We Remember

It was a clear blue morning, just like today, when our world was changed forever. Everything changed in the blink of an eye. Like you, I remember exactly where I was when the attacks happened...I was putting my makeup on in the bathroom, listening to the early local news when I heard the voices of Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. They weren't supposed to be on yet, so I popped my head out into the hallway to see the television; they were reporting that a plane had just struck one of the World Trade Center towers. I finished my mascara and went out to the living room to watch, see what was up. I watched on live tv as the 2nd plane hit the South Tower. Oh my God. That was really a plane and it was flown into the tower on purpose. On purpose! I ran to wake up Steve and tell him that we had just been attacked. We both watched the ensuing chaos in Manhattan as people flowed out of the area and emergency vehicles, firemen and policemen filled the streets. Then the Pentagon was struck. Then the plane was downed in Shanksville. I drove to work with the radio on, listening to the accounts of what was happening; about 1/2 way there came the shocking words that one of the towers had just collapsed. I finally reached work, parked and ran across the lot to the building and into the Engineering office, where they had a tv. As I pushed thru the crowd of people watching, I caught a glimpse of the massive debris cloud filling downtown Manhattan. It was true. The tower was down! I remember sobbing in the office as we watched the North tower fall and the overwhelming sense of grief and disbelief washed over every one in the room. I remember hearing the stories and seeing the pictures of people jumping from the buildings rather than being burnt alive. I remember seeing the crowds of folks wandering the streets for days afterward with pictures of loved ones that were missing, asking anyone they met if they had seen them. I remember seeing the face of our President as he received the grim news. I remember the FAA shutting down all airspace in the country, forcing all planes to land immediately, turning back any foreign flights they could, and that our company plane was one of the last to land. I remember the picture of Father Judge being carried from the rubble by the firemen he ministered to. It was all so overpowering. It still seems like a dream, that those beautiful pieces of the New York City skyline are really still there. I hope that we always remember those images and the way we felt on that terrible day. God Bless America.