The Mobleys: September 2011

I can remember that day like it was yesterday; I woke up for my 8:00am class (there's a shocker in and of itself!!) and was walking out of the Remschel Hall elevator. I saw a group of people crowded around a very small t.v. Not an unusual site, but somewhat strange for a Tuesday morning. As I stood there in disbelief and watched all of the tragedy unfold, I had no idea the impact those events would have on our nation. I was only 19 years old, and my feeble mind had a hard time sorting all that I was seeing. My selfishness took over, and I remember thinking, "Fort Hood is so close, what if we are next?!?" I called my mom and my close friends and informed them that I would probably die that die. Needless to say, I didn't go to class that day afterall! I remember a crowd of people gathering in the quad to pray for our nation. I joined them because frankly, I didn't know what else to do. UMHB held a special chapel service that day; I remember everyone was so quiet and somber. We couldn't believe what was happening.

Never would I have imagined that a mere 4 years later, I would fall in love with the city, it's culure, and it's citizens. My first trip to New York was during Christmas time in 2005. If I had one word to describe the entire trip it would be: Magical!! I know, most people don't see NYC as magical, Disney World, yes, but not that dirty, smelly, city. It was the best! One of the most memorable moments of that trip was visiting St. Pauls chapel, otherwise known as the place of worship for George Washington, or now more popular, "The Little Chapel That Stood." St. Paul's has a fascinating story. The chapel is right next door to ground zero, and it was one of the only buildings anywhere close that had not one single window damaged. They ministered to all of the recue crews after the tragedy. If you've never visited or read about it, you definitely should! St. Paul's Chapel

I'd later travel to the big city 5 different times over the course of 6 years. What's not to love about the city that never sleeps?!? The spirit of those who live in NYC is so contagious. The city is bustling with so many young people with big dreams hoping to make it big. After all, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. My best friend Janell is doing just that; living her dream in the Big Apple. The city is strong, the people are brave, they have risen out of the ashes and proven to be one of the strongest cities in America.

I was fortunate enough to make one last trip (for a good while) this past weekend. Once again, we visitied One World Trade Center and did what we could to peek behind the fence to see the memorial that was unveiled today. Watching all of the specials on t.v. is especially hard for me for several reasons: I just got home from New York, I'm a little more "emotional" that I used to be, and I just love that city!! I find myself becoming more and more patriotic as I get older. The Star Spangled Banner moves me much more than it used to. On the days leading up to this weekend, I kept reminding David, "don't forget to put out our flag!" Even this morning as I was "not feeling well" x4, I lifted my head and reminded him, "remember our flag?" He's so great, he had already put it out!

Here's a few pics from most of my trips: