9/11 5 years later

[susans]

This is just a Sound Off to take a minute and remember all who were lost that day.  5 years later and it still has a profound impact on me.  I can still get tearly eye rememembering that day, even though I had no one I knew personally affected.   So in rememberance of the day, any comments?  How has it affected your job, your travel, what you do?

[countrigal]

I was thinking of this this morning and wondering... Liz, are you still around?  You were my first knowledge that anything was going down, and I made it to the canteen and their little TV in time to see the 2nd plane hit the trade center.  Thank goodness for friends, wherever they may be located, as they are sometimes the only connection to everything outside our office that we get.  At that point my radio station was not mentioning anything and I was calmly going about my business when Liz IM'd me and asked what was going on...that a plane had reportedly hit the world trade center.  So I went to the only place I knew would have a tv on, and was in time to see the 2nd plane hit.  I was shocked... and this site really cemented my thoughts that people come together in times of crisis, as the support found here was awesome.  And we waited as a whole for those of our community who were from NY to report in, and others reporting in that family or friends were involved.

My life, like a lot of military families, changed on that day.  At that point we sent men and women to fight a battle that will never really end, but that needs to be fought.  My husband has cone 2 tours over there already, and I'm hoping (selfishly) that he won't go back before he retires.  But while he's home, others - our friends and/or family - are taking their turn.  My prayers go out to all of those who have been affected, in whatever way, by the tragedies of that day.  And may peace be found for all of you, my friends from DD.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[donnap99]

Well put, CountriGal.

My children, who were then 15, 14, and 12, will not know the feeling that I and my peers will remember - that US soil was seemingly beyond the reach of harm's way. Now we are suspicious and have "what if-s" running through our minds, as do the companies we work for. Everyone - personally and professionally - has an emergency plan. How many of us now have at least one ICE number programmed into our cell phones? I do!

And I have to say -- my deepest appreciation goes out to the military personnel and their families -- every day!



DonnaP99

[diamondlady]

I  tried to post earlier but with my problems on the work computer this is the best tiime to do this, a bit late, but here it is...

I can remember exactly where I was when the first plane hit, I was in the car on my way home to a dental appointment.  I could not believe my ears!  I had my morning show on in the car on the radio and the news guy came in and broke the news to us.  I drove home to meet hubby as I was going to have a tooth pulled and he needed to drive me home.  He was home wating for me and watching the first plane hit the tower.  We had initially thought it was a stunt, and watching the events unfold.  We stayed long enough to watch the second plane hit the second tower, but had to go to my appointment.  We went and hubby was waiting for me at the doctors office listening to the radio in the waiting room, seething and angry that this was unfolding.  Meanwhile, I was put out for the tooth pull (long story), and when I woke up, 2 questions asked, is the tooth gone, and, what happened.  Then, I was told about a third plane and that all planes were grounded.  I watched the news channel that afternoon.  Just disbelief that the buildings were going down.

We called my folks, I called into the office to check in, and then called hubby's mom to make sure she was ok.  The next day I went to a church service at lunch time that a church I had been going to was offering, and it was packed.  Flags at half staff, and the radio staton playing patriotic songs on and off all day.

My cousin spent time in Iraq as well, and he's a changed person
because of it.  He was divorced and they had a daughter together, and when he got back from Iraq he re-married his ex wife and are now living happily together again.  I'm sure daughter is pleased that mom and dad are back together again, and it's been almost 2 years now, still together.  He's a good kid, and we kept in contact while he was over there, cousins sending care packages to him the entire time, and e-mailing him while he was over there.  It was great to hear from him while he was there and worried when I didn't hear from him.

Thoughts and prayers definetly go out to the families and troops.  Especially to the troops working to constantly keep us safe.   A safe return for all!  God Bless!

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

[mlm668]

9-11 has been on my mind for a few weeks now.  About two weeks ago, I bought the DVD Daylight - one of those impulse purchases because it was only $6.99.  I liked the movie so I went ahead and watched it that night.  What I didn't know was that the very last shot in the movie is the Twin Towers, nothing else.  

I didn't have anyone directly impacted by 9-11 but it really hit me hard.  I have great memories of a high school trip to NYC when I was 16 and the last thing I did before we left was go to the top of the WTC.  I remember looking down at the street and marvelling at how high up we were.  It was snowing up there but not at street level.  I remember when we (a group of about 5-6 students with no chaperone) realized that we were late and running through the crowd and down the escalator to meet the rest of our group and joking about getting left behind.

Mostly though I remember the night of 9-11-2001 there wasn't a single plane in the sky and that made it so much easier to see all of the stars.  I never saw that many stars in the sky before and I haven't seen that many since.  

I also still tear up when I think about it.  I don't think my children quite understand why it affected me so much or why it still does.  I'm not worried about another attack because I grew up knowing that if the Soviet's ever bombed DC and/or Norfolk, we would pretty much be wiped out.  It was just something we lived with.  But this was different and the world is different for it.  At least then, we knew who were dealing with, now it could be anyone, anytime and anywhere.

Michelle

[diamondlady]

I recently watched a movie I had on DVD for quite some time, and decided to watch again, Jumpin' Jack Flash with Whoopie Goldberg, and it had scenes of the Twin Towers in it as well, it made my heart sink to see that, but it was an awesome sight.  Each time I see footage, I have a hard time watching it.  But we watched the footage they had last night for the anniversary of 9/11 too.  I watched but not as intently as my husband did.  He was glued.  

As President Bush said, we have to live our lifes as best we can, and not in fear.  Yes it can happen again anytime and anywhere, but as long as we are aware and are keeping our eyes a bit more wide open for things, then, I think we are better prepared for it.  So far, nothing else in 5 years, which is a good thing, but will it happen again, I hope not, but the possibility is certainly there.  It's just something that we'll have to live with.

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator