9/11

9/11 Memorial

9/11 was an event that marked so many lives and its effects still reverbrate through our lives. Since I feel strongly that we should write our recollections of the day so future generations can see how our normal lives were touched by this tragedy, here is my tale and its implications for me more than a decade later.

I recall the surrealism of the day, the juxtaposition of the normal routine placed against the horror and confusion. Everything transpired during my morning commute and by the time I reached work, the internet had crashed and everyone was talking about full blown terrorist attacks. Rumors of bombings in Washington DC, New York and other major cities along with military bases were being discussed. We anxiously listened to the news on the radio, hearing factual and rumored reports. At one point, there was a discussion of closing downtown where our library was located because we were so close to MacDill Air Force Base.

My entire work shift was centered on listening to the news until I couldn't hear anymore. Reports of people jumping, the towers collapsing, the debris, the Pentagon attack, and Flight 93 were too much. When I left work, I turned off the news. I was returned to my real life where I could not delay moving from my rental home. It's a story for another day, but when there are police and attempted murder, you have to act. My mover refused to help me that day because he felt the need to watch the news coverage and he was appalled that I was continuing with my day. But life had to proceed on, so my brother and I frantically moved my belongings by ourselves. The next day work was somber and we discussed the attacks at school. Even though we had spent twenty-four hours inundated with images and news reports, the horror and fear were suddenly becoming real as we continued on.

I was fortunate not to know anyone who lost a loved one in the attacks, but have instead watched my sister be a military wife raising her kids on her own while her husband served a tour in Afghanistan and two tours in Iraq. And the closest I came to knowing anyone involved was Stephen, a formal naval officer. We were dating when the USS Cole was attacked and I saw his anger at not being there with his fellow men. Following 9/11, he felt the need to serve and returned to active duty knowing he would be shipped out.

Ground Zero

When hubby and I visited Ground Zero in 2009, it was an extremely emotional setting. I spent the majority of the tour crying because of the impact of seeing the site and hearing the stories from those who survived or lost loved ones that day. The fear and horror of those events are brought home as you stand over the site or walk among the surrounding buildings and imagine witnessing that destruction firsthand. Hubby kept remarking on how different NYC was from when he lived there in the 1990s. There were police and security everywhere making it feel like the safest city we had ever visited, yet it is an indicator of the innocence that was ripped from us. 9/11 has left its mark since we now know that there are those who hate us enough to cause such devastation and that we aren't as safe as we thought.