Remembering September 11, 2001

I realized that I never wrote on my blog about what I was doing on September 11, 2001. So, I thought I'd share my thoughts and experience today.

It was a day whose video scenes and still picture images will be forever etched into my mind.

9/9/2001 My husband and I had just returned to Tampa from a one week cruise to the Caribbean and had planned to rent a car and drive to Orlando for a couple of days at DisneyWorld. We stood outside where we were supposed to pick up the shuttle to the car lot for a good hour before we got word that there had been a bomb threat at the Alamo location and no buses were allowed to go in or out until it was cleared up. We ended up waiting about three hours before we could get our car. We were pretty upset since we had little time to spend at DisneyWorld to begin with and this delay caused us to have even less time. It wasn't until a few months later when we learned that several of the hijackers lived and went to flights schools around the area and that one had flown within a day or so of the attacks from Florida. We can't help but think that whatever it was that happened at the car rental location that day might have been some precursor to the events of 9/11.


9/10/2001 Our American Airlines flight arrived around 11pm and we had decided to wait until the morning to go and pick up Lauren from my parent's house. Little did we know that just five short hours later, a living nightmare was about to begin.

9/11/2001 We were awakened by my husband's brother at about 6am asking if we had seen the news. We turned on the television in our room and I watched in horror as the first twin tower burned. At first, I thought a small plane had crashed into the building on accident. It wasn't two minutes later that I watched as the second plane crashed into the second tower. I stood speechless and numb. I decided to get ready and go pick up Lauren and right as I was about to leave, I had heard that another plane had crashed into the Pentagon. I kept thinking, "What's going on!?" We were at war and our enemy is using our own planes to kill us! It was unthinkable. Completely incomprehensible. By the time I pulled up to my parent's house, there was word that another plane had crashed in Pennsylvania. I was sick. I wanted to throw up.

I went across the street to get our mail that our neighbor had picked up for us. She opened the door with a blank stare as she told me her husband had just returned from a business trip to New York City and worked in a building right next to the towers.

She reminded me that I needed to check and make sure a former co-worker of mine who left to become a flight attendant for American Airlines was OK. I called the hot line number where you can give the name and they would let you know if they were listed as being on one of the flights or not. She wasn't. Thank heavens.

Another former co-worker's cousin on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. She worked at Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc at the World Trade Center. The last time I talked to my co-worker just a couple of months later, they still hadn't found her body. I don't know if they ever did.

Sadly, that was the anguish and torment that over 3000 other families were going through as well.

I sat glued to the television the rest of the day and for probably the next week. I watched the "lucky" ones tell about how they just happened to be late for work that day or decided to take their child to school first. They told of the remorse and guilt they felt for still being alive while their co-workers and friends perished. I was terrified every morning to wake up because I didn't want to hear of more attacks. After a week, I finally had to just turn the TV off. I was getting too anxious and paranoid. My fear lasted months as I was scared to go to places where I knew lots of people would be like a movie theater or mall. I thought they might be a target for terrorists. Lame, I know but it was real and I internalized it way too much. I still have a major fear of flying. Our house was in the flight path for planes landing at the Phoenix airport. When planes were grounded I remember thinking how quiet it was without hearing the planes overhead every once in a while. Then at night, I'd lay in bed and hear the sounds of the military jets as they circled the skies. Very eerie.

Since that day, I have never forgotten the immense feeling of unity and patriotism our nation experienced over the next few months. I remember seeing car after car after car with a symbol of our great Country proudly displayed. Yellow ribbons that adorned bumpers and flags that were sacredly flown day in and day out. The Anthems which were written proclaiming that we will be strong, we will not falter, we will prevail.

How I wish that we could still feel that sense of unity today. How sad that it has been just six short years since the worst attack our Nation has seen and we have forgotten those feelings of shock and resolve that we felt on that day.

I hear people saying we don't need this war.

I say there's some things worth fighting for.

What about our freedom and this piece of ground?

We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down.

Now they say we don't realize the mess we're getting in.

Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend.

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?

To see your homeland under fire

And her people blown away?

Have you forgotten when those towers fell?

We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell.

And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout Bin Laden.

Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.

Said it's too disturbing for you and me

It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say

If it was up to me I'd show it everyday.

Some say this country's just out looking for a fight.

Well after 9/11 man, I'd have to say that's right.

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?

To see your homeland under fire

And her people blown away?

Have you forgotten when those towers fell?

We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell.

And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout Bin Laden.

Have you forgotten?

Now I've been there with the soldiers

Who've gone away to war.

And you can bet that they remember

Just what they're fightin' for.

Have you forgotten all the people killed?

Some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field.

Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?

And all the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on.?

Don't you tell me not to worry about Bin Laden.

Have you forgotten?