13 years. 13 years and it feels like it was only yesterday that these events that mar our history took place but here we are. My family was fairly traditional, father worked, mom stayed home to take care of the kids, all or most of the kids were in school. We lived in Reseda California, a quiet suburb of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. On Tuesday, September 11th 2001 I was a 9 year old 4th grader(I would turn 10 in December of that year) who hadn’t a care in the world. Now I don’t recall what I learned in school that day nor what it was I did once I left for school; all I remember is what I saw on that lousy cathode TV in my older brothers room. I don’t remember the exact time, but school started at 8 so it must’ve been around 7:30 when we were getting ready, and what I can remember is my mother shouting from her bedroom to turn on the TV; next thing I remember is my older brother coming in and flipping on the switch and there it was, the World Trade Center on fire. There was only one tower on fire but not 5 minutes after we turned on the TV I remember seeing an airplane disappear into the second tower and then an explosion. In that instant I heard my brother yelp a “whoa!” and of course I didn’t understand what was going on.

The next thing I remember from that day is coming home from school and going into my parents room to them watching the news about what had happened that morning. My father, exhausted from work, looked at me and said “for 8 years, we did nothing!”

Now I tell you all my story because even though I was only an innocent little boy, that image, where I sat will forever be etched into my mind. It’s amazing how fast the world seems to move and how time just escapes us until an event like this happens and it all just stops. I don’t say this to political nor to incite debate. Now here we are in 2014, I am 22 years old, an elistedman, a far cry from the boy who sat on his bed watching the world unfurl before he could even begin to understand and believe you me, I haven’t forgot.

What say you? Please share your stories.

May we continue to fight for Faith, Family, and Freedom. God bless you all and God bless America.