September 11, 2001, A Day that Everything Changed

Sep 11th September 11, 2001, A Day that Everything Changed

NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: . (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Twenty years ago, a fiery blasts rocked the south tower of the World Trade Center as the hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston crashed into the building September 11, 2001 in New York City. Today, one day away from the anniversary of that horrible day I sat at my computer and debated whether or not to write about it. Funny how a great many things fade from memory as the years go by. However, this event is etched in my memory as clearly today, as it was twenty years ago. I hope you don’t mind my sharing with you my thoughts and feelings on that horrible day.

I was sitting at my computer at home paying a few bills before I headed off to work at a new job and career. I’d left my paralegal job and began a new less stressful job at an electronic contracting firm. A friend’s husband, Nigel, called me and asked what was I doing. I told him. There was silence on the other end. I quickly asked if something had happened to Patti, he said um no, but I better turn on the TV before I left for work. I said okay and we hung up. Yes, it was a strange conversation.

Rather than turn on the TV, I searched the computer for the days events. I was dumbfounded when I saw the images flashing across the screen! My first thought was this wasn’t possible, not on the United States soil. This cant be happening. I closed my eyes then opened them again hoping….I don’t know what. But it was real. Then I continued to search the internet and finally turned on the TV. Reality began to sink in. Not only had we been attacked, panic rose up inside me, then turned to fear and finally anger. How could they. How could we let them. (I know irrational thought.) Next desire for retaliation. My heart was pounding out of my chest and as I write this the feeling washes over me again. So many lives lost over the last twenty years beginning with this horrific event. Yet, what have we learned? Not going there, here. Anyway, I headed off to work. We watched the events unfold on computers the first half of the day, then the boss sent us home, with pay. That’s one first day on the job I will never forget.

My thoughts, prayers, and thanks go out to the first responders at the scene on that fateful day and their families. Nothing had prepared them or us for this. Yet, they had a job to do and did it heroically. God bless them all. When I sat down here, I didn’t know what I was going to write, but the words tumbled out and somehow this has been therapeutic for me as I end my thoughts. For some reason this year the memories hit me the hardest. I can only hope that September 11th passes with profound remembrances and that’s all. NO violence. If you care to share your thoughts in the comments about where you were, how you felt, or your memories. I would be honored. God Bless America!