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Saturday, September 09, 2006

Remembering 9/11

I can't believe the 5th anniversary of this day is approaching...I can't believe 5 years have actually passed since that awful day.

Like everyone else I can remember where I was, what was happening, what I thought when I heard "the news." Just like I remember when and where I was when the Challenger blew up and when the bombing in Oklahoma happened. It's one of those days that you just can't forget.

I remember...I had just arrived to work and usually the first thing I did was pull up USA Today online to scan the news. They had a breaking news flash with a picture of the burning World Trade Center. All I remember it saying was something about a plane crashed into the building. There was no link to an article to read what happened as it was still that fresh.

I remember...thinking how strange it was that a plane would crash into that building - how could the pilot have done that? Especially a big airliner...why would it even have been on such a path.

I remember...a coworker walking down the hallway informing us that he just heard on his radio that another plane had crashed. That's not possible I thought. Surely that was a mistake - sensational journalism or something. I kept hitting refresh on my browser but didn't see anything about the 2nd plane yet. I tried CNN.com and all the online news sites I could think of. There couldn't possibly be two planes that crashed into the WTC.

I remember...brushing thoughts of the planes being hijacked out of my head. That sort of stuff doesn't, can't, happen on American soil...right? There is just no way. How could planes actually be hijacked here? No, I just refused to believe it.

I remember...the news coming in about the 3rd plane hitting the Pentagon. It just seemed so surreal, like something out of a Hollywood motion picture. Not another one. We didn't have a TV at work so we relied on the internet and what we could get off the radio. At some point I called Joe at work in disbelief of all that was happening.

I remember...when the 4th plane crashed in PA thinking that one had to be an accident. It just couldn't have been a 4th hijacked plane. Maybe that one really did have mechanical errors and just went down; after all it didn't crash into a building.

I remember...not being able to really concentrate at work; who could do anything work-related when we didn't even really know what was going on out there? It was so quiet in the hallways, the only talk was about what was happening. How could 4 planes be hijacked in the US? How many were still in the air? How many more had hijackers on them?

I remember...finally going home at the end of the day. The first thing I did upon walking in the house was turning on the TV. I just sat on the couch transfixed by the carnage I saw. This was the first I was able to see (besides some pictures coming through the news sites online). It was like driving by a car accident and you can't tear your eyes away. I couldn't stop watching.

I remember...feeling so helpless. Feeling dumbfounded at the absolute devastation that had happened, feeling overwhelmed, feeling the tears running down my face as the death toll numbers just kept rising and rising.

I remember...Joe finally getting home from work and just hugging him and crying for the senselessness of it all, I couldn't even wrap my mind around the sheer numbers of lives lost.

I remember...this happened on a Tues, we were to fly out on Sat to head for Miami and on Sun take a cruise for our first anniversary/belated honeymoon. I never enjoyed flying before, so how the heck did I think I would even imagine being able to step on a plane again...especially 4 days later? The fear of being on a plane was too much, but turns out I didn't have to worry about it. Even though the airlines were somewhat up and running by then, too many flights were canceled - including ours. The cruise ship still took off that Sun, but without us. We were able to get vouchers since our flight was cancelled. We did end up going in Dec.

I remember...and I will say a prayer of rememberance for those families who lost a loved on.

If you have your own memories of that day you'd like to share go leave your link on Shannon's blog.

13 comments:

Pamela said...

It was indeed a horrific day in the memory of our great country and the world!

I was devastated, and my heart sank to my stomach. I kept wondering what happened to our intelligence...after all this is America.

Sadly, it is my wonderful hubby's birthday! (big tear)

My heartfelt prayers go out the the victims and families that were effected by this great tragedy

Anonymous said...

It was such a sad day. All I thought about was Aviva and I were on a plane 2 days before that leaving NY to come back to Florida..very scary.

Prayers to the victims and families of this terrible tragedy.

Hugs,
Dori (Aviva's mommy)

Anonymous said...

Indeed a horrific day and a day none of us will ever forget.

Anonymous said...

I remember where I was that day also. I was over at my best friend's house when her husband called and told her to put the t.v. on. we watched in shock.Then when I got home Gary had told me that another plane had just hit the other tower. it was such a sad day and my prayers go out to all those families who lost a loved one that day.

Debra said...

Thanks so much for sharing your memories of that day. Wow, I will never forget any of those events but that one will stand out in my mind forever.

Hugs to you
Debra and Hope

Pamela said...

I'm trying to read as many of these as possible.

amazed at how much the same and yet how different each one is.

Thanks for letting me drop in

Anonymous said...

It was a terrible day around the world. In Canada we sat in disbelief and horror, wondering how it could happen. Then moving into action and sending down people to help.

CJ said...

When we remember, those who were lost live on.

Anonymous said...

I remmber I was teaching at an elementary school, and was just walking into the empty classroom when the news came across the radio. Like you, hijackers entered my mind first, but I dismissed it.

All day we had to keep up a happy face and withhold the news from the students. No, I'll never forget.

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

I posted my memories, too. Definitely a day that can't be described.

Felicia said...

It seemed so surreal at the time. My oldest was in Kindegarten and I had just dropped her off at school. My mom called me on the phone, and by the time I got back home, the second plane had crashed.

Five years later, it is still as heartbreaking and life-changing as the day it happened.

Overwhelmed! said...

I remember as well. I was at home, glued to the T.V. when it happend. I've posted about this as well.

Anonymous said...

What a terrible terrible one. One that will never be forgotten