Remembering September 11, 2001

I remember the day well. It was a nice, clear, cool morning. It was my first year at Batesburg-Leesville and things were finally starting to come together for the little band. We only had about 40 kids that year and changed shows during band camp to a "Beach Boys" show. Things were not ideal but the support from the administration was sincere and that made things better too. Any way, I had 1st block planning that day and the Pecknel guy, Will, had just came into my room when the phone rang. It was Cindy telling me that a plane had crashed into on the trade towers so Will and I turned on the TV in the band room. We thought it was a bad accident because things like this had happened long ago to the Empire State building. We then saw the second place hit the tower. It was apparent then that the crashes were no accident. Through out the day things developed as they did. The principal called me and asked if I would like for him to announce the cancellation of my planned afternoon rehearsal because all other after school activities had been cancelled. I thought about it for a moment and of course that would have been the easy thing to do. I knew there would many confused kids that day but when they came to band room for class that day, one student asked "Can we just play music?" One other student even thanked me for letting them play and turning off the TV. That day we did rehearse. We were in the stadium and I can still remember it as the quietest marching band rehearsal I have ever attended. I don't remember if we got better that day at band but we learned a bit more than notes and sets. There were no airplanes, no other people, nothing but us. I also remember the butterflies. The monarch butterflies migrate this time of the year and as they start their journey south. Every once in a while two or three would fly across the field slowly. At the end of rehearsal, I called the group down as I still do today. They gathered together and I told them this "Some may ask why we chose to practice today and my answer is simple. We practiced because we could." Although a group of people tried to take away our feeling of security, they could not. We practiced because long, long ago and today too there are people who have fought for and continue to fight for our right to be free and have the freedom to do things we enjoy. That day we practiced because we could. I will always remember that day and the monarch butterflies too.