In one's generation, there is always that moment that seems to define the times. Usually there are events that spark emotion, pain and tears. In my generation, it was the events of September 11th. For many including myself, it changed the way we looked at the world. Most of us just innocent middle schoolers who didn't quite understand the world. It was a time when there really wasn't much of care in the world for us. All we really knew was that we had to wake up at 7:30 am and be at school by 8 o'clock. Then we'd come home, have a snack, go to soccer practice and that would be our day. The entire school year went just like that. But on the September 11th day, everything changed. What struck me was that the world wasn't as simple as just going to school everyday and running around at soccer practice. At that age, you see the horrible images of the attacks and its confusing and you don't understand. I think that we can all agree that it was the first time we had ever seen our parents scared and for me it was the first time they didn't have the right answer for me. Usually whenever you ask them a question when you're that young, they know every answer. They make sure that you go throughout your days with no doubt. But when I asked 'why this had happened' they didn't know how to answer. Nobody did. Who was it? Why did it happen? What did the people who flew that day, or went to work that day do to deserve this? All of a sudden, the young innocent mind became flooded with questions that couldn't be answered. The fact of the matter was that hate exists in the world and not everybody in the world is going to be your biggest fan. Not everyone in the world agrees with the ways of the United States and many will go to extremes to prove this.
In the days following 9/11 I can remember making a sign with my sister that read "God Bless America." That summer, my house had flooded and we were living in Westport, Connecticut temporarily at my grandparents. Now my sister was even younger than me at the time and truthfully I think she understood even less that I did about the events that day. But she without question saw the uncertainty and confusion in my parents. We took the sign and taped it to a big window in the house, facing the road. The road was a dead end and not many drove down it so therefore not many saw it. However for me, it provided a sense of comfort. Nobody had the answers for me so I decided I could compensate for that by showing the country my pride and support. Sure everyday we sang the national anthem in school and nobody thought much of it. But after that September day that song became more than just a daily routine, it became a part of me.
Flash forward to that May 1st night last year. I was sitting on my bed, staring blankly at the notes for my final that I had to take the next day. My procrastination took me to the Twitter. I refreshed my timeline and the phrase 'Bin Laden is dead' caught my eyes right away. I didn't know whether it was an infamous Twitter hoax or if it was actually true. I immediately bolted to get the TV remote and flip on CNN. There it was. The headline that said Osama Bin Laden had been killed. Like I said, a generation will experience a time or an event that sparks pain and emotion but having the confidence in your nation to deliver the closure you need is what fights off the pain and keeps one at ease. Without hesitation, I took off towards the White House as it was only 4 blocks away from my dorm. The rally at the White House represented a moment of closure for all the young Americans who saw their parents scared for the first time that September day. It brought back all the horrible images of the day and the tears. But it teaches everyone the importance of staying true to your nation, and never giving up hope on it. To me, the United States is the greatest country in the world and nobody can tell me otherwise. I trusted that after that day my country was going to achieve justice for those attacks and they would not leave the families of the loved ones lost out to dry.
I still think about the victims of those attacks everyday. A basic routine for them traveling to lower Manhattan or to the Pentagon, like me going to soccer practice, ended up being their last. Surely, none of the pilots, the passengers and the employees deserved any of this. They were fathers, mother, cousins, grandparents, friends. I ask myself everyday how I can honor them and the answer is simple: take advantage of what this great country has to offer and make the most of every opportunity here. None of those people deserved to die that day. Nobody ever deserves that. But I feel that it my duty as an American to honor them through making the most of my life. America of course is the land of opportunity but it is also my home, my colors and my people. If I work to achieve my goals and dreams, I can make this country better, just like all those people were doing.
This fist pump was dedicated to America baby.
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