7 years

I can't believe it's already been seven years since 9/11. I don't want to get all political and rag on whomever may have been responsible for the tragedy -- Bin Laden, our government, or Hulk Hogan -- because I don't care. It happened. Thousands of innocent people were killed in many different horrific ways. I can't imagine being one of the passengers on the plane that crashed into the first tower. I can't imagine having to jump out of the window on the 100th floor, fully knowing that I'll die in 30 seconds. I can't imagine being trapped under a ton of debris with no way out. All this happened exactly 7 years ago.

On a similar note, I can't believe that 7 years ago, I was a sophomore in high school. The center of my universe consisted of football games, swim practice, geometry class, and getting my learner's permit. I had yet to meet my first boyfriend, my college friends, my L.A. friends, and Nate. I had yet to realize that Chicago, which was merely 10 miles away, was a wonderful city that had so much to offer. I was a full-fledged suburban high school student with no idea what I wanted to do with her life. Wow. My life seven years ago is nothing but a distant memory to me. I feel content with the fact that I have grown and experienced so much since then. High school was two lifetimes ago.

It saddens me that all the people who died on September 11, 2001 could have grown so much had they lived. A line in Kenny Chesney's song, Who You Would be Today sums it up really well: "It ain't fair you died too young / Like a story that had just begun / The death tore the pages all away"

I am grateful to be alive, to be able to grow, to be able to change for the better each day. If my life ended on September 11, 2001, I would be remembered as someone who is a complete stranger to me today. It's a truly frightening thought.