Ten years ago today I was a freshman in high school. It was still warm but I wore blue jeans and a t-shirt to school instead of shorts because the rooms were too cold with the air conditioning. I had band practice that afternoon and we were hashing out a new set for the game. My first class was Biology with Mrs. Gurosky and I sat in the middle of the row on the far end of the room. We were talking when the principal came over the PA system and this little brown box told us that a plane had hit one of the world trade towers. I thought it was an accident. To be honest, I didn't even know what the towers were although I had seen them on tv. Within minutes a second announcement told us both towers had been hit.
The rest of the day in every class was spent on the edge of our seats. Some teachers told us it was the beginning of a war. Others told us not to worry. Girls cried because they feared their boyfriends would be called to a draft. Some used cell phones in the bathrooms trying to call family in New York. I worried about my aunts friends. I feared war.
Silent students sat in front of televisions showing the news. It was improbable to believe as the destruction looked like a film. Like it could not be real, except that it was real. Real enough it would define the world my generation grew up in, real enough to change everything.
Where were you?
Ironicly we were at the same place we were for other major events in life... man's first walk on the moon, our wedding... at Panama City City Beach. We had not been there in almost 10 yrs since owning property in Perdido Key.
ReplyDeleteI awoke at 7 AM CDT, turned on TV at 7:50 while I cooked breakfast (just 5 min after first plane struck 8:45 EDT)and was horrified. I called to Buddy and he imediately came in to watch. Since the Trade Center had already been bombed by terrorist in '92 I feared imediately it was another attack.
We were instantly worried about our friends who live in NY and taught at NYCU, she should be arriving at work and be in WTC area at the time. (Thankfully she was running late that morning). Also thought of their nephew Jason who lived 1 block fr Trade Center. Jason was majoring in film production and it turned out he was recording it all live out his apt window.
As we watched, the 2nd plane hit just 10 min latter and true shock over whelmed us. I thought of my many flights into the city, flying right beside that incredible view and directly over the city at low altitudes so that all could enjoy the marvel of that City. The awesome pictures I have from those flights. The terror THOSE passengers must be experiencing.
Then reports of the Pentagon trickled in followed by the disbelief as Tower 2/South tower collapsed. With my own Daddy, 2 Uncles and 3 cousins having been life long Fire Fighters, knowing the dangers they face everyday, following the South Towers collapse I was screaming at the Television through the tears streaming down my face "Don't let anymore go in there!! Don't go.. Oh Dear Lord Please Don't go!!" I was trembling and sobbing and so grateful that I had my wonderful husband by my side to try and bring comfort and keep me grounded. But they bravely kept going, Knowing what they faced, how dire the odds..doing what Fire Fighters do.. trying desperately to be able to save more lives instead of their own.
It was strange that week over hearing all the converstations at restaurants from folks who ended up in PCB when their flights to other destinations around the country had been cancelled all week. How they found themselves stranded in this city or that, this region or another. They had ended up renting cars and driving to PCB instead. Their experiences being grounded.. left on their own to make decisions about how and where to go to get out of where ever they were. It is still unbelieveable that such sickness and hate can fill such an incredibly beautiful/abundant world.
We flew to Fayetteville, Ark 3 short weeks later for AU/Ark game. It was a very strange experience with such incredibly tight security, armed soldiers checking everyone at all airports. One soldier in Ark airport, rifle on shoulder addressed me by my name as I walked past wearing an AU Tee shirt. He spoke of football as if it was HUGE relief and brought some normalcy back to his life. But his knowing my name, where I came from after just a brief glance at my luggage tag as it moved out of the scanner brought a sense of security to me. Just how observant they were, how hard they were focusing to try and keep us all secure.
Having been to the Twin Towers/Battery Park area so often, it was almost an out of body experience to go 1 yr later and look through the viewing holes cut in the plywood walls surrounding it and actually see Ground Zero.. see where so many lost their lives that day. It brought a profound reality to it.
NY City has been a different place on our visits since.. rifle armed police and soldiers visible around the areas. But it's still such an incredible/vibrant/creative place where immense diversity coexists daily and we have always found the people as a whole nice and caring. We love NY.