Sunday, September 11, 2011

Remembering

I was going to post something different today.  In fact, I worked into the night to get it finished.  However, when I woke up this morning and turned on the television, I changed my mind.

Today is the 10th Anniversary of the day our world was changed forever.  The day that so many innocent people lost their lives in a horrible act of terrorism.  The day when ordinary people became heros and our heros went above and beyond the call of duty.

As with everyone else in America, I remember where I was when I heard the news of the World Trade Towers being hit.  I was living with my Aunt Vikki at the time and she came running into my room to turn on the tv saying something about a plane crash in New York.  We watched in disbelief as the news station was reporting about the first Tower being on fire.  Then, even more shockingly, we watched the second plane fly directly into the next tower.

At first we thought perhaps they were re-running footage.  We could quickly tell, by the confusion in the voices of the reporters, that this was new news.  We were watching it as it unfolded.  Our eyes were glued to the screen.  It was unbelievable.

Much of that day was a blur.  What I remember more than what was on the television, was what was happening in the house.  You see, my cousin (son of my Aunt Vikki), was in Manhattan.  At the time, he played for the Chicago White Sox and they were in town for a series against the Yankees.  We didn't know where he was staying, or how close it was to what was now the collapsed horror that were the two towers.  Obviously, no calls were going in or out of the city for what seemed an eternity.  I don't even remember how long it was before we heard from him.

But we did hear from him.  He was ok.  They were downtown, but not close enough to be in danger.  They were stuck at their hotel, with traffic out of the city halted.  He said watching it on television was nothing compared to being there.  Dust from the towers covered everything.  It was like night had fallen during the day.

I admit that in the time that has passed since September 11, 2001  I have not given the event as much thought as it deserves.  I, like many others, got caught up in the trivialities of life.  I focused on my own events - I started a business, I got married, I had a baby - rather than focus on the lives of the people lost that day.  But perhaps that is how it should be.  You cannot forever mourn.  Life goes on.

That, I think, is how they would prefer it.

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