Introduction: "Memories"

Each day, I wake up and think about how I have to deal with the risk of everyday life. I never did so before, at least not until… The tragedy!

As said, it never crossed my mind that I might be walking down the stairs and suddenly slips, breaking my legs. Never thought about crossing the street much and being hit by an inattentive driver. I usually had not thought about using house-hold items and getting cut or harmed. Harming myself by mowing the lawn… Even by spending time with a man’s best friend: Playing with a dog! Normally, people don’t take much time to think about these risks. Sometimes, things happen to certain people and it opens up their senses, making them realize these things. I am one of those ‘certain people.’

It all started on September 8th, 2001. My great-grandmother had died, so as you could guess, I was going to her funeral. She was 104 years old, so it wasn't a big shock in the family. I never really knew her well, but I had heard so many stories about how great she could cook, or how she could fix-up and sew a hole or a tear in church pants faster than anyone known. I had only met her once in my life, but I do not remember her much. All I have left of her, personally, is the memory of her soft, sweet voice telling me to go fetch the blueberry muffins for breakfast. The remembrance of her small and petite house with the white picket fence in front and the tidy garden in her yard, complete with turnips, (turnips were her favorite vegetable.) I had stayed at her house for a whole week and that’s all that I can remember. Of course I was only 5 years old, but I had barely ever thought about visiting her again. Now that she was gone I wished more than anything to make more memories, she sounded like such a great person. Although I believe that is what runs through everyone’s mind when they lose a loved one. You might have heard someone else’s different story about this, but I can assure you there’s been nothing like mine. It is now 20 years after my grandmother died. I am living in a world where tragedy can happen daily, but while they are still trying to fix that, while the world is changing all around me, I am not. I am still strangely aware and cautious of everything happening. I am still emphasizing every precaution I can take, because that one day… Everything turned upside-down. Everything that happened had proven that nowhere is safe, no matter how many things you did to try and make it better. Everything turned serious. Everything changed.