9/11/2001
I was about a week away from my 5th birthday and don’t really have any specific memories of that day or the days that followed. The only memory that I have from that time specifically is sitting on the couch in the first house I ever lived in with Dad eating chips watching the evening news and seeing some of the footage. Trying to figure out where New York was in relation to Ohio and if Ohio had anything that could become the next target.
I vividly remember all the documentaries that aired in the years that followed. Around 9/11 the History Channel would air documentaries, and everyone was glued to the T.V.. Bradley especially loved watching them and would get upset every time 9/11 fell on a school day because he couldn’t watch them. Around the time we started homeschooling the documentaries slowly faded away.
Looking back 20 years later 9/11 has a different feel for me than it once did.
Before it was a piece of history that we never wanted to forget. We were attacked and Americans—despite glaring differences–rallied together and came out stronger. Determined to NEVER let something like this happen again. We became ONE—truly united in the fight against terrorism and in the freedoms that make America the beacon that she is.
Now, 20 years later I watch the footage and documentaries differently.
It’s not just being older that makes 9/11 different. It’s the personal connection. That could have been my brother running into those towers, his co-workers, or other firefighters he’s gotten to know. Now the word firefighter is more than just a word used to describe someone who fights fires and rescues people. There are now names, faces, and families behind that word that could have been affected by this tragedy too. I have a greater understanding and compassion for what the first responders and their families went through that day and in the days that followed.
We recently became aware of a 9/11 documentary by Dave Stotts of Drive Thru History. We watched it last night and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you watch it too. He visited several memorials and the 9/11 museum telling the story of what unfolded that fateful day and in the days that followed.
May we NEVER forget 9/11 or the history that made America, America. And may we never forget to teach that history…
“Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
–Winston Churchill
Until next time,
Bailey Sue
P.S. Dave Stotts and “Drive Thru History” are airing the 9/11 documentary multiple times on Facebook, YouTube, and TBN in the coming days. Check out their Facebook page for more information and viewing times!
