9.11 and the haboob

I'll never forget where I was on this day seven years ago. I had just started my first teaching job. I was working at my desk before school started, when one of my students walked into my classroom and said "Miss McDonald, someone just told me that a plane crashed into the world trade center, and another one crashed into the pentagon."

She looked scared. I laughed and said "don't worry honey, that's not true..." Thirty seconds later a boy came running in and said "Miss McDonald, what's the pentagon?" Before I could answer I heard the principal blaring over the intercom, reminding us to check our email about Wednesday's faculty meeting. We didn't have faculty meetings on Wednesdays. This was a code for "there is an emergency, check your email immediately." We were instructed not to turn on our TV's or talk about the situation, but to continue on with our day as we normally would. Ha! Like that happened. I spent the day calming fears, sending overly emotional students to the counseling office, and explaining over and over what the pentagon is. I'll never forget it.

Today as I drove out of our neighborhood I saw the flag-lined street and it brought me to tears. The one good thing about that horrible tragedy is that it brought out the best of human nature. It proved that, as humans, we are innately good. We have a natural inclination to help others in time of need.
p.s. On the way to get the mail I tried to stop and take a picture of the flags but right as I grabbed the camera a haboob (60-mile-wide wall of dust) hit. You can't really see the flags. I threw the camera in the stroller and sprinted home with my eyes closed. Sometimes I feel like I live in saudi arabia.