9/11 - and remembering

I have been reading the reminiscences of the Captain and it put me in mind of my own recollections from that day. September 11 2001 was a very important day for Kath and I, since it was our first opportunity to vote. We had become citizens in April of that year, and one of the first things we did was register to vote. September the 11th was a Tuesday and there were school board elections that day. True, as votes go, not terribly momentous, but still, we definitely wanted to cast that first ballot, if only to declare ourselves metaphorically free of "no taxation without representation!"
We had planned to vote in the evening, after work, so that we could go home and have a celebratory dinner afterwards. Of course, the events of the day changed the celebratory dinner. I recall hearing about the attacks on Bob and Tom as I drove in to work, and having to teach class that afternoon to about 235 very unhappy freshmen. I played Santana's Samba Pa Te (from Abraxas) at the start of class, telling them that I found it to be a piece of music that soothed my soul, and that my soul needed soothing that afternoon. Teaching was pretty tricky for the rest of that semester, in many ways.
However, that day we did go and vote, in the evening, as we had planned. It had a great deal more significance than it would otherwise have had, because it felt like it was one small thing we could do to hit back at the terrorists who had attacked our country. I guess in one way I am lucky - I will never forget the day I cast my first vote.