September 11, 2001 was a Tuesday just like any other and only a few days in to my fifth grade year at Kingsland Elementary School in small town Spring Valley, Minn.
I remember it was still early in the morning, the sun shining through our eastern facing windows between the tree branches and the blinds, and my class was working on either a test or an assignment, all of us hunched over our desks quietly scribbling away. Suddenly during this our teacher, Mrs. Applen, had a very short phone call and rushed to her cabinet where the small tube TV was and turned it on to the news. All of us, distracted by her sudden movements, were by then watching her and the tv as it showed two tall towers emitting smoke and flames while unfamiliar words like “Terrorist” and “al-Qaeda” were repeated. After watching for a couple of minutes with her hand over her mouth in shock and horror, Mrs. Applen turned it off and asked the class if anyone had family in New York City and needed to go to the principal’s office to call a parent. Not really understanding the magnitude of the event at the time and not having any family that I knew of in New York City, I turned back to my assignment, determined to complete it before my classmate as per our usual competition.
I don’t remember much else that day but over the next few days and weeks the teachers were a little more somber, the principal was called to serve the country, and adults’ conversations could be heard talking of a possible war and draft in the near future. But on the bright side, the country seemed to band together and patriotism was noticeable – even to an oblivious 10-year-old.
Meghan Brown
Spring Valley, Minn.
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