As I continue to urge everyone to support SUICIDE AWARENESS WEEK (thank you to everyone who showed their support yesterday...it was beautiful), I pause today for a very important remembrance: the 11th anniversary of September 11th.
Many of us will remember where we were when we heard about it & remember what played out the rest of that day & weeks to come. My heart still sinks & I still get so emotional seeing the images. It's like it just happened all over again.
Do you remember for that moment in time when we all came together as one nation? Side by side with each other? For that moment, it had everything to do with being an American, in the melting pot...not a divided political nation.
Today, 9-11, is unofficially known as Patriots Day. Not sure why it's still unofficial. We all know it will eventually become a federal holiday. It's all a matter of time. As it should be.
And as we do remember, as in Alan Jackson's song, where were you when the world stopped turning that September day? I was on my way to work. News had come on saying that a plane had hit one of the towers, but word outside of New York figured it was a private prop plane & that "it happens". Then...just a few moments later, the news came across that the other tower was hit by a plane & the information began to unfold that they were much larger aircraft than thought...and there were passengers involved. It may very well be a terrorist attack.
I remember getting to work & joining in the shock that had fallen over everyone. Where I worked, at the time, had a travel agency involved since we had a lot of travel that happened within the company. I remember the obliviousness of the head of the travel department...he came off the elevators...whistling. He had no idea what had happened. We turned on radios to keep up with what was going on. I remember standing around a coworker's cubicle as things developed...and the Pentagon had been hit. There were about 6 of us stand around. We all about collapsed from what we'd just heard.
My hubby was on a business trip & was scheduled to come back that day. I had already been on the phone with his job to figure out how we were going to get him back home with the near-simultaneous shutdown of airports nation-wide. My hubby saw what was happening on TV...in California...excited to get home while being shocked by what he saw on the screen. He had no thought process that it might actually effect his travel plans back home. I was so relieved to talk to him on the phone, but expressed my concern about travel. I told him I'd already been on the phone with his boss' wife to figure something out. We discussed taking a train, but didn't know how that would work. Good thing...a couple of trains were taken over & derailed, too. So...rental car places had to do something they don't like to do...allow travelers to use the rentals as the main transportation to get them home. It took my hubby 2 days, but he drove to Missouri from California in a rental car. I had never been so relieved to have him back home.
It was a scary time. As parents, it was difficult to explain to young children what was happening. Teen Boy was almost 4; Teen Girl was 5 & in school. Since the internet was still very new in it's uses...it was baffling to see the images. And horrifying. So to see the video of everything when I got home to watch TV...with the kids...without my hubby...was devastating. I could just hug my kids & cry. It's all I could do. And remembering hearing on the radio when the towers began to collapse.
The lives lost...the city that was in total apocalyptic devastation...awful.
Not just the pictures of police & firefighters that had to step up that took my heart out of my chest...I think back to Teen Boy at that time. He was this adorable little guy with big glasses & a speech impediment wanting to be a firefighter. We needed to find firefighter gear & stuff for his birthday...but you couldn't find anything with firemen. Until 9/11...then (and still) you could find firefighter gear EVERYWHERE!!! Figures. But that was a positive that came out of it.
I also remember the pictures of people standing on ledges of the towers, just instantly giving up...and jumping...just plummeting to their death that they figured was coming anyway.
It because of the above paragraph that I am in awe that 9/11 is during Suicide Awareness Week. We saw it happening on TV...even live. There are people who made it out...so it's sad to think these people, in that moment, figuring it was all over & took care of what they thought was the inevitable on their own. That is tragic. It's tragic all of the lives that were lost because they were trapped, or hit. I cannot even imagine that...or what their families still go thru. But the jumpers could have made it out & told their story of what happened. We will never get their side of it. They didn't take the chance of the thought they might still have a chance at life. With the thousands that were killed during & because of the attacks...many, MANY made it. We get to hear their stories. That's what helps us attempt to understand what went on during such a horrific act. Civilians, police & firefighters became soldiers in their own right during that situation...and then heros. There were those who died heros, too. But to take your own life in the midst of the spontaneous [to the public] crisis is so disheartening. I can't even imagine their families witnessing what's going on & then realizing your loved one just jumped off the World Trade Center.
People, it was thru all of this that we came together. We were patriotic together. It didn't matter what color, religion, sexuality, size, nationality...or political party we were...we stood as true Americans, side-by-side, cheering each other on to fight for the good of our country.
The mastermind behind it, bin Laden, was determined to tear down our economy & our country. It's 11 years later. Guess what...is the fear that he succeeded? HE'S DEAD NOW & still reaping the benefits of his horrendous & cowardice act...and we are allowing it. How divided are we? How are we economically? The worst part is that we are having a near civil war about it. What happened to flying our flags & being patriotic? Poo flinging of politics because it's an election year? This is what we've come to.
As we focus on today...the meaning behind it...what happened with the bonding between Americans...what good has come of it as we live right now?
The nastiness ensuing during the political war...who's really ahead? I'm concerned it's the terrorists. When you make your pouty right-wing/left-wing posts just trying to tear down other American ideals...think about the divisiveness that bin Laden had hoped for stemming from the 9/11 attacks. Are we better country now?
*WHEW*
Stay tuned...
God Bless, AM~Erica (<= and I mean this whole-heartedly)
