Today is Sept 11, 2010 and 9 years ago started like any other day for me. I was at work early when a co-worker came to tell me that planes had flown into the World Trade Center. I thought she was kidding but she wasn't. We had a TV in the break room and those of us there watched it. I went back to my desk and to call each of my children, I felt I needed to connect with them and let them know what happened. There was shock and disbelief and tears. I called a friend also and told her and her first words were he finally did it, took the towers down. I asked her who and she said Bin Laden. Then I remembered the 1993 attempt to take the towers out by detonating a truck bomb below the North Tower. Of course that attack failed to take the towers out but this attack did not.
On this 11th day of Sept people were glued to their TVs watching with horror, shock and disbelief as people in the towers jumped out windows. Watching footage that was shot of the second plane that flew into one of the towers as the other tower had smoke pouring out of it. And there was sobbing as the towers came crashing down, smoke billowing out with people fleeing and knowing there were people in those collapsing towers including firemen and policemen who had gone into the buildings to help as they are trained to do. There was also the news that a plane had flown into the Pentagon. Planes were ordered to land at the nearest airports and no more were allowed to fly out. There was an accounting of planes and talk of missing planes. Then word came of a plane that went down in a field in Pennsylvania that had presumed to be heading for either the White House or Capital building. Passengers on that plane knew they were going to die so they were reported to have rushed the terrorists which caused it to crash in that field. Finally all planes were accounted for. The Capital and White House were emptied and monuments shut down. Airports were shut down, no flights going in or out. The four flights had originated from Boston, Dulles and Newark.
Where I worked a quick meeting was called because our CEO and our payroll manager were both in the Boston area, one for work and one on vacation with her husband. We were told they were safe, that they had not been on any of the planes. And also if there was someone we needed to call to go ahead. I remember calling my mom to check on a nephew that I knew was in Baltimore and for some reason I thought was at the Pentagon but she said no he was not. But I also called to tell her I love her. This was before I knew Dennis but he was stationed on the George Washington and they picked up speed to the New York Harbor and were parked there for three days. Someone he knew was in New York at the time of the attack and said the sight of the aircraft carrier in the harbor made him feel safe.
The time frame of when things happened is a blur because I was in such shock but I will never forget that day or where I was when I was first told of the attacks or even that day with images and footage. If I glance at a clock and it is 9:11 I pray for those whose lives were directly affected by the attacks. That day stays with me and I think with most people feel the same way. How could anyone not come away from this tragedy without it staying with them.
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