“Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?” The lyrics of Alan Jackson’s song are still relevant today.

It has been 23 years since 4 hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. This is a day that will never be forgotten.

I was on my way to work early this morning, as every American did 23 years ago. Little did I know that before the sun would rise above New York City, lives would be taken in the blink of an eye, leaving a shadow for days.

If you’re my age, you may not remember September 11th. It was when the years passed and Americans started talking more about what they did that morning. It was then that it became clearer to us that America was living a nightmare.

I was 2 years old on September 11, 2001. Probably still learning how to put one foot in front of the other. I am no mastermind and can’t tell you what I remember from that day. But I do remember sitting in my grandfather’s apartment when the TV went from Barney to the news.

Hours and hours of news coverage. The calls that were made across the country to turn on the news became repetitive because “we are under attack.” And we were.

I have heard and read that eyes were glued to the TV screen for days. Americans were waiting in suspense until just one living person would be found. It sounds like a nightmare, but it was reality.

I’m sure you and I can agree that the streets of New York were filled with hugs, support, and endless patriotism, and that an enormous amount of help was on the way.

As we went on and the years passed, it became more and more clear why my mother stopped working, why flights were grounded, why the streets of America were filled with fear, and why it seemed like our neighbors from every state were heading to Ground Zero to clear the rubble.

As NYC watched one of its most recognizable symbols of power and freedom fall, so did we.

Now I will introduce myself. Greetings, my name is Alec.

I sometimes tell people, if you can’t find me in Michigan, go to NYC. There’s something about the hustle and bustle that I love. And that’s without even mentioning the city’s most iconic sites, like Rockefeller Center, Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty, the list goes on. People can be moody sometimes, but who wouldn’t be in a city full of honking horns and pushing through tourists in Times Square.

But if you stop and look at the bigger picture, what we learned that day is that New Yorkers know how to hug each other in difficult times.

Over the years, I found myself in the place where the Twin Towers once stood. The same place that looked like a war zone that September morning. On 9/11, it was a place of smoke, fire, sirens and screams as New Yorkers watched with their own eyes as two buildings collapsed and Americans across the country watched in horror.

A trip to the Big Apple calls for a day trip to the 9/11 Memorial. It could pass for the quietest part of town, next to Starbucks.

Two reflecting waterfall pools, surrounded by bronze panels bearing the names of all 2,977 people who died.

The only tree left standing when the towers collapsed. Yes, it is the surviving tree. And yes, it is part of history because it was one of the few things left standing.

And just in the distance is the museum. A place to tour and view the collection of artifacts, first-hand accounts and historical documents relating to the attacks.

And you have the centerpiece, a 1,776-foot skyscraper called One World Trade Center. A building known for its 360-degree floor-to-ceiling views of Manhattan, Long Island, New Jersey, and New York Harbor. One World Trade Center is a tribute to the Twin Towers.

I’ve been there, so maybe you can start planning now.

We can agree that the events of 9/11 profoundly changed America.

As time passes, important events seem to become a distant memory. But 23 years later, some might say I remember it like it was yesterday. We will never forget.

You and I agree that the moments of tragedy and heroism that were tested made New York and America stronger.

Believe it or not, 23 years later the country is still healing and we are looking at everything from a new perspective today.

I watch documentaries of that day, and I read what people did, and it’s scary. We all have a story to tell, and while my story of watching Barney doesn’t come close to the rest. It’s a good story, and so is yours.

So where were you when the world stopped turning? It’s a story worth telling.