I thought today I would give you a glimpse into my journal back from Sept 2001. Although it will most likely be pretty similar to what everyone else was feeling, I thought I would take myself on a trip down memory lane.
Sept 11, 2001
I'm speechless. This morning at aprox 8:42 the US was attaacked by terrorists. They are calling this the second Pearl Harbor. 4 planes so far have been hijacked and 2 of those were flown into the World Trade Center, another into the Pentagon and one crashed in PA........
Sept 12, 2001
How do you recover from this? Why does God allow these horrible things to happen? The hi ups in America don't think this is the end of the attack. So far they said just from the hijacked planes that 266 people are dead. There are some very sad, yet amazing stories from families of passengers on the flights that used their cell phones to say goodbye. SO Sad..............
Sept 13, 2001
Day #3 We are at war. War against whi is the question. Most people suspect Osama Bin Laden who is the wealthiest known terrorist in the world. There is so much going in right now that it's mind boggling.
I'm worried about Rob if this turns in to a full fledge war. What will his roll be? How will I ever explain this to Kielyn? Will we even recover from this? What will happen to air travel? We will ever be safe again? Today is the first day that this is all sinking in for me. I'm at a loss for words.
I'm speechless. This morning at aprox 8:42 the US was attaacked by terrorists. They are calling this the second Pearl Harbor. 4 planes so far have been hijacked and 2 of those were flown into the World Trade Center, another into the Pentagon and one crashed in PA........
Sept 12, 2001
How do you recover from this? Why does God allow these horrible things to happen? The hi ups in America don't think this is the end of the attack. So far they said just from the hijacked planes that 266 people are dead. There are some very sad, yet amazing stories from families of passengers on the flights that used their cell phones to say goodbye. SO Sad..............
Sept 13, 2001
Day #3 We are at war. War against whi is the question. Most people suspect Osama Bin Laden who is the wealthiest known terrorist in the world. There is so much going in right now that it's mind boggling.
I'm worried about Rob if this turns in to a full fledge war. What will his roll be? How will I ever explain this to Kielyn? Will we even recover from this? What will happen to air travel? We will ever be safe again? Today is the first day that this is all sinking in for me. I'm at a loss for words.
So there you have it. 5 years later, are we safer yet? I don't think so. Here in Seattle our ports are wide open still. People forget and get lax in the security, people forget and don't question things that seem out of order. People forget and assume that we are safe here in America.
5 years ago I realized that we arn't the most loved nation on Earth. People hate us. They hate us because we are Americans, they hate because we are free. Now they hate us because we are bullies. We invade, inforce, and lie. We get our way by whatever means necessary. I might not like us so much if I was over there either.
Okay- I'm off the soap box.
So where were you? What were you doing when you heard the news? I wanna know, so share, k?
5 years ago I realized that we arn't the most loved nation on Earth. People hate us. They hate us because we are Americans, they hate because we are free. Now they hate us because we are bullies. We invade, inforce, and lie. We get our way by whatever means necessary. I might not like us so much if I was over there either.
Okay- I'm off the soap box.
So where were you? What were you doing when you heard the news? I wanna know, so share, k?
6 comments:
I was at home on Long Island. My boss called and said to turn on the TV, that a plane hit one of the Twin towers. I flipped on the TV and was watching when the second plane hit the other tower and at that second, I knew this was no accident. I watched as tower two fell, then tower one. From where I lived you could see the smoke, actually on a clear day, you could see the towers. Our phone lines were a mess and I struggled to get ahold of an old neighbor that worked on the 86th floor. He had planned weeks before to be home that day. Pure luck, perhaps a miracle, he was safe. I traveled to NYC that weekend and the smoke was still rising out of Ground Zero. I have never seen the City so quiet...in shock I guess.
The first that I heard about it was when my clock radio alarm went off. I was here in CA so it the first plan hit before I woke up. When the radio went off I heard "plan", "explosion" and "World Trade Center" and I knew instantly that it was a terrorist attack and said, "OMG, it's happened here!" I immediately woke my husband up and we turned on the tv. I was pretty much in shock for the next week.
That day, my kids' school was silent. Nobody was saying a word when they dropped off and picked up their kids. It was the saddest day ever. And no, we are no safer now and never will be safer. It's simply impossible. All you can do is say, chin up, we won't change our way of life.
Last summer my family went to London two days after the transportation bombings. We refused to let it affect our vacation. We had a wonderful time by the way. The British certainly know how to handle this kind of stuff.
I was on my way to Norfolk, Jason and I had just gotten married in August, and I was moving over...My friend and I were making the drive and we just left my family at Cracker Barrell where we had breakfast. I heard them talking about it on the radio, but I thought it was a stupid joke. But then my family started calling my phone and telling me to turn around and go back home. I remember being so terrified. But there was no way that I wasnt going to be with my husband. They locked down the base and wouldnt let people on or off, but luckily Jase was in school so they let him leave and come home. He met me at our new apt. and we went over to his buddies house, cause his new wife had just moved over too, but he wasnt allowed to leave. I remember there was like 5 of us all huddled together on the floor watching the tv, just in shock. It was the most horrible thing that I had even seen in my life. Every Sept. 11th is a day to remember that there are people out there who will do ANYTHING to make a point. And you are not going to win against people who are so heartless. And I pray for every family that had a loss that day, and every child that dosent have their parent with them anymore. Hopefully us as Americans will never forget....Funny how patriotic people can be, until they forget...then they are quick to call on god. Hopefully all of us will not forget that we need god all the time, not just when bad things happen...
Stephanie
That day I was getting my kids ready like any other morning, watching GMA and crocheting (the Halloween afghan actually was made during and the weeks after) I remember watching the planes hit and the towers cooming down. My kids and I started crying. Remember thinking that this really couldnt be happening but yet it was. I will never forget. That is all I watched on the news for weeks afterwards.
I was at work and the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania was flying somewhere above us we were told. The City was on alert.
Like Sue, I awaoke to this news when the alarm went off Pacific time.
I had sworn off newscasts several years earlier, and here I was hooked back into them, wanting to hear updates. It took me a couple months to realize what I was doing.
It was one of the saddest days ever. And you are absoultely right about Americans being hated abroad. And with actions like the current administration's, it is only going to get worse.
We have to find a way to heal the adomosity that the rest of the world feels towards us. Being responsible and less taken by consumerism, and beign respectful of other cultures would be a good a start. We are a global community. We must. Every person can start now to make a difference.
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