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Before 9/11/2013 is out, I want to write something about it. I was 12 years old. I remember I was in the 7th grade. We'd all been pulled from our classes from kindergarten to the 8th grade and ushered into the gym. I attended a small Seventh- Day Adventist faith based academy. I'm not of that religious denomination, however the school had superb academic standards and looked passed the " Mentally Retarded" brand some child specialist gave me at the ripe old age of three. But I digress.
In the gym we were all asked to pray for the citizens of New York, we were never told why. All we were told was there were people who needed our prayer. I did not matter if they believed in our God, it did not matter if they were Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, Taoist, Agnostic, Muslim or some other kind of weird to us religion. Didn't matter if they were Gay, Straight, Bisexual, Asexual, Pansexual or utterly confused. They needed our prayer and pray we did. At the time I just thought the principal got some creative wild hair for praying.
I remember my sister picking me up at 3:30pm, which was kind of rare. She said " Aunt Doreen( God Rest Her Soul) and Uncle Nello are OK". I probably looked at her as if she'd gone mad, which wasn't to far from the truth in my general opinion. It wasn't until I got home and couldn't find a bloody hockey game to watch. I was kind of an absent minded 12 year old and had probably flipped through dozen of channels and all thought they were playing the same movie. It wasn't until I really looked and listened that I realized what had happened. Funny enough I still didn't figure out the significance to my sister saying my Aunt and Uncle were fine. I was young and thought Buffalo was Buffalo , New Jersey was New Jersey and New York was New York. Didn't know the reality of the three being right on each other's arses.
12 years later, I have heard about it being a terrorist attack as well as a black ops planned stunt by the U.S government to solidify itself as the only super power in the world. Truth be told, I don't give much of a damn what the true story is. Either way shame on them, you can't change the past, you can only work on the present and hope for the future. I will always remember the fallen from that day. The Heroism of those on the Pennsylvania jet. I will remember not how a nation pulled together in a time of need but an entire continent. People often forget the part us Canadians played in the heroics of 9/11. Maybe because all our skylines stayed the same but we were a part. So Canadian 9/11 heros and American 9/11 heros we love you all the same. I'll always remember wondering if I had to start calling the Pentagon the Square.
If you happen to be reading this blog and you're a member or veteran of any North American Branch of Military from United States Marine Corps to the Canadian Armed Forces and our allies. Thank you for your service. If your a First Responder thank you for your Service. I'll never take you for granted.
That wraps up my 9/11 story, memory. I don't think I've ever shared everything with anyone but today I have.
-H
I left out a picture of a soldier, to make a point. I know branches will bicker like bratty children over who really is better. Countries bicker over who's military is better. But in the end, that really doesn't matter. You're all brave, You all fighting for your country. You're all Heros. When it comes to war that followed 9/11 Desert Camo, unified you and made you family. Sure the Camo is a little different from branch to branch, country to country but look at your last family portrait none of you look the exact same but you look enough a like that the world knows your family
Collectively....THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
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