September 11th and the Yankees

Individuals deal with trauma in very different ways. I can't sit here and pretend like i understand what the people of the Holocaust went through, but I do remember September 11th. We were a week or so into freshman year of high school when the attacks happened. I remember feeling alone because we were in a new school and while I knew a few people, I didn't know most of them. At the time I lived in Stamford, Ct where you can see the New York City skyline from the beach. On a clear day you could see the Twin Towers, but the days that followed 9/11, all you saw was black smoke.

My father was in the Army National Guard at the time and he was called into action to help clean up the city where those two magnificent buildings once stood. He still won't tell me any of the sites, sounds, or smells, and I can understand why. There isn't one person out there who should have to witness such a tragedy, try to help pick up the pieces, and pretend everything is O.K. I applaud the men and women that have sacrificed their lives to protect ours. It is because of them that we are still free and we owe them everything.

It was during this year that the New York Yankees made it to the World Series and unfortunately lost. The fact that they went out there and played their games in spite of what happened really sent a message to the rest of the world. The Yankees, to me, represent America and going out there and playing tells me that we are free and we will not bow down to any terrorists. Although this video is from 2006, you can still hear the heart of America as the crowd sings God Bless America with Ronan Tynan:


I feel that the Yankees healed our nation and I respect them for that. I also feel that I owe something to this great nation and that is when I decided to get this:


I feel that I represent this great country and a great team all at the same time. It creates a memory of those we lost in the attacks, while not letting our lives revolve around it. It will be a constant reminder that we have lost something before and we have gotten through it. As long as we come together as a nation where nobody has to be alone, then we will get through whatever challenges are sent our way.