Where were you?
Between Love & Goodbye As many of you read this I will be high in the sky on a plane headed across the country to San Francisco with Mike for a shoot. yes, I will be flying on September 11th and to be honest I feel kind of weird about it, eight years later. But tell me I didn’t pick the best flight companion!!! Totally not on purpose, Katie takes karate, she’d be awesome too…
September 11th is a day of remembrance. Do you remember where you were?
I was at work in downtown Hartford, doing what I do best- being bossy. I had just rehired a guy who had taken a leave a few months back, and he, along with a few other employees were hanging out while work was slow. it was dead, actually- not a spec of work was to be done. So against my boss’ wishes I let them watch tv while I was in my office doing payroll. The radio was on, and I plugged away with the chatter going on in the background.
The rest of my story is much like everyone elses- with different places you all may have been- or remembering who told you what was happening first… but it’s all the same, really.
I remember scrambling to call my oldest sister Tere who lived in New York at the time with her now husband Charlie. Of course I got no answer, the lines were jammed. I panicked like everyone else. I was helpless. In disbelief as the guys on the radio starting shouting at each other about what was happening.
I stood with my office watching in horror as the towers came down, my heart in my throat. I had to hold it together and be the boss and check in on our employees at the three other firms. all I wanted to do was go home, call Dave, call my Mom who was still alive then, see they were safe. Totally irrational, they weren’t in New York!
That whole day and the months following were some dark times for me. I sank into a deep depression and cried all the time when I was alone. I made myself watch the news coverage all the time. I opened myself up wholly to the terribleness of all of it. it seeped into my blood, my heart and my soul.
I relived that day over and over from so many different vantage points… from the people running to the roof of the towers, realizing there was no hope and jumping; to the people trying to help like the cops and firefighters and regular civilians only to perish in the collapse; to those trapped on the planes calling their loved ones one last time.
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Who would I call? What would I say?
Or. would I sacrifice that phone call time for some combat time and know that I went down swinging? Would I use that time to comfort others? Would I be in the fetal position under a seat?
No one ever knows truly who they are and what they are made of until they are put in a situation that makes them see it. Do you know who you are?
Take a moment today and remember everyone who lost their lives on that day. Think of everyone they left behind.
Now, take a long look at your life… take it all in… the good and the bad, and be thankful that you have it and everyone in your life.
Thank you, for posting that. I have been in contemplation of September 11th a lot this week. Every year I feel like I want to hold my girls close, and not leave them. As I remember I had friends down there, as first hand witnesses, and my mom at last minute early in that morning, changed her plans from going into the city. And it reminds me to not only pray for my loved ones, but for our country too. God Bless.
I was in the office too, and a co-worker came in saying she had heard it on the radio. We turned on a TV just in time to see the second tower get hit. Then the pentagon, a rumor of a bomb at the State Department, and I’ll never forget the dawning horror on my colleagues’ faces as we realized it was an attack and the next strike could be anywhere. I remember wondering whether I should leave work and pick up the kids from school. We had an event scheduled for that night and spent the rest of the day calling people to cancel. The caterer was grateful — they had relatives who worked at the Top of the World and didn’t know if they made it (they didn’t). I’m flying tomorrow too, to a family funeral in Florida. Perhaps flying on this day can be looked upon as a kind of victory: over fear, over hate, and toward a greater tolerance of our differences.
Yikes. I was totally not prepared to read this just now! But it is so important that we think back and reflect and remember. Like Debbie, I was a teacher and was in a classroom of third graders pretty shielded from the horror for the first couple of hours. When my kids went to gym I finally found out and caught some footage of the towers crashing. Total disbelief. I had to continue to teach and sort of pretend all was well since my students were really too young to hear or understand what little I knew at that point. God–just thinking about it still completely stuns me. It was indescribable. Here’s to the heroes and a prayer for all who lost someone that day…
I was in a brand new school building without any access to TV, radio… computer in a room with 25 6th graders. I was passed a note from a shaky para that planes had crashed into the towers and the Pentagon and that we could be under attack. Our school building is located next to a high security government building and the next note that came in said we had to evacuate the entire building of 1000 students. It was an day of uncertainty. When I was finally released to leave (with my car at the other building) and learned what was actually happening in the world, it was an overwhelming, sinking feeling. We should never forget the day. When I sit tomorrow in front of my student who were only two, I worry that they do not remember or understand. I highly recommend a children’s book called Bravemole. It is totally worth the read for children!
I know we share a lot of the same thoughts and the same loss of our moms, mine 3 years ago today. I read this post and cried, again, for all those that lost so much and a country that lost it’s innocence, too. It makes us appreciate all the love we have around us. Peace.
This really touched me.
I remember exactly where I was too. Working as well, trying to call my family. Jason actually lost a cousin in the towers…I can’t even imagine. It’s sad it took such a horrific day to tie our nation together….And we will never forget.
WOW, 8 years ago! I was in our first studio alone, got a call from Krystal and remember being kinda skeptical about it, then racing to my parents house and watching the oh so real events. Thank you Carla, all of the families affected appreciate your remembrance also!
I pray to God that when I go down, I’ll go down swinging, or karate chopping or whatever – even if it’s from a fetal position under a chair. On a serious note, tomorrow is the 8th anniversary of a day that I will never forget. A day that changed my life but far more drastically changed the lives of all of the people who lost the loves of their lives, family, or friends. In between watching the television coverage, tears, and disbelief I was caring for my then 6-day old son. Such a huge juxtaposition between innocence and innocence lost. The great sacrifices that people made – I’ll never forget. Thanks for posting about this! Be brave tomorrow!