Where Were You Then?

I remember riding the bus or MRT home that day, when I got a text from a friend informing me of a news bulletin about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I remember thinking, darn, what a horrible accident. It wasn't until I got a couple more texts about another plane hitting the Twin Towers that I suddenly thought- that was no accident. It was an attack.

I came home to a living room with my parents watching that fateful event happen on CNN. We saw the footage of the planes crashing into the building, flames spreading, smoke billowing. I was glued to the screen right to the moment the towers fell, and long into the hours of the morning. It was a horrible sight to see- an event that changed the world- or at least, the US and everyone affected by their state of affairs- forever.

It's been six years, but strangely, 9/11 still seems fresh in people's minds. The US doesn't want to forget it, of course. You don't have to be an American to be saddened by the events, to be mindful of the fact that we should always be vigilant and aware of what is good, and what is evil. Evil was done that day, and the rest who remain should always remember and be ready for whatever comes next. Filipinos don't have a great memory, the way we so often forgive or forget so many who wrong us so easily. That's something we should keep in mind as members of the 'Free World'.