September 11, 2001 is a day that will live in infamy for the rest of American history. It is on this day that two planes crashed into the twin towers in New York City, and more than 2950 people lost their lives because of a terrorist attack. The reason this day has been so weird to me for the past three years is because for these past three years, I haven’t been in New Jersey for it.
In the Greater New York area on 9/11, it’s different than it is in Ohio. Because in Ohio, there isn’t a sense of realness to it. I understand that a lot of the people in Ohio can remember exactly what they were doing that day, and will remember everything about it, but there isn’t a first-hand realness to it. Not like there is for me.
For my entire life, I’ve heard stories about 9/11 not from the news or from the history channel, but from my parents, teachers, friends parents, the rest of my family. These are all people who witnessed it firsthand, and have a direct effect on my life. And I remember it, so vaguely. I was three. And sure, I don’t remember the details that most adults can remember, but I remember knowing that something was so wrong.
For my entire life, 9/11 has been a day trapped in sadness. Every year in school, we have moments of silence at 8:46 AM and 9:03 AM, honoring those that we lost. There are kids who never went to school that day, and we all knew why. There are plenty of kids parents who I wish I would’ve been able to meet, but that tragic day took them away from us.
It’s not like that here in Ohio. There is no moment of silence, and there are only a few people that understand it like I do. I didn’t understand it freshman year, but I do now. And my friends know now, why I’m a little quieter today than most days, because I’ve told them what this day means to me. And for the past three years, sitting next to the flag memorial that’s been set up makes me feel a little closer to home.