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Remembering September 11th

9/6/2011

18 Comments

 
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Flashback:
I can’t say I remember exactly what I was doing at the time. I just knew I was home with three young kids and ready to tear my hair out. My oldest was in half-day kindergarten, but I still had two at home. One was only a few months old. I was tired and STRUNG OUT. The last thing I needed? My husband’s business trip. It was hard to run the house alone. But he was going, leaving the next day for a meeting at the Pentagon. 

Cool for him, I thought to myself, but definitely not cool for me. If only something would happen so he wouldn’t have to go. That's when he called home from work.
 
“Is the TV on?” he asked.

“Of course,” I replied. Our family couldn’t function without its daily dose of ‘Blues Clues.’

“Turn it to a major network. A plane crashed into the World Trade Center.” He paused. “It’s bad.”

The rest of the day I watched in horror. I saw the second plane crash. I saw the first tower fall. I saw the second tower go next. 

I saw, I saw, I saw.

My husband’s meeting at the Pentagon was cancelled. Didn’t I feel lucky.

Back in the day, I remember my social studies teacher saying, “If you ask your parents where they were when President Kennedy was shot, I bet they can tell you.” I think the same holds true for September 11th. Ask your parents where they were, what they were doing when the towers went down, and I bet they have an answer. They probably have stories, too. 
 
Like the one about our college friend who had worked at the New York Stock Exchange at the time. When the first plane hit, he decided to make it an early day and head home. A few thousand other people had the same idea. As he was hustling to catch the ferry back to New Jersey he heard people behind him yell, “Run!” He did. When he finally looked behind him all he saw was a massive cloud of gray. No people. Just gray.

One of my husband’s old co-workers had a father who worked in the south tower, the second one to be hit but the first to go down. He said when the plane hit, security came around and told everyone to stay in their cubicles, announcing, “everything was under control.” Well as wonderful as that sounded, the father decided it was a great time to go down to the lobby and grab a quick cup of coffee. He went downstairs, bought a cup to go, then walked straight out of the building toward home.  

In both stories they made it out alive. They were the fortunate ones. So many others weren’t so lucky. Those tales are harder to tell. 
 
I can’t help but wonder what my life would be like if my husband’s meeting had been a day earlier. Would he have made it, or would my kids have grown up without a father? I don’t like to dwell on it long. I’m just glad he’s here, safe and sound. 
 
If only more stories had ended like that.


Photo courtesy of Wikipedia public domain.
18 Comments
PBScott link
9/6/2011 01:07:50 am

I had just flown back to Canada from Asia on Sept 10th, I woke up after sleeping off some jet lag, the TV was on, and the first plane had just hit.

I remember my Mum saying she couldn't believe it, it was like something Hollywood had done, and I felt the same way, then the second plan crashed, that was really scary, as it made me wonder if it was over or what was going to happen next. Then the towers collapsed and all the news reports etc. Very shocking.

I still scratch my head over some of the conspiracy theories, I don't know what I feel exactly, but I sure hope whoever planned and carried out that horrible act will be severely punished, whether on this earth or the next.

Reply
Mom link
9/6/2011 01:21:57 am

PBScott,

You're right, it didn't seem real at first but more something out of Hollywood. It was just so hard to deal with the reality. I felt so scared for the safety of so many. We didn't know when it might stop. Was Chicago next? L.A.? No one knew.

Reply
Tershbango link
9/6/2011 01:34:26 am

Thank God his meeting didn't put him in the path of danger. 9/11 will never be forgotten by those of us who were old enough to comprehend the horrors.

Reply
Mom link
9/6/2011 01:48:14 am

Tershbango,
His meeting was to be held one section over from where the plane hit. Still makes me shudder.

Reply
nothingprofound link
9/6/2011 02:20:14 am

At first when I heard the news I thought it was a case of a plane that had accidentally run off course and collided with the tower. There had been two previous incidents, one involving the Empire State Building and another in downtown Brooklyn. When I found out it was a terrorist attack I was completely shocked like everyone else.

Reply
Mom link
9/6/2011 02:24:08 am

NP,
I remember thinking -- or rather, praying -- that was the case, too. A terrorist attack was so out of the collective mindset. My whole view of the world changed that day.

Reply
Deray
9/6/2011 03:11:33 am

I actually thought it was the beginning of the end of the world. I started watching right after the 1st plane hit and I couldn't get my eyes off the TV until a couple of hours later.

Reply
timethief link
9/6/2011 04:18:08 am

I was shocked but that was 10 years ago. Yes innocent people died but millions of innocent people die every day the world over. If you lost a member of your family or friend in 911 by now you ought to have been through the grieving process and IMO carrying on about 911 ought to stop now.

Reply
Mom link
9/6/2011 05:46:48 am

Deray,
I was hard for me to turn away from the TV, too. We weren't the only ones.

TT,
I have to disagree. If I'd lost a loved one ten years ago I don't know if the grieving process would ever truly end for me. Plus the event made such a large impact on how we live life today, both in our actions and in our minds. It's our generations Pearl Harbor in many ways. I don't think it ever will or should be forgotten.

Reply
Askcherlock link
9/7/2011 12:43:46 am

I was in my office, ninety miles from home, but close to my daughter's college. I raced to her apartment where she and her roommate knew nothing. I had them turn on the TV and we watched in horror. I remember telling them that they should take all their money out of the ATM as soon as possible, then come home. I don't know why I was so concerned about the ATM, but I figured all systems might go down in a terrorist attack. Weird reaction, I know. The first thing I did when I got home was to put up a flag. I will never forget!

Reply
Mom link
9/7/2011 12:52:35 am

Askcherlock,
We can do crazy things when we're scared. Plus, who knew? If things would have continued, having some extra money in your pocket might have been very smart. I love how you went home and put up a flag. It sparked my memory. I remember there being a lot more flags on people's front lawns following that. It really did bring out the patriotism in us. Solidarity as a nation, too.

Reply
SprigBlossoms link
9/7/2011 03:54:16 am

It was a nightmare unfolding. Although I wasn't in the near vicinity of these places, the horror of these events felt real. I can never look at NY skyline without remembering 9/11.

Reply
timethief link
9/7/2011 09:44:34 am

Hi Janene,
I don't think I expressed myself well in my first comment. Like our grandparents' generation experienced on the day Peal Harbor was attacked, we can pinpoint September 11 as the day that changed and challenged us all. This horrible act made all of us the world over recognize how fragile life is. There are not now nor have there ever been "safe" places on earth where innocents can be assured that they cannot be slaughtered by religious zealots. So I think the value in remembering 911 is found in that truth, and in comprehending how valuable a day in any life really is.

Reply
Mom link
9/7/2011 10:13:02 pm

SprigBlossoms,
It is hard not to forget, and for many it's still a nightmare. Sad.

timethief,
I'm glad you came back. You're right. No place is it really safe. Life is fragile and sacred. 9/11 reminded us of that.

Reply
Flameheart link
9/10/2011 07:31:54 pm

9/11 is still etched in my mind, even though I live in South Africa. It was just so shocking to see. I'll never forget the news report and the video clip that was played over and over all around the world. Disasters like that make us think twice about the fragility of life. It was an unbelievable and terrifying thing to watch.

Reply
Mom link
9/11/2011 01:58:48 am

Flameheart,
I think we had 24 hour coverage for weeks. It was hard to escape. I did a lot of thinking about what evil was and how much I loved and wanted to protect my family. Thinking about that today.

Reply
LisaBee link
9/12/2011 06:01:57 pm

HI I found your blog on the forum of the blogfarm and just want to say hello.

As a child I used to dream about towers fallling down and me on them and watching 9/11 from Europe was quiet a shocking experience as well. On our telly they said the towers could not crash as they were built to sustain earthquakes and I just wondered how they could not fall. It was like my childhood nightmares come true. I disagree as well that remembering should be over. I lost my mum when I was 13 now I am nearly 41 but every anniversary I grieve. There are things that you just can not forget and it is not healthy to so. Proper rituals to remember though are healthy. My heart and prayers go out to all those who were affected and I am very glad that your husband did not have to go. Have a good day!

Reply
Mom link
9/12/2011 11:17:10 pm

LisaBee,
I'm glad you found me! I also remember the horror when the towers went down. It almost looked planned, the way they fell straight into the ground. I'm so sorry about your mom. I can't imagine that pain will ever go away.

Reply



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