Everyone has a story—a memory of where they were and what they were doing when they heard of the attacks on 9/11. In that moment, thoughts and emotions were captured forever in our hearts.

I was a senior in high school and by chance was the first in the school to hear the news. I remember interrupting several classes on my way outside to lower the flag to half-staff. When I came back into the building, several students were already on cell phones in the hallway calling family members, while others were crowded around television sets.

The emotions were tangible throughout the building—fear, anger, surprise, shock, uncertainty—and while few words were spoken, we all knew that the world had changed.

For my generation, September 11 marks the single biggest history-changing event that we have ever witnessed, and we will never forget.

To quote country artist Alan Jackson, “Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?”

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