8 years ago today, I was at work. It started out just like every day; first we dealt with any crisis that occurred overnight and then move on to the paperwork deluge that would inevitably happen every day. There was absolutely nothing happening that would indicate what was to come - and we wouldn't be dealing with any paperwork on this day. What seemed like a "crisis" at 8:00 a.m. would be redefined forever.
I remember that all of a sudden I heard the guy across the hall say "some plane just flew into one of those towers in New York". I flipped over to the web and started what would become a 24-hour a day obsession - one of those things that you don't want to see, but simply cannot look away from. We all know what happened in the next hours in New York, Pennsylvania and DC; in fact that is a part of each of our lives forever. They don't show the images of that day on TV (I've heard that the "powers that be" think they are too sensitive) but for me personally they are burned into my memory.
We were all sent home from work before noon; I am not sure, to this day, exactly why - but I feel that it was to allow people to be with their families and friends, perhaps to prepare for what might be next - and I remember driving down I-35 with the radio on, listening to the dee-jays who sounded as if they were in a state of shock. As I traveled south there was very little traffic on the road and it seemed as if everyone was in that same shocked state. Nobody was speeding. Nobody was changing lanes. On every overpass, there was someone standing there waving an American flag (that would go on for days). There was a sense of surreal surrouding everything.
I spent the next hours, to include the night of September 11, glued to the television. Just like I'm glued to it today, to remember. I can't look away.
Please take a moment to remember the victims of 9-11 today and every day. Be thankful that we have been safe here at home since then, and thank those who have provided that safety. Thank the military who sacrifice so much because they love this country. And, thank the local unsung heroes - the policeman, the fireman - who also work to keep us safe.
Never to forget. We have an in-law in the buildings that collapsed, her tales of horror are deafening. Another in-law was in the air, his plane was landed within seconds in the middle of the USA. We had a friend that was sitting at a desk where the Pentagon was hit directly, who was severely burned & seen on TV running out of that hole ... God bless them all. Have a lovely weekend. TTFN ~ Marydon
ReplyDeleteYes-we must NEVER forget what happened and what is still happening because of that day...changed history and future forever.
ReplyDeleteBlushing Rose, that must have been tough knowing you had kin and friends in the vicinity...
ReplyDeleteYeah Staci, one of the things I remember (and I mentioned it in my remembrance) is how different it was "driving." It truly was like EVERYONE was shocked into being a law abiding, considerate, thoughtful citizen.
As crime-ridden as Shreveport is, the Police had almost ZERO calls to respond to for several days...no robberies, rapes, shootings, or even "domestic violence" to speak of. Damned shame that it didn't last...
And a big old "Amen" on thanking our military, cops, and firemen! Hey, have a good weekend kiddo...it is an honor to be "connected" with others that refuse to forget.
I was in the office supply store when the clerk started crying and had a portable tv at her station - it showed the planes flying into the towers and we were all simply stunned. I was working on an Air Force Base at the time, and they shut it down completely - I called into my boss and he said just go home we're in total lockdown here. So I went home and watched tv until I thought my eyes would bleed - I couldn't stop watching the horror of it all because it was such a shock. I hope we NEVER forget and I hope this administration actively seeks out and destroys terrorism everywhere possible.
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