09/11/2026
This week also brings us to the solemn reminder of that tragic day, 25 years ago, when America was attacked. 25 years! Many younger adults, especially teens and children, don't have the same connection we do. I still remember that morning and the hours that followed vividly.
I was on my way to work in my first year of teaching in the Alpine School District. Once it was clear they were deliberate attacks on our country, the shift in the school was from worry to fear. Parents checked on their kids and hunkered down in their basements. We weren’t allowed to talk about it with our students who didn’t know what was happening, but knew something was wrong. It was a long, hard day.
My wife and I watched endlessly for 2 days before we finally turned the TV off. We needed an emotional break. I remember the quiet stillness that settled on the house as we turned off the TV for a minute. We didn't realize how much emotional weight it was causing us.
Several years later, when I was teaching 6th grade, I tried to share this event with my students. I was appalled as I was showing them a video of the events, and they laughed when people were jumping from the tower rather than being burned to death. They didn’t understand the significance or the emotional pain and sorrow that came to those of us who were alive and watching in real-time as these events unfolded. It helped clarify the reality of those who lived it and those who were viewing it as history. Has created a new appreciation and awareness for other events in America, such as the Gulf War, the Afghanistan War, and even the World Wars
I still feel the shock and emotional weight of this event. I hope we will take a few minutes today to reflect on how blessed we are to live where we live, and that we have people willing to risk their lives to protect ours.
-Director Hughes
