10 years ago...

10 years ago today I was perhaps a bit more shocked than the average West Coaster upon seeing the footage of planes flying into NYC and the Pentagon.

The previous summer (2000) I had spent 3 months in NYC on missions with the "Summer in the City" program, living in Queens and partnering with 60+ students from around the country to volunteer at various churches, halfway houses, homeless shelters, and food banks in all the different boroughs.  3 months is a pretty good amount of time for an outsider to feel a bit of a connection to the city - you start to understand the subway system, know where the good local places are to eat, and you gain an appreciation for the diversity of the people, from the well-to-do yet constantly pressured to perform, to the down-and-out in the cycle of poverty.

Since I still felt connected to the city in some ways the year after, I was really hit emotionally the day after the attacks when watching the news and seeing footage from the cameras roaming the streets.  Families mourning the loss of loved ones, neighbors of all walks, religions, and races congregating on street corners to wail, grieve and comfort, and I mourned along with them.  When one camera crew picked up on a street corner fellowship led by a small group of black women singing "Amazing Grace," I broke down in front of the TV for a while.

One day I'll need to teach my son about the impact of 9/11.  I'm not exactly sure yet what I'll say.