Where were you the morning of September 11, 2001?

I was 18 years old and working at Jamba Juice at Metro Pointe in Costa Mesa. I was the shift lead and had opened the store at 6:30am. It was a normal day, just like any other. The usual customers came in and got their morning smoothie before work, we had our “Jamba Music” playing over the store speakers….

Then a customer, a professor from Orange Coast College came in. He heard the up beat music playing in the store and then in a loud, stern voice said to me, “How can you play music like this right now?! Do you know what just happened!? Two planes just slammed into the World Trade Center!”

I was shocked! First of all, why was this total stranger yelling at me? And secondly, why would someone fly into buildings?

Nevertheless, the man got this smoothie and left. My co-worker and I were in shock. We didn’t have access to a tv or a radio, so we were really clueless about all of the mayhem going on in the country.

When I got off work at about 11:30am, I headed home to eat lunch and get ready for school. I turned on the tv and saw the re-plays of everything that had happened earlier in the day on the east coast. Seeing the planes made my stomach turn and tense up. It was all so surreal, like it was a movie and not real life.

My class in the afternoon was a Political Science class. Most of the students were present, although a few decided not to come to school. Instead of holding a formal class, the teacher let us talk about what had happened that morning. I remember asking him, “What does this mean for the country and the economy?”. At this point, no one really knew what the future held and what to expect next.

These 7 years have just flown by. I still remember watching the memorial held on the 1-year anniversary. You can’t help but get a little emotional when you hear the children and loved ones of the victims speak, even 7 years later.
So, today marks the 7th anniversary of a turning point in the United States. Our world is still uncertain and the U.S. is nearing another possible turning point. With this being an election year, all eyes are turned to the presidential candidates to see how they can better our nation and keep its citizens safe and living healthy, productive lives.
I hope you are planning on voting. I know I am.