Remembering 9-11

Five years ago today I was woke up by a phone call from my husband. It was around 9 a.m. and I was irritated because I didn't have to be at work until noon. My first thoughts were why the hell are you waking me up on my morning off. My husband said to me. Turn on the TV, a plane has crashed. I thought so what, planes crash all the time. I'm tired. I mumbled something and he said NO wake up a plane has hit the world trade center in New York, something is wrong, it's all over the TV. As I clicked it on and rubbed the sleep from my eyes I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Horror and fire everywhere. I knoq we hung up because I remember calling my boss at work, who was also a friend of mine. I knew she had arrived at work at 9. She couldn't believe what I was telling her. I remember we talked awhile because as we were on the phone the 2nd plane hit. I watched it live. Looking at it in unbelief. This can't be real, my mind thought. It's just a movie, something from Hollywood, oh my God no. But it was real, and so were the next minutes and hours when the 3rd plane crashed and the towers fell. By the time I left to go to work, business were closing, school children were being sent home and I am sure every TV in America was turned on.

I remember arriving at work, everyone was afraid, some people were crying. The mall was all but deserted, no one was leaving there homes. Our mall managers made the decision to close the mall, no one felt safe. Who did this, would they attack again. All I could think about was wanting to be with my children. Neither of them were living with me at the time. They were frighten too and I remember we all met at my mothers house.

For days no one could take there eyes off the TV. I felt sick inside, I couldn't seem to turn it off. I didn't want to watch, but something kept drawing me back over and over. I started to look around me at work. I remember not feeling safe. We had a lot of little shops out in the mall some near us. Several of the men were from the middle east. They didn't feel safe. They knew everyone was looking at them, judging because of the part of the world they lived in. They soon packed up and left the mall. Some of us wondered if they had been involved. Especially when we found out that one of the men that was involved in the attack had been staying less than 5 mintues away just days before the attacks. (He was staying in Virginia Beach).

Slowly time passed, the news stories came on less often. Memorial services slowed down, life returned to normal. But did it? Will it ever be normal? Will we ever feel completly safe again as a Nation? Will on some level as Americans ever fully trust again? Can we ever just go to an airport and get on a plane again without thinking of that fateful day? Will life ever really be the same..For 2996 families it won't. For millions of Americans who's lives have been touched it won't. What will the generations that come after us learn? What will they have to say? Will they remember?

As I go off to work today I will and I hope that all of you will also.

Let us never forget...

My sister MIchelle at "A little bit of this, a little bit of that" posted this song already, but I felt it worth a double post

Where were you when the world stopped turning...

“Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)”

Alan Jackson

 

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

 

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don’t know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

 

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

 

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

 

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you’re a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watching
And turn on “I Love Lucy” reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

 

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

 

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

 

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

 

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day