Remembering 9-11-2001
A very sad time.
They say it changed the nation - I think it changed the world.
Where were you?
Hubby and I were vacationing in Ogunquit, Maine. The weather was perfect for our short holiday.
I stood high up on the rocky pathway; watching the power of the ocean.
Waves surged forward in a rush, only to smash to the shore.
I love the ocean. It relaxes me.......lulls me.
I felt at peace. Turned to hubby and asked if he was ready to go for a swim.
He was, and so we went back to the car to collect our things - blanket, cooler, sunscreen.
We slammed the trunk and were just heading down the footpath towards the beach area when a woman approached me.
"Did you hear?"
My head must have been in rhythm with the waves, for I thought she was talking about the weather.
"Very nice". I smiled.
She gave me a strange look.
"The Twin Towers." she almost yelled at me.
"What?" I was really confused now. I looked for Hubby, but he was already down by the water, spreading our blanket over the sand.
Then she told me.
Later that evening my daughter called our hotel room. She was worried that we may not be able to come home, since the Canadian/American borders had been closed.
I rather hoped we would be forced to extend our vacation!
That didn't happen. Fortunately, for us - all's well that ends well.
Others were not so fortunate.
What about you - do you remember where you were?
16 comments:
I was running late for work and my husband ran out to the drive way and said come in and look at the TV, I was annoyed at him. I came in watched the 1st tower explode and then saw the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower. I thought we are at war...I cried and prayed for my country and then for our allies and Israel. I went to work and was on the way when the plane hit the Pentagon everyone on the freeway slammed on their brakes, they heard it too. I went to work, did what I had to do and came home. Sat glued to the TV wondering if any other cities would be targeted and then called friends to find out if we could have the church opened up that night for a prayer service.
Today I have been so wrapped up in storm preparations, I barely thought of 9/11 and through out the day feel so odd because our area cancelled the memorial services due to evacuations.
Dear Annette - a very strange day for you! I will not rest easy until I hear that you and your loved ones are safe from this hurricane.
God Bless.
Thanks for sharing your story with us. I think there were a lot of tears and prayers on that sad day.
My DDS boss and I were leaning on the front desk at work, listening as they announced one tower had been hit - we were in shock when we heard they collapsed.
I was home that day, and my daughter called to tell me to turn on the TV, when I did, they showed the first tower being hit, and then of course, everyone knows the rest. I can remember praying and feeling so helpless at the evilness of it all. We had a prayer service the next night, and I can remember feeling so comforted afterwards, I was so glad that I had gone. I almost didn't. I think I like so many people were so shocked, I didn't want to go anywhere, at the same time I was so uplifted at the generosity of strangers helping one another, and the stories that came out of that horrible tragedy, if only for a moment in time, we stopped and thought about others and what we could do to help.
Wendy, I remember very well excatly where I was and what I was doing. When I was young and in school a teacher told us he remembered where he was and what he was doing when he heard about Pearl Harbor being bombed.(20+years later). He also told us, that sometime during our lives something would happen and we would remember like him. Being a kid, I thought 'yeah right!' A couple of years later President Kennedy was shot and killed and I thought about what he had said. And then 9/11 and it all came back to me again. You are right about world changing event-let's pray that we have no more memories etched in our hearts like these.
This is the strange part... I was actually talking about Pearl Harbor sitting underneath a US flag in college in North Carolina. As I was leaving to go back inside, I took a picture of the flag that day and turned on the TV. It was very odd... The whole day I passed through like I was observing myself in a dream. Every time I see the flag pictures I kind of freak out...
I was in the office and we heard - as usual - one of our local radio stations. At one point there was a break in the music and a newsspeaker was reading the news that an aircraft crashed into one of the Twin Towers. After a very short while he reported that another aircraft has crashed with the second Twin Tower. One aircraft crash could be a horrible accident but a second one crashed almost at the same spot? We started to wonder and turn on the TV and watched the news. Nobody of us could really believe what we saw then and our hearts went out for the poor people.
A very sad day, - for the whole world.
Hi JeanMac, it was a shock for everybody. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Morning glories - it's the coming together of people that usually surprises us. I wish it didn't. I know how you felt - you wanted to hear what was happening and participate in the prayers, but not have to face the horrible emotions of pain, grief and loss over and over.
Right on Beckie - I do hope and pray that we have no more of these. Your teacher was very wise. I also would have felt just as you did 'way back then. Ah the carefree days of youth!
Hi Mimi - how strange. But strange things do happen. I'm sure it felt like a bad dream for many others too. Our minds aren't able to process something as horrid as this 9-11 tragedy.
Hi Carin,
It was early morning here, but must have been afternoon where you were. Funny, when you said "break in the music" it brought me back to the days when I was a child. My mother used to listen to classical music during the day, and if there was some horrible news to report - there would be a "break" in the music. I got to dread these "breaks".
It was in the 50's. World Wars were over, but there always seemed to be talk of War, making of bombs, and air raid siren drills or practices or whatever.
Yes, a sad day for everyone.
I was in the kitchen feeding my boys breakfast when my husband called from work. I had been so busy that morning that I didn't have a chance to turn the tv on to watch the news, which is very unusual for me. I always watch the morning news.
I immediately turned the tv on and watched in horror as the 2nd plane hit the tower. Later that day I called my friend Alyce (she lives on Long Island) to see if she and her family were ok. They were, thank God!
I often think back on that day and I look at where we have come since then. I hate the war in Iraq. I hate the skyrocketing gas prices. I hate what is going on in Afganistan...And I can't help but think, What would life be like today if September 11th never happened? It's all just so sad.
Hey Mary - I hear ya - and agree with everything you said.
War does not solve anything.
I was teaching my first hour class that morning when a teacher next door came and told me, but she wasn't sure of many details. Pretty soon she came back and told me that it was indeed real. I turned on the TV in my classroom at the moment, and the whole class watched, mesmerized. The bell rang, and the next class, usually a lively group, came in and quietly sat down watching the news in amazement.
Rumors spread quickly, of course, and there was a worry that the University only 10 miles away might be another target, but thankfully it wasn't. I remember calling all my children and my husband just to make sure everyone was safe.
Ironically, 38 years earlier I was also sitting in an English classroom--this time as a student--when we heard the news that JFK had been shot.
Dear Wendy,
I enjoyed reading where people were when they heard the news. I think it is very important for each of us to tell our story and our feelings. I think each generation has a moment that defines their generation. For my parents it was Pearl Harbor, for me the assassination of JFK. For my children it is 9-11. Let us hope our Grandchildren do not have to have a tragedy to define their generation. When the Berlin wall came down I had hoped it would be the moment for my kids...
Thank you for this post and your kind responses.
Namaste,
Sherry
Hi Rose,
Strange that you were sitting in English class both times! Maybe you'd better take up Spanish or Chinese!
It's natural to call one's family to make sure they are o.k. when something like this happens. You want to make sure, hear their voices. I am glad you and yours were safe and sound.
Hi Sherry,
I think we're on the same wavelength. Sharing stories and feelings are important. It's the fabric of who we are.
I totally agree - I hope our grandchildren don't have a horrible event to mark their generation.
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