There are certain events that leave lasting impressions on us throughout our lives. The attacks on the World Trade Center Towers on September 11th have remained one of those powerful events to me.
As a child, you look to your parents for guidance, comfort, help, wisdom, and just about everything. Your parents actions and opinions, like it or not, mold their children into who they become as citizens of their communities and participants in humanity.
As the events carried out on the news, I looked at my Dad. I was with him in our living room at the time, I'm not sure where my mom was, so as the planes crashed into the towers that day, I watched his reaction. He stood stunned in our living room, speechless, overwhelmed, and near tears. My Dad is one solid man. He isn't overly emotional, and among many things he taught us to be strong. As I saw this reaction from my parent, moreover, my Dad, the epitome of strength, it started a ripple of feelings and questions. My thoughts spinning out control. If my Dad was upset and speechless, how should I feel? What should I do? What could I do?
Of course the obvious reactions washed over me; fear of what might happen next, worry about what this would mean for our country, wonder about how this would affect me personally. Did this mean we would be going to war and if so, who would we go to war against? Would there be a draft? Would my brother, my boyfriend, my friends be drafted into a war? Would individuals from the middle east be rounded up and put into internment camps like the Japanese Americans were?
Prone to being anxious, I worried about these questions on my way to school. I wasn't sure if classes would still go on, but decided I'd better head out just in case. When I got to campus it was so quiet. So unusually quiet. Not many people on campus even fewer in the classrooms. I remember walking across the main courtyard, calling home to see what was going on, and a guy stopped me to ask if he could use my phone. He looked at me as I looked at him quizzically; I was on my phone. I thought, does he have someone in New York he needs to call? I think he could see the confusion in my face and blurted out - I just wanted to talk to you. I don't really need your phone. How incongruous I thought, on this day, with all that's going on, you just thought you'd try to pick up on me? I replied that I was on my phone and needed to get going. Did he know what was going on? I still think it was a strange thing to do in the middle of a national crisis. I was worried about the future of our country and our citizens and this guy just thought, hey this might be a good time to pick up on a girl? It seemed so inconsequential.
In the days that followed I began to marshal my thoughts together. My pride in our country and it's citizens deepened along with an intense hope for the future. Watching America come together in those days that followed, it would be difficult to not be proud of who we are and what we stand for. I thought back to my Dad's reaction. As a Japanese American man, growing up during a time in history where our country interned people of Japanese descent, I am inspired by his patriotism. Instead of reacting in anger, he joined the Marines. He served his country he took pride in that service. I determined to be as supportive as I knew how to individuals in the service of our country. I would be the person that would run towards the catastrophe to help if, heaven forbid, one occurred near me. I will help those around me if ever there is a need. I'm proud of my cousin serving in the Army and am grateful for all those who serve and protect us.
Looking back now, I am relieved that a draft did not occur. I am relieved that individuals from the middle east weren't being interned because they "looked" like they could be enemies. Thank goodness we didn't take that step backwards while trying to move forward with action. I don't think all the actions that were taken since 9/11 have been correct, but I think that our country has done it's best. Let's hope that we continue to move forward remembering the sacrifice of so many that day and making our actions congruent with what we stand for daily.
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