Where was I?

It was any ordinary September Tuesday. That morning, early, I said good-bye to my sister as she departed for the airport to head back to college. I got up, went to school, went to my math class (upstairs in the high school area) while everyone else went to davening. As Nicole, Yael, and I walked out of the high school we saw a group of teachers gathered around a TV, looking scared. We got downstairs and Rabbi Ari quickly ushered us into the shul, as usual, for Rabbi's morning announcements. However, these were no ordinary announcements.  

He revealed to us what had unfolded minutes before. There was a palpable silence in the room. We, a bunch of fifth through twelfth graders had just been told the country as we knew it had changed. Suddenly, a chill flew down my spine. My sister. My sister was on an airplane. We had no idea what flights were involved, but I suddenly was in panic mode. 

We were dismissed to our next classes, but very soon we were back in the shul watching the unfolding events on the TV.  Within seconds of turning on NBC we saw it happen. We saw the first tower come down. Silence again. We heard the roar of jets from the local FAA Tech center. They were scrambling into the air to protect our nearby coastline. 

As a Jewish school, the town police requested we close for the day. They wanted to provide us with protection, but had no protection to spare. So we were sent home to our families to absorb the shock of the events unfolding. After what felt like hours we heard from Avi, she was safe, shaken, but safe at college. Suddenly, Chicago felt very far away. 

As my dad drove me home, he told me about when President Kennedy was assasinated everyone was told, "you'll never forget where you where when you found out." He said that the unthinkable tragedy we were watching unfold was my generations, "where were you." Still to this day I get a chill down my spine when I visualize walking by the teachers huddled around the tv or when I hear, in my mind, Rabbi Weiss tell us a plane hit a building in the city. 

America changed that day. My life changed that day. Everyone's lives changed that day. But the important point is that life went on. We were hurt, but we went on. I finished eighth grade, I went to high school, I went to college, I've come to graduate school.

I have by no means forgotten. But, that was where I was and now I've continued on.  Today, I went out and about in Boston, there was life everywhere. Tourists, street performers, locals. We were doing what the terrorists didn't want us to do. We were living and continuing on.  

"Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out clearer." -- Lord of the Rings