Remember - but live without fear or hatred.
Like everyone in this country, I can remember exactly what i was doing, where i was, who i was with as well as any other tiny insignificant detail of that day when time stood still on september 11, 2001. I was at my grandparent's house in Tigard. We were staying there while our house was being built in silverton. we woke up, walked out to the living room, sat on the couch almost in a trance trying to figure out if what we were seeing was real. was it an accident? what happened? how did it happen? what about the people on the plane and in the building? then we saw the second plane crash into the second tower and we knew we were under attack and a lot of people were going to die. of course we didn't want to admit it. the adults in the house hushed us as the reporters were giving panicked accounts of what just happened. we could tell by their voices something was very wrong.
We drove to school and when we got to school, we had televisions on in literally every room. the staff had basically canceled their plans for the day for us and made sure we students were ok. there was a lot of crying that day both from students and teachers. we all felt threatened and scared that something would happen closer to home. In class, i watched the towers fell. that's when everyone really lost it. I remember thinking about all the people just doing their jobs. the people in their offices in both towers, the firefighters, ambulance workers, police and bystanders who couldn't run fast enough from the rubble. the innocent lives. the children who lost a mom and/or dad or a mom and dad who lost children, husbands and wives...etc
the point is, everyone who passed was someone to someone else. i could have lost a family member that day. thank goodness that person missed their flight....even though that sounds horrible...i don't know what it would have been like to lose someone to such violence.
on that note, thank you doesn't begin to express the gratitude this country and I have for firefighters, police, and first responders along with the everyday people who risked their lives so that they survivors could live. We will never forget what happened that day. God Bless the USA.
Difficulties show men what they are.
In case of any difficulty,
remember that God has pitted you
against a rough antagonist
that you may be a conqueror,
and this cannot be without toil.
- Epictetus
Andrea, I have been meaning to comment on this post for days. I wanted to tell you I enjoyed reading it -- it is always interesting to hear people's recollections from that awful day. I wish I had been more like you at that age, more in tune with the world around me... but I do remember feeling so vulnerable. Still so hard to believe that happened.
ReplyDelete<3 ya bunches!
I miss your blogging!!! COME BACK!! lol
ReplyDeleteLove ya tons friend!