Where Was I On September 11th, By Chris Allen

I was living in a small town called Mardella Springs Maryland. It is directly over from Washington D.C., this will be important later.

I was not in New York City, nor was I in Pennsylvania, and I wasn't in Washington D.C. I was on the Penninsula of Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia)

I had been recently fired from my morning show job and was listening to my competition. This particular morning I had Rick Dees on and was loving the show, then the radio station interrupted and immediately started playing the Associated Press covering the first crash. I didn't know what I was listening to, I thought it was a War Of The Worlds thing, some joke that someone was playing.

I turned on the TV only to see the World Trade Center smoking and hearing an airplane had crashed into it. Then without warning, another one crashed. I was shocked and still couldn't believe what I was watching. Over time we hear about a crash in Pennsylvania, and a crash into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Just after the crash in D.C., Jets are flying over our area like crazy. I run out front of the house I was renting and stood in the middle of the street. That's when I got scared! I thought to myself, it's coming here! I thought it was the beginning of bombings and all kinds of crashed planes.

I was glued to that TV for the day. Some of my neighbors came over to watch with us. I didn't eat breakfast, I didn't eat lunch, I couldn't think, and we all sat and talked about what was next. I had radios on, I was on the computer to see if I could find the defining story about what happened. Time flew, and I don't remember if I ate. When the Towers fell and pictures and stories were coming in, I saw this country become what it should be, UNITED!

I have never felt so vulnerable or faced my mortality like I did that day, and I was not in any of the areas that were affected by this terrorism. I couldn't imagine how those people were dealing, the police, firefighters, families, and cities were going through. At that moment I felt sad because I was scared and there were people who were worse off than me.

That day changed the lives of many people who will never be the same. I know it changed mine.  So, on 9/11 I remember that day, I remember that feeling for my fellow humans, and I will never forget what people went through just to live and move on. Pause for a moment on 9/11 like I will know how lucky we are to be living and let it motivate you to do better, be better, and help the world to become more peaceful.