[Elgin Clock]

7 years later & I still remember exactly where I was when it happened. It's one of those events.. Like how people say they can remember exactly where they were when they heard Kennedy was assassinated, or when Elvis died.

Before 9/11/01 I had only one memory that was similar to that thinking of "where were you when?" and that was when the space Shuttle Challenger exploded.

Anyways, 9/11/01 I was at work & someone came in & said the first tower was hit. We turned on a TV we had sitting by (about 20 of us surrounding a little 10" TV - what a sight!).

One of my most vivid memories of the day was when my boss came around & said a little while after the first plane hit, "Ok people, nothing else to see, back to your desks...".

Famous last words huh? I (as well as the other 20 people) were about to leave the TV (not really) & then the second plane hit, & then the reports came in of the flight over PA.

It's not that my boss was being mean, but we were at work, & expected to get work done. Little did he know that statement to get back to work would leave such an impression in mostly all of us standing there I'm sure.

Since then, I've changed jobs, seen the world & the US cope with 9/11, saw all those candle light vigils & memorial dedications as well as the formation of a Homeland Security & a Terror alert system.
Some days (looking back on the news coverage of 9/11) I think the words "terror", "terrorism", or terrorists" were the most used word on the news for days on end, and that somehow numbed the general public to the severity of those terms.
The US flags that were popping up everywhere in the days following 9/11 are less & less now which is also quite sad.

Being so close to NYC, it seemed that day anyways, that everything was happening in another world since I was only seeing it unfold on TV, but over the years, I have met people who lost friends & family on that fateful day so it hits closer to home when that happens & I just visited Ground Zero a few weeks back & while it just looks like a construction site which isn't a rare sight in NYC, not seeing the profiles of The Twins from a distance away (South Street Seaport area in particular that day) served as a reminder more than going to the actual site.

On another note, I've also since then had friends & family join & serve in both Iraq, Afghanistan & elsewhere in the military, & although my feelings on the war I'll keep to myself, I do support every one of the troops who decide to accept the call to defend the best darn country in this world as a direct result of the events of 9/11 or just because they feel the same way about this country as I do.