Remembering September 11, 2001

I remember 9/11 pretty vividly. I was busily packing up my stuff that week, getting ready to move to San Diego for my first quarter at UC San Diego. I had woken up around 10:30, and I walked out of my bedroom to find my mom and grandma glued to the television. At that point I had no idea what was going on, and I asked what was wrong. "Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers," my mom said. I don't think I could even fathom what that meant. I watched as the towers smoldered on CNN and I couldn't believe my eyes.

I had only ever seen photos of the World Trade Center. I remember my parents telling me about how they had seen the towers when they went some time in the 1980's. My first trip to NYC was post-9/11 in 2004. I went again in 2007 and was able to visit Ground Zero and the 9/11 memorial museum, where I took this:



May peace be with all those who were affected by 9/11. We will never forget...

I found this poem on [b]ecker's blog, which I'd like to share too:
"Do it Anyway":

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, some could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.