9-11 left life-long impact

When Laura Daegling awoke in her parents' room on Sept. 11, she was recovering from an evening filled with night terrors. Little did the then-11-year-old realize the terror would continue - on her television set.

Daegling, 17, said she flipped through the channels to see if something else was on, then she realized the seriousness of the situation.

"I remember when I first viewed the footage of the actual attacks, I actually believed it was happening right at that point in time, so I began to feel very uneasy and nervous," Daegling said. "I decided it was serious enough to call my mom … who was working at Delta College at the time.

"She said it had actually happened earlier that morning, when I was asleep."

Daegling remembers feeling really shocked throughout the day.

"I couldn't really grasp the entire concept of someone's ability to take thousands of lives in such a horrible way," she said. "I remember I was glued to the television because new reports and news kept flowing in and I didn't want to miss anything."

Daegling also remembers feeling extremely horrible as she learned more about what happened.

"It's odd for me to think back that at 11, I was feeling sick for what happened, but it's very true," she said. "I became sort of obsessed with watching the news, hearing the stories, the updates and who was saved and who wasn't.

"I remember at one point a neighbor had stopped by and noticed I was watching the news, so she actually told my mom about it and was pretty worried that I was going to overwhelm myself."

Daegling said she feels extremely lucky that none of her family members were put in harms way on that faithful day.

"It was very obvious that people were distressed and horrified about the attacks," she said. "Everyone kind of shared a certain unbelief about everything because it was so surreal."

It has also been strange, she said, to grow up during a time when America was involved in a foreign discrepancy.

"I was sort of desensitized to the idea of war, it felt very real after the attacks," Daegling said. "I got to a point where I felt it was inevitable. At 12- or 13-years-old, that's a horrifying thought."

Like many, Daegling said she wishes they would replace the World Trade Center with a simple memorial.

"Ground zero enables us to remember what happened and it lends a respect to those who passed," she said. "It would be completely disrespectful to rebuild, [because] it would distract people and younger generations wouldn't have as much respect for the event in history."

Daegling said the events, which took place seven years ago, has made an impact on her life.

"I definitely feel that it has shaped who I am, and the respect I have for anyone who was involved that day," she said. "Every year on Sept. 11, I think about the tragedy and what happened. I am proud of what we've accomplished in rebuilding the lives of many torn souls."