Ten years

Ten years ago, I was a freshman in high school sitting in a classroom during a round of standardized testing. It was a foreign language classroom. One that was unfamiliar to me.

Midway through testing, the principal's voice took over the intercom. As he announced that an act of terrorism was taking place in NYC, students looked around in disbelief. His voice resembled that of President G. W. Bush so some of the students thought it was a prank. The televisions didn't lie though.

We went through the notions of our normal schedule after testing, but there was no schoolwork focus. Some teachers refused to turn on the televisions.

I remember sitting in the commons area watching the television coverage, wondering what it all meant. At the time, I didn't even have a clue as to the enormity of what happened and how it would affect my world.

One year prior, almost to the exact date, I visited Washington D.C. on a class trip. Pre 911.

One year later, I visited NYC on another trip with the high school choir. The post 911 world. The world we live in today.

What a transformation.

I still cannot believe it's been ten years.