September 11, 2001
On this date in the history of the United States of America our world changed forever.
It was a Tuesday morning, by all accounts, a beautiful day in New York City. I was sitting here, at my computer, drinking my morning coffee. Having read my E-mail, I was reviewing the posts on my Delphi Forum; my three year old daughter was playing on the floor beside me watching, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.
The E-mail icon appeared signifying that I had new mail. I took a drink of coffee and clicked on the mail icon. Outlook Express dutifully opened and a message from TikiTrash.com appeared.
I read the message. I thought someone was spaming me. It said that an airplane had been flown into the WTC tower and that the tower was engulfed in smoke and flame. It was a little after 9 AM. I turned the TV to Fox News the picture on the screen showed the tower in flames and as I watched a plane came into view behind the tower, then disappeared. Within seconds an explosion of fire and smoke blew out from behind the first tower.
I could not believe what I was seeing. I sat there transfixed. I don't remember moving from the TV the rest of the day. My emotions plummeted, tears ran down my cheeks.
I remember watching as the towers crumbled and fell. Watching another view of the plane flying into the second building. Disappearing into the structure and then the flame and smoke bursting forth. I don't remember much else. The images flashed across the screen. It was all so surreal. The survivors running down the street covered with dirt and ash. The reports of Firemen and Policemen running into the towers and not coming out.
In a few short hours a madman, living in a cave in a country far away had sucker punched the mightiest nation on earth. Killing thousands of our people whose only sin was going to work that day.
He also did something else, something he hadn't planned on. He united us as we have not been united in my life time. In the instant that the first plane hit the WTC, America was changed. We ALL became Americans, black, white, men, women and every ethnic group that make up this great land, became Americans...
1 Corinthians 13:
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
God Bless America
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