Just Another Day

    Every weekday Mark Griffith woke up at 5:45 in the morning by hi irritating alarm clock. He headed for his daily shower to liven him up. He turned the shower all th way to the right to make sure it was cold as it could be. Mr.Griffith had done tis routinely. He had started thus ritual every since he moved back to New York. His morning was filled withweird rituals. Mark had a very small apartment, but he didn't need a big one because it was just him. His apartment eas filled with old antiques that he loved. As Mr.Griffith looked at hi computer screen he saw that it sais Sept. 11, 2012. Today would be the toughest day of the year for him. As he thought about the sadness that day broughhe finished getting dressed and walked out of the door. As he walked through the streets of New York a sad sense of melancholy took over the air. On the other side of town a young boy named Jared Gibson was awakened by his mother. "Wake up, Jared, it's almost time for you to go to school !"she said in a charismatic way. Jared lived on the bad side of town and got in a lot of trouble, though his mom knew he was a good kid. Jared was an okay student and was the captain of the basketball team. He understood that today was Sept.11, but did not understand the importance of it. " Some people will never understand the significance of 9/11." said his mother everytime the topic came up. Jared kissed his mom on the cheek and was out of the door. Walking confidently through the streets Jared turned on his MP3 player to tone out all the commotion surrounding him. Mr.Griffith was hurrying to class with his steaming hot coffee forty-two minutes before class started. He used that time to straighten up the classroom. A true history expert, Mr.Griffith's walls were aligned with artifacts ranging from indian buffallo coins to a copy of The Declaration Of Independence. But the kids couldn't care less about history. Reflecting on this as he began to pass out worksheets on the desks, he knew it would be a waste of paper because nobody ever did them. As he wrote the date down on the board, he began to think about the day he saw the towers fall and the smoke-filled air. He rembered the chaos at his confusion at his school and how the hardest teachers crumbled at the sight of the towers. The bell rang and had woken from his trance as the students poured in. Mr.Griffith noticed Jared sneaking into class. " Nice of you to join us, Mr. Gibson." said Mr.Griffith. " Sorry the bus was late, " said Jared embarrassed. "It's okay, just have a seat," Mr.Griffith didn't like to argue with his students for petty reasons. After roll call Mr. Griffith started his lecture. " Today is an important day, does anyone know what day it is ?" " Yeah, some people died, right ?" someone said. Mr.Griffith expected someone with lower intellect to respond first, and he was not disappointed, "Not just some ----- over 2,000 people were killed !" exclaimed Mr.Griffith. " That doesn't sound so bad." retorted someone from te baack of the classroom. " Then let me put this in perspective for you," a sense of disdain resonated in his voice." Picture everyone on your street laying outside their doors dead and then multiply that by two. I watched a man jump down the sixth floor of a building. Do you understand how horrible it must have been to made that man commit suicide ?" Exasparated and a bit angry Mr.Griffith put his hand down and rested for a while. Mr.Griffith picked his head up and stared dirctly at Jared and asked , " Jared who means the most to you ?" "Well, my mother , she's all I have." said Jared nonchalantly and trying to show no emotion. " And how would you feel if she were taken away from you ?" asked Mr.Griffith. "Horrible," said Jared leaking his emotions. " See class , this is not just a census, these were somebody's aunts, uncles, grandparents, mothers, fathers, or cousins." Mr.Griffith began to choke on the air. The bell rang and class was over. A frustrated Mr.Griffith put his head down on his desk. Only after everyone had left, had Jared stood and walked towards Mr.Griffith's trembling body. "Mr.Griffith ?" "Yeah" came the response as Mr.Griffith lifted his head. "Thanks," said Jared and at that sngle moment, that one word, both of them understood each other. Jared felt the hole in his soul. Nothing more was said. They didn't need to say more. Jared left Mr.Griffith's classroom wiser and more understanding and sympathetic of the world.