It will be a memory that will always stick with me until the day I die.
I was walking into my 9:00 AM Western Civ class at Ball State University on September 11, 2001. I was running late as always and as I walked into the auditorium style classroom, the projection screen was pulled down and I saw the World Trade Center buildings on the screen with smoke billowing out of them.
There was an uncomfortable silence in the classroom and I asked my friend what the hell was happening. To be honest, I thought we were watching a movie until I noticed that it was CNN and this was happening live. We sat in silence in complete shock not yet realizing the magnitude of what had just happened.
It’s been 17 years since the events of 9/11 took place and it’s still an event that holds great significance to our country today. I remember watching late night talk shows with hosts that were visibly upset and instead of telling their usual jokes, they were speaking in a very somber tone.
I remember seeing the the Yankees/Mets Subway series ten days after the attacks on New York with both teams honoring first responders by wearing NYPD and NYFD hats before the game.
I also remember Sammy Sosa sprinting out to right field with a mini-American flag during the first Cubs home game post-9/11. The MLB postponed games for a week following the events, but on Sept. 27, 2001, Sosa took the field with a miniature American flag in hand. He also hit a home run that night and carried the flag for his home-run trot around the bases.
It is truly one of the best Cubs memories I’ll always have.
"…and he's got Old Glory too!"
Sammy Sosa, during the @Cubs' first home game after September 11th. pic.twitter.com/ircQNJ0N3a
— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) September 11, 2018
And please save your personal opinions about Sosa for another time.
