On a serious note

While most things that I write on this blog are lighthearted and in jest, and most of what I write on this blog is fun and hopefully humorous to others, I would like to quickly write something on more of a serious note.

As I was listening to the Jim Rome show today on 1280 AM, he took a few minutes out of his show time to discuss September 11, 2001. He then said that all of us should take the time to reflect on that day, I thought I would use my blog to give somewhat of a small tribute out to the people who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the mine field in Pennsylvania.

If any of you are like me, there was so much going on that day and it was all so shocking, it all seems like a blur looking back. But the one thing I can remember are my feelings.

I had just turned 18 years old less than a month before the attacks and I was away at the College of Eastern Utah, where I was playing baseball. One of my roommates came into my room and woke me up just a little after 7 a.m. Utah time. He explained to me what was going on and I turned on the t.v. to see the sights myself. Just after turning on the t.v. I watched live, with most of America, as the second plane hit the second tower. Upon hearing about the other attacks in D.C. and Pennsylvania, I was shocked and horrified. I remember feeling very scared. I wish I could have been near family and friends at the time because being an hour and a half away from the people I knew and loved brought out even more fear in me. I realized that terrorist were most likely not going to attack Price, Utah, but it wasn't just that type of fear, it was fear for people who lost family members or didn't even know where their family members were.

My life was forever changed, as was everyone's. I remember our baseball games and practices were canceled, our classes were canceled and all we could do was watch the news and read the articles. I bought a notebook that afternoon and wrote down all my feelings, I wish I knew where that notebook was because it would be interesting to read.

I attended a memorial either that night or the next day and those feeling continued to hit home. Annie and I had a chance to go to Ground Zero a few years ago and the solemn and sobering feeling that exists there is unparalleled by anything else I had ever seen. Annie and I were also in London less than 12 hours after the attacks on London in 2005 and many of those same feelings were present during that time as well. But the underlying message that I take from these attacks is to keep going.

One of my favorite quotes is something along the lines of "dream as if you will live forever and live as if you would die tomorrow." I am renewing a conviction in me to take each day as a gift and not take anything for granted.

My hope is that we can all continue, no matter what tough things may come our way.