Damn, it's been one year already. All things have, for the most part, gone back to normal. The haunting images still trouble us and that hellish day will forever be imbedded in our minds. You really can't think up anything more horrific than those pictures of the planes.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm talking about September 11th. Where was I on September 11th? I can tell exactly where I was. Our World Studies teacher called this type of thing a flashbulb effect. I will forever remember this day. On the 11th I was still adapting to the grind of my new activity schedule. Algebra I was first on the list and I was waiting to get out of that class. I looked at my watch and realized the small 9-11 in the corner. Then I thought, hey 911. After Algebra, I hit cafeteria, it was break time. I got my bagel, sausage, egg thingy and prepared for my 2nd block, Spanish. I arrived in the class and sat in my usual desk. Second row from the left, fourth chair back. It was the NW corner of the room in the middle of our building. I answered the Pregunta del dia (Question of the Day) correctly and was enjoying my success when I heard about it. First, our secretary came into the room and asked to see the teacher. I didn't think much of it at the time. Then, she came into the room and explained the situation. She turned on her $8 stereo. The thing was a piece of crap but I understood it. It all seemed surreal to me. Time passed and I arrived home at about 2:30, as usual. I tried to call my father, who was in Boston at the moment and the phone company had an automated message, all the lines were busy. I thought to my self, holy @#%$! I turned on the TV and finally got hit with the full magnitude of the attack. It still seemed surreal to me. A day later I opened the news paper to find a picture of the upper windows of the WTC. All of them were looking down; they were looking for someone to save them. I broke after that. I just shattered.

It's been a year now. The attack still seems surreal to me. It's like a bad dream and I'm still waiting to wake up. Even today...

I tired not to let the tragedy affect my thinking. I did not want to become a nervous wreck after hearing about this. I went about updates as normal. I popped up my screen to find that I had completely changed the address and there was a little "we have moved" link that said under the date "9.11.00" It's still there, I haven't touched it yet.

My only question is, Why? Just simply, Why? If any good came out of this, our country now stands united. This surge of patriotism still remains and probably can rival the days after we got our independence.