9/11
I see today as a day of hope as well as of mourning. Though seven years has passed I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard that a plane had "hit" the World Trade Center. Since it was a cool, crisp September day with not a cloud in the sky I thought it odd but not improbable. Then I got the word that another plane had hit and suddenly my country was under attack and those airplanes were carrying average people on their way to a business trip or to visit loved ones.
I worked at that time in a small private school nestled amidst the rolling hills of Central New Jersey. It was idyllic yet isolated. We had the internet and a television to keep us connected to the world. Staff who had family members who worked in Manhattan left in shock, while parents came to pick up their children. It was a time to stay close to loved ones. Fortunately, I worked with my husband at the time. I remember driving home in silence, happy to be heading home yet not wanting to turn on the television for fear what I would see.
When we had first heard the news someone asked my husband "what does this mean?" His reply was poignant and prophetic. He said quietly "it means that life as we know it is over." As the morning wore on we heard about a plane heading to Washington DC and then another plane hitting the Pentagon. It was too much to absorb in those moments. I remember calling everyone I knew just to make sure they were home safely. My nieces husband was out of town at the time but the building he worked in was right next door to the WTC. I began hearing stories, talking to those who witnessed much and lived to talk about it.
I remember regular television being preempted which I found to be a blessing. My neighbors all hung flags outside and we put bunches of small flags on our lawn. One by one they disappeared and I felt glad I had more than enough to spare. I wore a small American Flag pin in my jacket lapel every day. Traveling over the George Washington Bridge I saw smoking rising in the darkness as the sight still burned days later. It was all anyone could talk about and I remember watching people's faces as we all tried to go about our daily routine. They had vague smiles and vacant eyes.
Yet, we were suddenly a nation united; not black or white, gay or straight, Democratic or Republican, pro-life or pro-choice. We had no differences. We were one people, one heart that had been broken into a zillion smaller pieces. We were Americans and we bonded in our grief and loss. What I take away from that moment is the feeling of being united by an unspeakable tragedy. Joy brings us together, but tragedy forges unbreakable bonds.
I did spend the following weekend hiking in the wood. My husband and I took comfort and refuge there, away from the media and the pain of what we had lost. Through my tears I pray for those that died unspeakble deaths, for the survivors, for our nation and for faith in mankind. I pray that we continue to learn and grow from such unspeakable events.
It is still a quiet day as people go about their business; a sad day, but we have not forgotten.
I worked at that time in a small private school nestled amidst the rolling hills of Central New Jersey. It was idyllic yet isolated. We had the internet and a television to keep us connected to the world. Staff who had family members who worked in Manhattan left in shock, while parents came to pick up their children. It was a time to stay close to loved ones. Fortunately, I worked with my husband at the time. I remember driving home in silence, happy to be heading home yet not wanting to turn on the television for fear what I would see.
When we had first heard the news someone asked my husband "what does this mean?" His reply was poignant and prophetic. He said quietly "it means that life as we know it is over." As the morning wore on we heard about a plane heading to Washington DC and then another plane hitting the Pentagon. It was too much to absorb in those moments. I remember calling everyone I knew just to make sure they were home safely. My nieces husband was out of town at the time but the building he worked in was right next door to the WTC. I began hearing stories, talking to those who witnessed much and lived to talk about it.
I remember regular television being preempted which I found to be a blessing. My neighbors all hung flags outside and we put bunches of small flags on our lawn. One by one they disappeared and I felt glad I had more than enough to spare. I wore a small American Flag pin in my jacket lapel every day. Traveling over the George Washington Bridge I saw smoking rising in the darkness as the sight still burned days later. It was all anyone could talk about and I remember watching people's faces as we all tried to go about our daily routine. They had vague smiles and vacant eyes.
Yet, we were suddenly a nation united; not black or white, gay or straight, Democratic or Republican, pro-life or pro-choice. We had no differences. We were one people, one heart that had been broken into a zillion smaller pieces. We were Americans and we bonded in our grief and loss. What I take away from that moment is the feeling of being united by an unspeakable tragedy. Joy brings us together, but tragedy forges unbreakable bonds.
I did spend the following weekend hiking in the wood. My husband and I took comfort and refuge there, away from the media and the pain of what we had lost. Through my tears I pray for those that died unspeakble deaths, for the survivors, for our nation and for faith in mankind. I pray that we continue to learn and grow from such unspeakable events.
It is still a quiet day as people go about their business; a sad day, but we have not forgotten.
posted by Denise K. Rago at 9:46 AM
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