After 9-11

I went to work on September 12th just I did the day before. I guess that was one of my first defiant acts that I directed toward the terrorists. When the thought of dropping out as a volunteer for Salt Lake Winter Olympics crossed my mind, I remained committed. I would not quit living.
Each year, I vowed to do something on September 11th to thumb at the terrorist. The first year was easy; I went to work as usual and got a pin for my efforts. In 2003, I was traveling across Iowa and crossed the Mississippi River. The next year, I found myself on Trax going downtown and to Sandy to see the healing field. In 2005, it was a Sunday and I went to church. The next year, I was less enthused about thumbing the terrorists. I went work for the first time on that date since 2002 and I rode a UTA bus to get there. The few years were like that until last year. September 11th was on a Saturday again.
Some say September 11th changed them. I am not so sure. Being in the west I was away from the events. I had no family members who were directly affected by the events, even I though Eugene was a good friend of my niece, Tracie. Over the years, I have read of a Kaysville family who lost their mom/grandmother and sister/aunt, who was in the first plane that crashed into the North Tower. I have read of Brady Howell’s widow, Liz, who served a mission after her husband died and was part of a medical team in Haiti when the earthquake rocked the tiny island nation.
I have changed over the years, but I don’t know if I could attribute the changes to September 11th. I now work at the University of Utah, after being laid off at the insurance company. I rely on public transportation, because I don’t have a car. And some of the changes are due to age. Maybe I am kinder; I still volunteer and give presents to my nieces and nephews on their birthdays. I donate to charities, which may be the result of September 11th. But I am basically the same person as I was before. I am Susan; I am an American and I love chocolate. I still believe in Jesus Christ, who is my savior and God, who was there on September 11, 2001. He did not abandon us and He never will.