September 11, 2011

10 years ago today, I was at Lafayette High School. We watched the footage in Spanish class, and I distinctly remember one girl seeing the shadow of the second plane pass the first tower. Her gasp was audible in a pin-drop-silent room and we all watched in horror as the tragedy grew. After only about 30 minutes of the news, there was a bomb threat (happened a lot in those days) and we were all shepherded out into the front and back of the school. After being outside for hours due to the horrific news unfolding from the Northeast and police squads being unable to pronounce the school safe, we were all moved onto the football field, where we were to either stay the rest of the day or be checked out by a parent. My mother came from work and picked up me and several of my friends, after which she went home and we went to Jessica's house. Amid all the terror and pain, I remember being comforted by having my friends surround me and the afternoon was only tolerable because I was with people I loved, clinging to the moments we had left before the rest of our lives became "post 9-11".