Just 6 Years Ago

About this time 6 years ago I was stumbling out of bed, rubbing my eyes and thinking about a calculus exam. Little did I know that the world we live in would change perilously in a moments notice.

As I left the Glocker business building at The University of Tennessee I began my ascent up The Hill towards the calculus class that would present me with an exam. As I walked up the stairs I realized, this day would be unlike any other. Student were chattering on their cell phones as if they were about to put them in a time capsule never to be seen again. There were talks of the Pentagon, New York, the White House and more. I quickly realized something was missing from what I knew as a normal day.

I reached for my cell phone located in my backpack and dialed the first number that came to mind, my mothers. When she answered I quickly asked what was going on to which she replied, "Just pray. Pray that we'll be okay." After a few a seconds of silence she began to slowly explain to me that our nation was under attack.

Given the circumstances, taking that calculus exam was difficult. In case you're wondering, yes, the professor asked that we complete the test no matter the locale.

As I returned back to my apartment my two roommates were watching the news, shocked and amazed at the scale of the attack. I asked again what was going on and should we be worried. One roommate replied, "We need to get an American flag."

For 6 years I have stood by that line in many of the things I do each day. No matter the war situation, the economic times or the fear I live with every day because of 9/11, grasping what I knew before that day is of much comfort. The red, the white and the blue stand for much more than we realize.