I was probably among the many who didn't realize until quite later, given that the only true words in regards to the day were on the news. My realization came from all of the politically-driven messages on the shirts of some on campus, many supporting the administration's decisions and thoughts while an equal, if not higher, amount went against it. But I still remember that day...

I was in seventh grade at the time, back in Kentucky. I remember everything was just calm that morning for my first class that day, Band, and then there was a bit of an unusual rush in the hallways. I didn't understand what was going on either until I managed to get into English, and saw the television on. There were constant repeats of the first crash, and then the second crash happened not too long after class started, in which we just watched and waited. We were all confused, and a little scared.

I remember hearing a lot of rumors more than I did the actual events. As in, the possibility of something happening in our part of Kentucky - when the main concern, the gold vault in Fort Knox, was a long way's southwest of our town. I didn't quite understand it either, probably because of the rush, and it shocks me how much six years can change anything. Including my mom's words when I got home that day of how she knew there would be a deployment pretty soon - not even a month, and troops were sent to Afghanistan. And the months afterwards were brutal for a small handful of classmates I knew pretty well, including a Lebanese girl and Indian boy.

And even then, I never heard much of the true selflessness that went on in the following days, weeks, and months. I still assume it was because the media, probably my only source at that time, mentioned it in passing; all was overshadowed by the praises and criticism of deployment, and the constant run-in of how there is progress when others say otherwise. It seems like that still goes on now, which creates the case of the mixed feelings about the whole event.

All I can say is hopefully things will change in the near future, maybe this time for the better. And even then, it has to take a lot of understanding on both sides of the spectrum.