[Error: unknown template qotd]Alright, I’m going to admit that my answer’s the same as everyone else’s—definitely 9/11, hands down. But hear me out.

I’m young, fresh into adolescence. I haven’t really seen many remarkable events in my lifetime, and the only two that stick out in my mind are Obama’s election (which I’m not trying to undermine the importance of; words can’t even express the joy I experienced when I heard the news) and 9/11. In a way, those two events are defining for me as an American. They are the events that go down in the history books; then again, 9/11 already has.

Anyway, I was not even a week into second grade when that day happened. It started off as a normal day—get up, bitch and moan, get dressed, have a nice day, I love you. Just another day of spelling practice and writing that date at the top right corner of my worksheet. I was so oblivious to the world’s evils and misgivings then. I didn’t understand when I saw the teachers crying, leaving to see if their relatives or spouses or children in New York were okay. I couldn’t fathom why so many kids were getting pulled out of school early. I didn’t know why all the fifth-graders and faculty were in the library, huddled around the TV.

I wasn’t old enough to comprehend that everything had suddenly slipped from our country’s grasp; we had lost all control. The danger we were in was very real; living in Central Jersey, running a school with the knowledge that planes had killed quite possibly thousands of people and another one was landing in the Pentagon’s domain was unsettling. They wouldn’t tell the younger ones what had occurred, and while this frustrated us, they knew that our parents would tell us of the horrible events that had proceeded that day.

I came home as usual, although the moment I walked through the door my parents told me to be quiet and come watch the news with them. This made me curious; they never told me to watch the news. I sat down and watched as they replayed the footage of the planes crashing into the towers. Quite the morbid thing for a second-grader to watch.

My memory is hazy, but I will never forget the sentiments of that day. It is unfortunately the stuff of movies…God, I just don’t want to think about it…

Don’t watch Youtube videos of the original coverage. It will haunt your dreams.

I got a 48 on my history quiiiiz, I'm so deeeeeeead.
After bringing home a 50 on my math quiz yesterday, my parents are not happy. NOT HAPPY. I am SO SCREWED.
HALP.