As reflect on 9/11, I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news. I was driving my baby sister to school, and satellite radio was the new thing back then. Howard Stern was my favorite show, and I was listened to the show go from fun and laughs about frivolous things to him describing what had occurred in New York. What? This can’t be real. People in New York were calling into the show with panic in their voices. Many were lost in the streets, choking on the soot from the buildings, and speculating on what just happened.
By the time I got home, the video of the planes striking the towers was on replay for everyone to see. I had never seen anything like this on US soil. And then more acts occurred. A plane crashed into the Pentagon and another into the ground with all perishing on board. Do we go to work as usual? What are we supposed to do? Where is the next act going to occur? I don’t think any of us had a clue what to think. Work was empty, and but the silence was familiar. The last time it was quiet like this was during the shootings in Columbine. The phones just stopped ringing, and the silence made us all think about how fragile life is for everyone. At first, I was going to post a video or audio from that day, but I know that can be a trigger for many people. It has been a while since I watched or listened. I don’t even know how I would feel and I wasn’t even there.
We were pretty sheltered from massive acts of terrorism in the US, and for the first time, I was afraid. Americans sat with our emotions and saw the death toll rise. The tears came. Then the anger. Then ultimately, the collective feelings of grief. Today we are watching more, and more Americans suffer from the hurricanes and loss of loved ones. Fortunately or unfortunately, Americans came together during times of crisis, and many from my generation needed patriotism to feel connected to each other and safe.
I read that there is a generation that didn’t experience 9/11, so the feelings we have on this day are very foreign to them. It is up to us to preserve the memories of those that were lost and continue to be lost protecting our country. Don’t let today pass without remembering what we all felt and what unity can do for the people who are suffering right now.
