Nobody, except theterrorists, knew September 11 would change so many lives. It started like anormal day: I woke up, took a shower, ate breakfast, and went to school.Everything there was normal, too - until second period. We were discussing OfMice and Men when a voice came over the loudspeaker saying that if any of us knewsomebody who worked in the World Trade Center, we should call home.

Atfirst, I didn't think about it too much, figuring there had been a bomb scare orsomething. Then I saw the horrific sight of the buildings collapsing ontelevision and realized I had to call home. My dad worked in the city. What if hewere near the buildings when they fell? What if he were inside one?

Mymom answered the phone, crying. That made me extremely nervous, but she wascrying because she had the same fear I did. Then she told me my dad had called tosay he was okay, and was on the other side of Manhattan when the attacksoccurred. It wasn't until that afternoon, though, that I found out how close mydad really came to being inside the World Trade Center. When I got home fromschool, I started to ask my mom questions about the attacks. Since I'd been inschool, I had no idea what happened after the towers fell. She said my father wasstill working in the city, but his cell phone was down so we couldn't talk tohim.

When my dad got home, I asked him a bunch of questions about whathad happened. He said he'd had two jobs to supervise that morning, one in theWorld Trade Center and one at an apartment complex on the other side of the city.My father had decided to go to the other job first. If he had reversed the order,he would have been in the World Trade Center when it collapsed. I started to feela deep sickness in the pit of my stomach.

At that moment, I realizedhow close I had come to losing my father. This has taught me so many things, andeven though I haven't always realized it, he (and my mom) has always been therefor me. Without him, I don't know where I would be.

Now, no matter what Ido, I try as hard as I can. I may not be the smartest kid, or the best athlete,but I try hard and my father supports me and guides me along the way. I alwaystry to get good grades to please him. If my grades are very good, he takes thewhole family out to dinner. I play baseball, and he comes to my games whenever hecan. On the way home, he'll congratulate me if I have a good game, and give mepointers if I don't play up to my expectations.

September 11, 2001 changedmy life forever, making me realize that you must not take things for granted. Ialmost lost my father that beautiful September day when it seemed like nothingcould go wrong. Sometimes at night, I think about how lucky I am, and how Ishould appreciate that my father is still alive. I also remember somethingsomeone told me when I was little - I should always try to end aconversation with someone on a good note. I now realize how right that advicewas, because you never know if you will see that person again.