25 years ago today I was sitting in AP Bio when our Principal came over the PA to tell the teachers to turn on their TVs. All schoolwork stopped through the whole building as we watched the day unfold with nervous confusion and worry. We watched the towers fall live on screen in that classroom, and the school soon relocated us all to the cafeteria where they had setup a few TVs for the students to watch, the large room nearly whisper quiet aside from a few tears and sobs. I grew up in suburban Philadelphia where many parents would ride the Amtrak or NJT into Manhattan daily. A few classmates saw the events and lost composure, including a classmate who's father worked in the WTC. Many rushed to the office to call home, seeking news about their parents. Among the nearly 3,000 victims that day, 9 were residents of my hometown... fathers, mothers, brothers, and neighbors. The months and years that followed would show America at our best. Our nation rose to meet the moment - recovering, rebuilding, and volunteering in service of our community and our country. Many of my classmates enlisted in the ensuing years to bravely serve our country, knowing they'd surely be sent to war. The courage and bravery of the Flight 93 heroes still brings a swell of emotion. On this day, I am reflecting on that day and offer the observation that despite our fraught, tense, and often hostile domestic politics, there is far more that unites us than divides us as Americans. I'm proud to be an American and 25 years later I'm thinking of the days when we were at our best, united in strength and resilience. Never forget, and let's roll.