Twenty two years ago today…
It’s hard to believe that is has been over two decades since the the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11th. But even 20 years later, everyone still remembers exactly where they were when the world stopped turning on that September day.
And they remember it so vividly.
I was in 7th grade when it happened, making my way from gym class to history. In the hall, a kid named Tommy Kielbasa (I swear that was his real name) said a plane hit the Twin Towers… I didn’t know what he meant.
As a kid that prided myself on knowing random geography facts, a kid that could instantly recognized landmarks around the world (I wasn’t a complete square, I promise), I couldn’t believe that I never heard of the World Trade Centers.
But when my history teacher turned on the TV, and we all watched that black smoke rising from the buildings, and then the buildings ultimately collapse, smoke and debris filling the New York City streets, I don’t think any of us in that room (save for our teacher Ms. Koenig) realized the gravity of the situation.
Of course we do now… we were living through the deadliest attack in American history… and many first responders are still suffering with chronic health conditions.
I remember exactly where I was when the world stopped turning, and my guess is that many of you do too.
Dedicated to the victims and all the heroes involved, Alan Jackson woke up in the middle of the night to write “Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning” and it’s still just as powerful as ever.
Although, Alan never expected it to turn into the song that it did. In a conversation with Yahoo News, Alan thought he would never play it again after a few years:
“That CMAs performance made me very proud, but I thought it would probably go away in a couple of years and I wouldn’t be playing it on the road anymore.
But now after all these years, it’s kind of just evolved… in what the song is about, anyway.
It’s all about faith, hope, and love… not just about 9/11.”
Never forget.
