9/11
So the day of remembrance has passed and as far as I know there was no catastrophe today. I always feel like there will be. It makes me remember who I was when it happened.
I was in sixth grade at the time. No one in our school told us what was going on but you could tell that there was something up. The teachers were anxious and students that had parents that were traveling were taken out of their classes and talked to in the hallway. No one in my class was but there a few people in the class right across the hall that it happened to. The school told our parents that they hadn't told any of us that they should tell us about it. The next day it was all anyone could talk about.
For my generation nothing like this had ever been heard of. Attacking America... we'd heard about Pearl Harbor and other wars but those were years ago, for most of us it was before even our parents were born so the thought of something like that happening was just so obscure that no one could imagine it.
We were young enough that we didn't understand why anyone would want to attack us. In our heads we were the people that always seemed to manage to make things right. America would come into a war and then would deal a decisive blow and the war would be over. We considered all soldiers heroes and had faith in our government. Because while we lived through hearing about Monica Lewenski and all that jazz, having an affair was a completely different matter than making decisions that could make other countries hate us.
Our classes for the next few weeks were filled with our teachers explaining to us that while America was a wonderful place, it was also a country that had made enough mistakes to accumulate enemies. It was a shock, really. Our entire view of the world changed. When we read that America won a victory in our textbooks we no longer started cheering in our heads and we began to wonder just how many people did we harm to win that battle.
i remember that my grandpa wanted to re-enlist in the army and go to Iraq and help all the soldiers there. That was generally the feeling that all of America had for a few months. Everyone I met would be proud to be American. Many songs came out at around that time proclaiming America to be the best place.
I remember that for a while Americans seemed to develop an irrational hate for the French and all Muslims. We changed the name French fries to Freedom Fries, and there were reports of different places of worship being blown up daily. America was basically in chaos, but at the time, it really didn't seem like it.
Eventually it all died down, but we're still fighting that war over in the middle east. Here we are though at the eighth year anniversary and it feels like nothing has changed.
Prejudice is still rampant and American still seems to get a kick out of making fun of the French. Eight years and how have I changed?
I don't view America as this country that can solve anything anymore. I've tried to make sure that I don't judge people on their religion or race or beliefs, because I associate doing that with a lot of senseless murders I see on T.V. I've gotten older, become fatter, taller, sarcastic, and I don't know where life is taking me but I figure I'll find a way through no matter what.
I swear I feel as if this entry is really long and rambly. Oh well.
Eta: Oh spelling how I hate thee.
I was in sixth grade at the time. No one in our school told us what was going on but you could tell that there was something up. The teachers were anxious and students that had parents that were traveling were taken out of their classes and talked to in the hallway. No one in my class was but there a few people in the class right across the hall that it happened to. The school told our parents that they hadn't told any of us that they should tell us about it. The next day it was all anyone could talk about.
For my generation nothing like this had ever been heard of. Attacking America... we'd heard about Pearl Harbor and other wars but those were years ago, for most of us it was before even our parents were born so the thought of something like that happening was just so obscure that no one could imagine it.
We were young enough that we didn't understand why anyone would want to attack us. In our heads we were the people that always seemed to manage to make things right. America would come into a war and then would deal a decisive blow and the war would be over. We considered all soldiers heroes and had faith in our government. Because while we lived through hearing about Monica Lewenski and all that jazz, having an affair was a completely different matter than making decisions that could make other countries hate us.
Our classes for the next few weeks were filled with our teachers explaining to us that while America was a wonderful place, it was also a country that had made enough mistakes to accumulate enemies. It was a shock, really. Our entire view of the world changed. When we read that America won a victory in our textbooks we no longer started cheering in our heads and we began to wonder just how many people did we harm to win that battle.
i remember that my grandpa wanted to re-enlist in the army and go to Iraq and help all the soldiers there. That was generally the feeling that all of America had for a few months. Everyone I met would be proud to be American. Many songs came out at around that time proclaiming America to be the best place.
I remember that for a while Americans seemed to develop an irrational hate for the French and all Muslims. We changed the name French fries to Freedom Fries, and there were reports of different places of worship being blown up daily. America was basically in chaos, but at the time, it really didn't seem like it.
Eventually it all died down, but we're still fighting that war over in the middle east. Here we are though at the eighth year anniversary and it feels like nothing has changed.
Prejudice is still rampant and American still seems to get a kick out of making fun of the French. Eight years and how have I changed?
I don't view America as this country that can solve anything anymore. I've tried to make sure that I don't judge people on their religion or race or beliefs, because I associate doing that with a lot of senseless murders I see on T.V. I've gotten older, become fatter, taller, sarcastic, and I don't know where life is taking me but I figure I'll find a way through no matter what.
I swear I feel as if this entry is really long and rambly. Oh well.
Eta: Oh spelling how I hate thee.