I walked out my my front door that fateful morning and was filled with the feelings of hope and appreciation. How could that beautiful and clear sky not inspire those feelings in someone? It was one of those perfect September days with zero humidity promising a spectacular preview to fall. How could anyone have known the horror of what the day would bring? Many other feelings would well up in me throughout the course of the day. However, hope remains.
I was in my office when the news of the horrific plane crashes started rolling in. When everyone heard about the crash into the pentagon, it finally started to sink in that we were under a terrorist attack. Business went on as usual which totally blew my mind. How could anyone think of business at a time like this? Didn't they understand what was happening and that none of that mattered right now???
I left work early to go pick up my son from daycare. There were low-flying helicopters everywhere in the sky above. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was in a war zone. I have always felt pretty safe in the United States but that secure feeling vanished on that deceivingly beautiful day.
The drive home is probably the most memorable part of 9/11 for me. I heard the first death counts from the airplanes that crashed into the Twin Towers. I remember feeling numb yet the tears I shed showed that grief had set in despite the numbness. As I heard about the heroics of the passengers on the plane that crashed in the Pennsylvania field, I mourned their loss but also felt a swell of pride for my fellow Americans that saved further destruction.
Speaking of my fellow Americans, I will never forget their eyes on that day. Traffic was moving slowly due to the fact that many people left work early. I looked at the faces of the people driving towards me. There were looks of shock, sorrow, anger and disbelief. I think we all felt the need to connect with one another because many drivers caught my eye and we nodded at each other. I must say that was a first during rush hour. For weeks to come, people really treated each other better. It is a shame that faded away with time.........
Hope and appreciation....they remain. Sadly enough, so does anger. Regardless of President Bush's status today, his speech regarding the happenings on September 11th made me feel just a little bit better. I wanted to fight back and strike down those who caused such anguish for my country. This song "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue" by Toby Keith, echoed my sentiments. Singing along to it helped to soothe my angered spirit.
The music by The Eagles has always brought me a feeling of peace and comfort. My Eagles didn't let me down during a time when the world needed a song to heal. "Hole In The World Tonight" by The Eagles:
The song that hits home the most for me is "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?" by Alan Jackson. Every time I hear that song, every word I wrote above starts to play in my mind like a movie reel. It does not matter how old I get, my memories from September 11th, 2001 will always be just as clear as that beautiful September sky.
The terrorists changed a lot of things that day and took so many precious lives. One thing they can never change is the American spirit. UNITED WE STAND. God Bless America and all of her citizens. Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?
9 comments:
I recall that day like yesterday. I was in my car picking up an employee driving to work. The DJ said a plane hit the first tower and I was in shock and didn't think much of it. My co-worker was in the car with me and for the first time ever I heard a DJ scream. "Oh, My God! Another plane hit on the second tower." I felt the chill go up my spine. I knew then before the dj said anything more it was a terrorist attack. I was in charge it was my duty to work. We watched TV the rest of the day as the Pentagon was hit. I cried for the loss of innocent people. I celebrate those who made the attempt to thwart the plane that didn't hit it's target. In those days my mother feared for my life. The plane that went down flew over Cleveland. I am happy my own children will not know the fear of that day since they weren't born yet.
It was surreal;(
Thanks for the Tribute
God Bless our Troops
I lost someone in one of the planes that struck the twin towers. It's still hard to see those buildings without feeling the pain of that day.
Love the music that you shared with us, but you forgot a great one that still stirs my soul when I hear it. It's Aaron Tippin's "Where The Stars And Stripes And Eagle Fly", great song to cover the feelings of not only that fateful day, but the heroics of the days following.
I woke up that morning with the flu. It was the kind that was subtle and you kinda wanted to throw up, but couldn't. I turned on the news....and got physically sick. I worked for the Press Enterprise in Riverside County, Calif. and was supposed to go to work, but I called in sick.
I could not watch every minute. There were times I had to turn off the TV just to gather myself. So, when you say "the day the world stopped," it was certainly the case for me.
As a newspaper reporter, I thrived on being in the newsroom during major events. To this day, I don't know how much of it was the flu that kept me home and how much of it was getting ill from the day's events.
That December, I was part of one of the many Christian relief teams that went to NY. I worked next to Ground Zero, feeding and talking to Ground Zero workers...my experience was beyond words.
We don't know why this happened. Only God knows. We can not understand his ways...but they are good!
@Shirley: Thank you for sharing your experience. My son was only 2 and I remember thinking "Thank God he is too young to understand".
@John Sullivan: Surreal describes it perfectly John. Thanks.
@Bobbi: I am so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine losing someone that way.
That Aaron Tippin song is perfect. I also like "Have You Forgotten" by Darryl Worley. Unfortunately, I think too many people have forgotten what it really felt like that day and have turned 9/11 into a way to make arguments for or against a political party.
@Alexander: Wow, thank you for sharing your experiences. It must have been unbelievable being at Ground Zero.
So sad. It feels -- and hurts -- like it just happened yesterday. Beautiful tributes here.... In memory of those we loved and lost, both close to us and unknown, I'll say a prayer tonight.
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