10 yrs. ago I was at home sick in bed, when my dad called and woke me up with the words "get up, we're being attacked!". The rest of the day was spent wrapped in a blanket in front of the television along with my college roommates in stunned silence. The following day, I went back to my student-teaching assignment. By the time I had completed my 9 weeks of student-teaching, several of the young men in my high school choir had enlisted in the military. The urge to avenge our country was their new focus in life. I have had many students since then serve in all branches of our military. I am very proud of them, but I often wonder what their path would have been if the attacks of 9/11/01 had not occurred.
Now 10 years later, I stand in front of my students, ages 5-18. It is an odd sensation to realize that the majority of these 'babes' were just that, babes, of whom have never known a life without war, and the fear of terrorism. How sad, and unfair.
I "will never forget" 9/11/01 and I pray for a future where our children can remember the events of our nations past, with honor, pride and reverence, but that they too will never have to utter the words, "I will never forget"........
