Monday, September 10, 2012

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

Where were you when the world stopped turning?




September 11, 2001 - forever after known simply as


9/11

It was a beautiful, sunny, early autumn day. My granddaughter (my MS for those of you who may read my other blog) was just 2 years old. I dropped her off at her daycare every morning on my way to work. Her mama was doing her nursing school clinical rotations and had been on the road for more than an hour. It was the kind of day that just made you smile at the thought of pumpkins, trick or treaters, Thanksgiving turkey and Santa. The weather had turned crisp and fresh.

**

I dropped my MS off at daycare and made my way to my job a few miles away. My morning routine included signing onto the MSNBC website each morning for a quick review of the morning news. I clocked in at 8:30... walked to my office... booted up my computer... and...

All of our lives changed forever at 8:46 a.m. when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

**

I didn't grasp the severity of the crash immediately. I saw the report that "a plane had crashed into the tower" and while I was horrified at the thought, initially I assumed it was a small aircraft off course. Leaving the page open and the live news feed going, I walked to the front of the business to share this tragedy with my boss. He walked to his computer and tried to pull up the coverage and already the internet was so jammed you couldn't access the feed.

**

Very quickly we all came to understand what had truly occurred. I was able to keep the connection to the site all day as we kept up with everything that was being reported.

**

I called my husband and my children. The school my daughter was attending ended class for the day and she hurried to the daycare to pick up my MS. I just wanted all my chickens under my roof. I wanted to hold them and if the unspeakable thing happened we'd all be together.  My husband was a police officer with the city of Atlanta. He was immediately called in. All off days cancelled indefinitely. On his way to work that day, he stopped at Circuit City and bought me a little TV and brought it to me at work so that I could watch the coverage from work. I still have that little TV. It doesn't work of course - it's not digital. But I will keep it. 



**

No one realized at the time, but the United States of America was preparing for war on our own soil. We were under attack. Fighter planes in the air. Airports closed. All air traffic forced to land. And none of it was in time.

**

The second tower was hit by another plane.
Both towers fell.
The Pentagon was hit by yet another plane.
And one more was making it's was to Washington, DC.

**

American Heroes thwarted that attempt and brought that plane down in a field in Pennsylvania. Sacrificing their lives for their country.

**

And at the end of that single day, more than 3000 lives were lost. Thousands more over the course of the war that followed.

**

I ask you to do one thing

Never Forget



Never forget what it felt like that day and the days that followed. If we forget, then we are likely to let our guard down and become hardened to the heartache and tragedies we were dealt that September morning.

**

Remember.
Remember every time you wait in the security line at the airport.
Remember every time you have to wait for your friend or family outside the security gate at the airport.
Remember when you use your plastic silverware on the plane, or take your 1 oz or shampoo and conditioner.
Remember when you have to take your birth certificate, and other proof of who you are to have your driver's license renewed.
Remember always and honor the lives that were lost.



God Bless You and God Bless the USA





No comments:

Post a Comment