I’ll never forget that September day as long as I live. All of us (who were old enough at the time) will remember just how devastating that day was. Even at sixteen years old, my heart hurt that day. Watching the news on TV in history class and seeing people jumping from the burning buildings was a feeling that, at sixteen, I had never felt before. I had so much going on in my life at this time, some really hard stuff, but this feeling was different. It felt like a dream. Like Ashton Kutcher would come on the TV and say, “You’ve been Punk’d!” (A show a few years later that aired and played crazy jokes on people for TV.)

How can thousands of people be trapped in a burning building in the middle of NYC? How can this be happening? This can’t be real. How will they get the fire out? Are people in the building calling their families? Were there people on the very top of the World Trade Center? Like in the movie “Home Alone 2,” where Kevin went to the roof of the World Trade Center and looked through one of the tower viewers to see the city? Would a helicopter get them? I seriously had all these questions running through my head. I just couldn’t fathom what these people were going through at that moment. My heart broke.

Then, when the towers fell, the entire United States was silent. Everyone was hurting from the shock. No one expected to watch these huge towers fall on live TV. I remember watching people in NYC on TV crying and screaming, watching this happen right in front of their eyes. It was gut-wrenching. How can something that happened twenty-two years ago still be so fresh in my memory?

The 9/11 Memorial Ride reminds Lycoming County of how many people lost their lives that day. Whether you are on the bikes or standing on the sidewalks waving your flags high and proud, you can’t help but feel moved. Even just hearing the echo of the bikes in the valley reminds us of what day it is. The sounds of those bikes and people cheering on the streets will forever remind us of where we were and what we were doing that day.

We have done the 9/11 Ride since 2006. It’s always been such a moving ride. Thank you all who put this ride together. Thank you to all who bring their bikes out to ride to remember. Thank you all who stand on the sidelines with your flags, finger peace signs, and homemade signs that say, “Never Forget” & “God Bless.” We all come together as a community, and it’s beautiful.

Both of our kids did their first 9/11 ride at seven years old when we finally allowed them to be on the highways with us. They just did short back road rides up till then. Having the 9/11 Memorial Ride be their first big ride was neat for both of them. Tyler counted down the years till he could finally go on the back of his dad’s bike for the ride. He was so excited when the time came! Kenzy went on the sidelines waving her little American flag with her Grammy Metzger for years until she turned seven. She loved watching for daddy and mommy on the ride. This year will be her second year riding with me. She has a pink helmet and will on the back waving her little heart out, I’m sure. I love that my kids share this with us. They may not have lived through 9/11, but each year before the ride, we watch a 9/11 documentary so they remember why we ride. I think it’s good for them to understand what happened that day and why this ride is so important.

9/11 will forever be a part of our history and never be forgotten. God bless the families of those who lost their lives and thank you to the heroes of that day. You will never be forgotten!!

The Mess
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. sausage
• 1 lb. diced cooked ham
• 1 large baked potato cut into chunks
• 6 eggs, scrambled
• 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheese
  Directions:
  Cook the sausage in a large pan on medium heat. When halfway cooked, add the ham and potato. Let cook until browned. Turn down heat and slowly pour in eggs. Stir until eggs are cooked the way you want them, then sprinkle with shredded cheese. I served it with cinnamon swirl bread & fresh fruit.