reports came through that Bin Laden and his group were responsible, I grew angry, not at Muslims, but at radical muslims. I wondered what arrogance these men and others had to say they they knew God's will and were acting on His behalf. I have been wearing the American Flag pin on my clothing ever since. I have a flag on my door and on my car. I realized just how much I loves this country of ours, and I have prayed for those who lost their lives and for our leaders every day since.