Where were you when the world stopped turning?

On that September day?

That was the first song I heard about 9/11. I listened to it on the one year anniversary on my way to 8th grade and broke down crying in the car.

One year earlier I had no clue what the World Trade Centers were and I had no idea how something could impact us so much. Sure I learned about wars and bombs and terrorists in school, but that was history. That wasn't here in the US. That was somewhere far away in a place I probably couldn't point out on a map.

Fast forward 5 years. Mere weeks after my 17th birthday and I have my pretty permission slip to join the National Guard. I was going to make a difference. I was going to help people, defend our country and look awesome doing it. Go two years further and that got taken away by a medical discharge.

Now here I am, an Army wife preparing to move to the nations capital and see the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I know now that there's more to this country than some names I don't know making rules I'll never learn. I know that your reaction and instinct will tell millions of people exactly the type of person you are. I know that the next 20 years of my life, of my families life, will be centered around something greater than we are. The military, not just one branch, and the force behind America (law enforcement and first responders) are what make me love this country. We have our faults, that's for sure, but we have our qualities that make me know I'd never want to live anywhere else.

9/11/01

I was walking into my history class. Everyone was running and yelling and it was equally quiet. I heard someone say New York, another say "trade center" and a few begging to call their families. As I walked in my class the TV was on, which never happened, and I saw two buildings. One was covered with smoke and I saw what I assumed was New York in the background. I tried asking what was happening, but it was chaos. As I looked to my teacher for an answer, I saw it. Fear. Sadness. Pain. I knew right then that something was very wrong. My teacher, the one who could scare Freddy Krueger, was tearing up.

That's when it happened again. The second plane hit. We all watched it and saw the flames. No one knew what to do or what to say. It was silent. The entire school was. A short time later things started changing. I dont know how much time passed or really what happened first, but I know there was another plane and then more chaos. They showed the towers again and you could see what you knew wasn't debris falling. They panned in. It was people. Jumping? Falling? Who knows. That's when they turned them off. Everything, the television, the radios, the computers. All off. After that we went to the gym. I don't know what was said or if I even understood or listened, but no one talked after that.

Today, 9/11, is what changed my life. Maybe not in a drastic way, but it's different. Because of that day, my future will be unsure but known. I'll stamp my jewelry to support spouses and family members and kiss my husband dressed in ACU's goodbye in the morning; and hug and kiss him goodnight before bed. My son, and any future children, will learn a military lifestyle and know the history behind our country.

God bless the men and women in our armed forces, the ones saving lives every day and the spouses and family members who support them.