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Sunday, September 11, 2011

September 11th, 2001 - Where were you?

"A date which will live in infamy." President Franklin D. Roosevelt said those words on December 8th, 1941.

The phrase above came to mind when I tried to think about what I wanted to say today.
Today - September 11, 2011.

It's been 10 years. A decade.

The Twin Towers.
        American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. 
The Pentagon. 
        American Airlines Flight 77. 
The attack stopped by the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 in the woods of Pennsylvania.


I think the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, are this generation's "Pearl Harbor".

Horrific, surreal, tragic, heroic, poignant, unbelievable, shocking, educational, cruel, life-altering, displays of great hate and greater love..the start of another version of a "World" war. 


Where was I on the morning of September 11, 2001? 

I was waiting for a friend to to meet me for coffee at the Bristol Double-Decker coffee bus.
I had the week off with my husband for his birthday.
I had no idea what was happening. My friend was late and that was unusual.
I called her and she tried to tell me what was happening. I heard something about a plane flying into a building. There had been a few recent instances of small aircraft flying into buildings - it had even happened in Tucson.
I thought that was what she was talking about.

When I began to comprehend a little more of what she was saying - I presumed it was an accident of some sort. I still had no idea of the scope of what was happening.
She definitely wasn't coming for coffee and I definitely felt the need to head for home; calling my husband on the way.
My call woke him and he turned on the TV at my urging.

When I got home, he gave me a little more info...and we watched in disbelief as the towers burned and then collapsed. They collapsed. Imploded. That possibility never occurred to us as we watched the news reports. The cloud of debris looked like a pyroclastic flow rolling through the city.
It was like watching a movie - but with the certain knowledge that it was truly happening...and right then. And that knowledge included the comprehension that people's lives had ended - there - as I stared at a TV screen here.

The memories continue to surface as I see the a variety of television shows and specials reviewing the timeline of that day a decade ago.

My best friend was nearly deployed as medical/psych support. She stayed here as part of our local emergency services to keep watch over us. However, some of her friends and colleagues travelled across the country to help at Ground Zero.

We "civilian"-types, sent funds, stuffed animals, supplies, and wishes and prayers. Anything we could think of to "help".

I don't believe I'd learned how to knit yet, back in 2001.
I didn't listen to podcasts or read blogs.
I didn't know Heather Ordover then - but now I think of her on this day. She was teaching school in New York City on September 11th.  She's an amazing soul. Her 9/11 story is here.

The scope of what happened is still mind boggling.

I would like to ask...
To anyone who was around in December, 1941: Did 9/11 bring back memories and feelings of Pearl Harbor?
And...
Where were you the morning of September 11, 2001?

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