9 Years

Saturday marks the 9 year anniversary of September 11, 2001. It's our generations version of the horrible tragedy which, upon mentioning, causes everyone to start talking about where they were that day.

(In case you were wondering, I was a junior in high school. I was in gym class when the first plane hit, and in Geometry when the second one hit. We did nothing but watch or listen to the news in all of our classes for the rest of the day. I remember journalists turning in stories with people screaming and running while sirens wailed in the background).

One of my favorite memories from being in marching band stems from this. At our very next football game, they dedicated the pre-game show to the victims of the attacks. And after we did our normal pre-game routine, we moved forward to the formation we normally stood in to play the national anthem. And instead of lifting our instruments, we laid them down on the ground in front of us and went to parade rest. The announcer asked the spectators to stand-which they did-and we snapped to attention. And instead of playing the national anthem, we sang it. 50 teenagers belted the Star Spangled Banner whether they could sing well or not (I distinctly remember being positioned next to a tone-deaf colorguard member) at the top of their lungs with all the pride they could muster. And the people in the stands sang and the cheerleaders sang and the football players sang. And in light of recent events, and the fear associated with them, it was one of the most awesome moments I've ever experienced. I marched for 10 years between middle school, high school, and college. And no horn pop, fancy visual effect, loud pop tune, or dance break elicited a better crowd response than a group of kids singing.

I also remember a short time later watching footage of Operation Shock and Awe with Tim, who had two brothers in the military. I remember fearing that Tim's brother, Nate, who had graduated the previous year and headed off to boot camp for the Marines, would be sent overseas to fight. And he was. Twice.

As you go about your day this Saturday, please take a moment to think and remember those that were lost in the attacks on September 11, 2001. Say a prayer for their families and the soldiers that have fought and are still fighting for our freedoms and the freedoms of others.