September 11, 2011

It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the terrorists attacks! The tributes this morning were very moving.  I remember exactly where I was that day.  It was a beautiful day, and the sky was gorgeous blue.  I was in my second class on that Tuesday at Clemson when a girl came in and told us that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. We all assumed that it was a small plane and went on with class (This was before Facebook, blogs, and texting!). During my next class, some girls came in and said that the World Trade Center buildings had collapsed.  This was hard to picture, but we went on with class. The professor did let us out early, and we all went to the Tillman auditorium to watch the news. I still had 2 more classes to go to.  (Clemson of course did not cancel classes.) I did not understand the magnitude of the events until I got into my car to go home.  I turned on the radio, and every single station had the same newscast on.  When I got home, my mom was watching the coverage on TV.  I became glued to the news the rest of the night and the rest of the week.

Our world has changed so much since that terrible day. It is strange to think that the group of children I am teaching right now are the last ones I will teach that were alive September 11, 2011. ( Most of them were babies, and a few were not born yet.) As I watched the coverage today, I saw this video.  Even though it is a State Farm commercial, I still think it is sweet and worth sharing. September 11 is one of our fifth grade standards, and I am always amazed at how well my students handle this subject matter.

We will never forget.