I woke up this past Saturday morning, and I turned the TV on to Fox News like I always do without even thinking that it was September 11. They were replaying footage of the actual terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center buildings. It was almost like being in a dream. It catapulted me back into time as I watched those events again. I immediately remembered watching them live back then, and nine years later, I still felt tears well up in my eyes watching that tragedy. That's something that I hope we never forget as a nation.
My September 11, 2001, was similar to my parents' December 7, 1941. Like my memory of September 11, my parents have vivid memories of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Even though they were children, they remember exactly what they were doing.
On September 1, 2001, I was actually in New York. I had my family with me. I had been prefishing for a BASS event on the Hudson River. After practice, I left my boat and truck at the Hudson River and Jimmye Sue and the kids and I got on a train and took a family vacation to New York City. We did all the typical things, like see a Broadway show, go to Wall Street, go to the Statue of Liberty, and of course we went to see the Twin Towers. Though we didn't go inside, we were directly beneath them on the sidewalk. The kids — and I — were in awe looking up at those things. They were marvels of design and achievement and symbols of our nation. I got chills looking up at them.
Then we flew home with the intent of returning for the tournament, but September 11 changed all that. I was driving home from a Bible study that Tuesday morning. I turned the radio on in the car and heard a news flash that a plane had flown into one of the towers. I didn't think much of it; after all, it was probably a Cessna that had a bad accident. However, when I got home, I turned the TV on in time to see the second plane hit the other tower. I realized it was a much more serious situation.
The tournament was cancelled, but my boat and truck were still in New York. All air traffic around the country was cancelled, so I had to figure something out. Luckily, I had a friend who was in New York for the FLW Championship (which was also canceled). He was stranded and couldn't get a ride home. He ended up going to the Hudson River, picking up my boat and truck and giving a few buddies a ride home on the way to Texas.
I'll never forget sitting there with my kids, watching those planes fly into those buildings. Because we were there a week before, it made an impression on them as well as me. Watching those events again this past Saturday really made my heart go out to the families of the victims. It gave me a great sense of patriotism and pride in our country. We can never forget what happened that day. It changed all of our lives.
On another note, both of my girls are playing volleyball. Jamie is on the A and B teams at Live Oak. It's a private school nearby that allows home-schooled kids to play on their sports teams. Kristen in on the high school team. They're really enjoying getting to participate in sports this year, and I think they're both going to play basketball once volleyball is over.
I've been spending a lot of my evenings watching the Texas Rangers. As Rangers fans, we haven't had very many years to get excited about lately. I'm anticipating that they'll win their division and be playoff bound. Baylor is playing TCU this week, too. Though they have a much-improved team this year, I don't know if they can take down the No. 5 team in the nation. We need a miracle on the Brazos!
I've also spent a lot of time trading recently. The stock market has been on a tear, so it's been fun seeing it go in a green direction instead of a red direction. It made what I do as a trader easy. I'm already planning my next trip to Falcon. I don't have a date set, but the wheels are turning. I'm still on my quest for my personal best bass, and determined to make my 11 1/2 record fall. Stay tuned!