September 11, 2001…I remember the day as if it was yesterday. I was 16 years old and school had just started. I was sitting in my school’s library with my Guidance counselor going over and making changes to my schedule. It was then when we first saw the smoke out of the window. At first we didn’t think much of it but then someone ran in and said that a plane crashed into the World Trade Center. We still didn’t know or understand the severity of what was going on. Moments later, the second plane crashed and that’s when panic and fear set in. My school officials immediately locked all of the doors and they made the announcement that when the bell rings for the next period we were to stay put. I remember going to my history class and my teacher putting on the television and we looked and saw people were running, crying, screaming…just utter chaos. At 16 years old, I still wasn’t sure how to process the information. I thought to myself, terrorism? How could this be? We live in America! Who would want to hurt us? It was a shock to my reality and the little bubble that I have lived in thus far was shattered. At some point during the day they decided to contact our parents and to let us go home early once they were able to get in contact with an adult. I was fortunate enough to live only blocks away and thankfully my mother was ok so I was allowed to go home. A family friend and I who lived houses away from me, decided to walk around our neighborhood. Eventhough we lived in Brooklyn, the entire city was in a somber mood. Stores were closed, and it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. Our East Flatbush neighborhood looked and felt strange. It was almost as if we were in the twilight zone or having a bad dream. Sadly enough, it was also the first time that I witnessed racism first hand. My friend Rakesh is Guyanese as well but he is also Indian. He can easily be mistaken for middle eastern. People were looking at him weird and funny and mumbling stuff and we felt unsafe. We decided that we should go back home before something bad happens. I remember getting home and my family being worried over how they were going to get my sisters from school. If I remember correctly, someone had to pick them up and it wasn’t until late that night that they finally made it home. The next day our corner store or bodega was vandalized. They were of middle eastern decent but they were our friends. Eddie and Sal made our breakfast every morning. The store would be packed with school kids from the neighborhood and they were always kind to us. Always asking how we were doing in school and giving us fatherly advice. It saddened me that someone would destroy their property, when they were Americans just like us. They were affected just like us. Our world has forever been altered by this tragic event. When I think of all the lives that perished that day, it deeply saddeneds me . To think that you can get up and get your day started just like every other day, not knowing what evil awaits you once you step outside of your home, is too much to handle at times. What I loved most however that whenever there is tragedy within our country, it usually unites us a nation. I loved that for the first time, people were publicly praying and calling on the name of Jesus. God wasn’t just some person or thing that’s on our currency but he was real to believers and non believers alike. It’s been 16 years and I still don’t understand why 9/11 happened, but I do know that I have to trust God. So just like we did 16 years ago, I want to echo the same sentiment that we will not succumb to terroism! We will not allow it to control our lives and have us living in fear! Instead we are going to have FAITH, that no matter what comes our way, our God is in control. He always has our backs. He sits high and he looks low. Psalms 46:10 says “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” United we still stand and we will never forget!