Today, we remember 9/11/2001. I do not even know where to start. I pray for the families of the victims. I guess it did not matter where one was on that day but the entire country was shaken from the foundation. Something went wrong somewhere. Now it is not only that there was a failure with security but the American nature to welcome foreigners with open arms was tested. I've noticed something in the time i lived here. Americans rely on the spoken word. They believe that when you speak to them, you speak the truth. They trust people and they are very friendly. However, if they find out that they have been lied to, they will cross you out of their books. In this country a lot of things run on trust and on that day, trust was broken. There are times when we all get angry with the government and what not but really, Americans are some of the most culturally open people in the world. They welcome everyone and they are willing to learn of other people's cultures. What they did not expect was that a bunch of crazed fanatics were going to attack them because they did not believe in the same things that the psychos did.
On that day, we were on the way to school. Well college. My dad was driving and Nan and I were in the car. for some reason, we had the radio on or maybe the car we had at the time did not have a cd player, either one. So around 9 o' clock we heard this news flash that a plane had crashed into the world trade center north tower. We thought that it was not serious. I guess many people did not know what was going on for the first few minutes. Then a few minutes after we heard the first announcement, another one came on saying that another plane had flown into the South tower and it was no longer an accident. It was a terrorist attack and the reports came over that the towers had been bombed. We continued on our way to school. That morning we had Organic Chemistry class and everyone was talking about the attacks. they were saying that other universities around the country and state were closed for the day. I guess we did not realize how serious it was even then. Even our teacher, he is so funny, said, "no one will attack BCC, that's why I keep a low profile." He exaggerated the "low" and he even bent a little while saying it. Five years later, Nan and I remember his words and we still laugh. He was a very little guy, chinese and with a caribbean accent=0) Eventually, at four o' clock we were able to leave school (we found out that evening classes were cancelled) and we came home in time to see every building that was once called the World Trade Center collapse. It think the last one went around 5pm. Anyway, it was not only the two towers but the Pentagon and United Flight 93. Flight 93 fought back and the plane crashed in a field. Kudos to the heros. That night, we lit candles outside the door of our condo.
It's been five years now. Things have changed a lot from when we first arrived here in the US to now. Life changed a lot. For one, there is more fear and worry. People began to question the government more and some realized that they were being lied to. Five years later, we are still searching for Bin Laden but we have found Saddam Hussein who was not an immediate threat. I wonder where our priorities lie. i wonder if the families of the victims will ever get closure and I wonder which other country we will be distracted into next.
Today on September 11, 2006, our national alert color is orange....elevated, i think. We live by colors now. Sometimes it dips to yellow, sometimes it goes to orange-red. Sometimes i think of how life was before 9/11 and I hope things can go back to normalcy. The other day, i sold a book and I wrote the last day for a return was 9/11. I told the person that and I saw the look in his eyes. No Americans have not forgotten. Everyone who lived here at that time remembers that day. We cannot forget and yes, life has changed. These numbers, 911 are no longer recognized as the rescue services but they are seen as 9/11...nine-eleven.
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