I no longer take my safety for granted

I no longer take my safety as an American for granted. On August 11, 2001 My family and I were in NYC sightseeing, visiting my brother who lives there, looking at the Statue of liberty, the World Trade towers, in the subway that ran directly under them. So when one month later turned on the morning news as I do on occasion and saw the horrific happenings I was so shocked, saddened, and scared. I immediately called my brother, I woke him up because he is in the performance business, After being assured he was safe 8 miles away we stayed on the phone and each watched on our own TV'S as the second tower was hit. We knew this was no pilot error and wondered were any of us safe and would we ever be again.

AS Americans we are very confident we have the best of everything:thebest country (everyone wants to come here), the best military, (have we ever been overtaken by anotherNation? ) The best food supply, Thebest Freedoms........Are those freedoms threatened? Saddly this was the first time I felt what people in many other countries live with daily;Vulnerable and afraid. Could my little world in small town TX be affectedby world events? This was the first time I felt that indeed it could.

I remember thinking small thoughts...Tonight is the Homecoming parade for my first son who was on the homecoming court...Was it safe for them to parade in the streets literally? apparently not it was cancelled, was it safe to go get my kids from school ? Being almost paralyzed w/fear I left them at school, on one hand I did not want to frighten them even more, On the other hand I too could not turn off the TV and wantedto spare them the horrific images burning into my mind. Maybe at school they did not tell them?? Little did I realize those images would be burned in all our minds and hearts forever.

I was so sad, sad for the people being burned and buried alive, sad for their loved ones not knowing where they were, sad for the parentless children , for the childless parents . Then I got mad, who did this? someone should have to answer for this! I did not like that feeling that way, but boy was I grateful to be an American and know my freedoms wer going to be fought for..... I too remember.