I remember being early for work that day. It stands out because I am normally late for work.
I remember the employee who called me and told me he was running late because he was watching the news about a plane crash in New York City.
I remember gathering around a TV at work watching the news coverage. There was no cable. We tried to get the best picture we could through air waves.
I remember the moment when I realized the totality of what I was seeing. It was not just a plane crash. It was a deliberate action. And the plane that was hijacked was full of Americans. I remember watching the towers fall.
I remember I was living with my Uncle Dean and my Aunt June. They kept calling me and begging me to come home from work.
I remember watching as the federal employees who worked across the street from us state employees were released and sent home. I remember hours later, the city forced us home when they shut water off to the downtown area.
I remember how small and innocent The Boy was back then. He is half grown now.
I remember how quiet the sky was that evening. And for the week afterwards.
I remember not wanting to watch another minute of the horror on my television but I could not move. I could not turn it off. All the stories of acts of heroism that day. All the lives lost. All the devastation. No, there was no way I was going to be able to stop watching.
I remember it all being incomprehensible.
I remember being scared. Unsafe. Vulnerable.
I remember feeling sad. For days. Weeks. Months.
I can not believe it has been ten years. That does not seem possible. I do not think there was been a day or week or month that we have not remembered. It altered our way of life. It made us regular citizens victims and targets of evil and hate.
My God be with each of us tomorrow. I pray for peace.
I remember the employee who called me and told me he was running late because he was watching the news about a plane crash in New York City.
I remember gathering around a TV at work watching the news coverage. There was no cable. We tried to get the best picture we could through air waves.
I remember the moment when I realized the totality of what I was seeing. It was not just a plane crash. It was a deliberate action. And the plane that was hijacked was full of Americans. I remember watching the towers fall.
I remember I was living with my Uncle Dean and my Aunt June. They kept calling me and begging me to come home from work.
I remember watching as the federal employees who worked across the street from us state employees were released and sent home. I remember hours later, the city forced us home when they shut water off to the downtown area.
I remember how small and innocent The Boy was back then. He is half grown now.
I remember how quiet the sky was that evening. And for the week afterwards.
I remember not wanting to watch another minute of the horror on my television but I could not move. I could not turn it off. All the stories of acts of heroism that day. All the lives lost. All the devastation. No, there was no way I was going to be able to stop watching.
I remember it all being incomprehensible.
I remember being scared. Unsafe. Vulnerable.
I remember feeling sad. For days. Weeks. Months.
I can not believe it has been ten years. That does not seem possible. I do not think there was been a day or week or month that we have not remembered. It altered our way of life. It made us regular citizens victims and targets of evil and hate.
My God be with each of us tomorrow. I pray for peace.
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