9/11- Five Years Ago Today
Five years ago, on this date a tragedy occurred in the United States that has changed the world and how we live our lives today. I have been watching CNN pipeline this whole morning; they are airing their original broadcast from that day. It brings up so much emotion for me... fear, sadness, anger, helplessness, worry...etc, etc, etc. For my American cousins I wonder what kind of emotions it brings up for you? I assume feelings much more stronger than mine. May God bless all the families that lost someone that day.
I was also thinking about what I was doing the day this happened... I can remember it pretty clearly. It was a milestone day for me as I was attending my very first day of university at U of T. I had Chem class at 9am so I had no clue as to what was going on, neither did anyone in the class. An hour later, I headed off to my Psych lecture with a couple of friends. Our prof. started the lecture saying something along the lines of "I'm so sorry to have to start this class with such a somber, sad mood, due to the tragedy that has just occurred. ...." No one knew what the guy was talking about. My friends and I were giving eachother confused looks. I honestly thought he was doing some sort of psychology experiment on us! I finally clued into what was happening when my friend and I were going to buy a hot dog from the vendor at College & St. George. His radio was tuned to a CNN broadcast. We listened for a bit, but at the time there was no confirmation that this was a terrorist plot, there really wasn't much information yet. We went home early that day and I watched news all day. I also remember going to the mall later on in the afternoon and so many stores were closed due to what happened. At the time I didn't realize what kind of repercussions this attack to the United States would have, and how it would affect everything we do now!
Anyway, that's my story. Being the teacher that I am, I turn the question over to you. What were you doing that day? Where were you? What can you remember?
Joyce.
posted by Bernie @ 9/11/2006 01:40:00 PM
3 Comments:
Nice blog Miss. Cabotaje...
Actually Ryan and I watched the movie World Trade Centre on Saturday. It didn't do much justice as to what really happened on that day. I commend all the police, fire and emt's who gave up their lives to save so many from this tragic event...
I was in my "Nursing with Families" class on my first day of University with UNB...I remember it was coffee break time...I didn't know anyone...no one knew anyone...when our prof came back, she said so "matter of a factly" that the WTC's had been hit...at first I was like, what's that?? I thought it was the Empire State building...anyhow, that became the topic of the day...a class of students who didn't know one another quickly became a group of friends and support b/c of this tragedy.
I went home that day and I turned on the news and saw what happened...I COULD NOT believe my eyes. I thought for the longest time that it was some kind of optical illusion...this can't be real?? That's not a plane in there??!! That's not people actually jumping out of the building is it??!!
It really brought tears to my eyes...the stories, the families lost...I still can't believe it happened. Even when we went to NY 2 years later there were memorials everywhere...in the subways, on posts...it just didn't seem real!!
Ryan and I tried to avoid the news today...it really makes us sad to think of that day. We always think that we want so much more out of our lives...but for those lost, I'm sure it doesn't compare to what they want or their families...it is a sad sad day, and foreever will be in our minds...
All we can do really is hope and pray something that tragic never happens again...
That morning, the kids were already in school - it was a school day after all - and Mommy (the kids’ Mom, of course) was at work. As for me, work was still a few hours away as I had a strange shift that started at 3:00 in the afternoon. In short, I was alone at home with not much to do to while away my time. I think I did some minor housework like washing the dishes, fixing the garbage and such but not much more. (Lazy bum.)
But there was not much to do really. And so in between, I took a little nap – yes, a nap in the morning. After a while, I decided to catch up with the news, got curious about what was happening in this world. And how convenient, the newspaper was right there on the dining table, almost in its pristine condition, (JBCA did not read that much news then). Although I did not know it, “catch-up” was a misguided concept at the time; misguided because instead of catching up by learning what was actually happening, when I picked up that newspaper, I proceeded to read history, instead. Completely unaware of the day’s events – and history in the making, it turned out – I quietly studied the past, neglecting the present. I did not even think of turning on the TV much less the radio. I would have been more aware and I would have been more involved, not physically perhaps, but emotionally and more passionately.
To make the story short, I finally got ready to go to work. I stepped out of the door, walked to the driveway but before I had the chance to get in the car, a neighbor passing by asked me if there was a need to pick up the kids from school. I thought that was a strange question to ask, so I was completely taken by surprise. Then I knew. I learned from her the gist of that morning’s historic and terrible events. A good but terrified looking mother she seemed, picking up her kid was what she actually had in mind and she was rushing to go to her kid’s school to do just that. (That’s the same school where Albert went.)
That then is how and when I learned about the shocking news: from a neighbor. And once again, I was relegated to learning the news when it’s already history. That’s when I decided to go back in to turn on the TV. That’s when I got back in the house to properly albeit, in a backward manner, absorb the terrible events of the past few hours.
Needless to say, I was late at work that day. But it did not matter. No one seemed to be doing serious work and the rest were in front of the TV in the conference room.
What did I feel? Mad of course! And it is the same way I feel now, five years later although I’d say a bit tempered by time.
God bless those who perished and God bless the loved ones they left behind.
(P.S., This is an instance where I sincerely feel to not forget and to not forgive.)
I was at work in Atlanta that day. Everyone crowded in the conference room and watched the second plane fly into the second tower and watched both buildings collapse. Then we watched the news coverage of the crash at the Pentagon of the crash of flight 93. I was in disbelief. Everyone was upset. Some coworkers had family members and friends that lived in New York. They tried to contact them, but the phone lines to New York were jammed. I did not feel safe in my own country for the first time in my life. It was a weird feeling. I was scared to drive home. Everyone that worked in tall office buildings were told to go home. I called my dad and asked him to go home. I watched the news for the next days and weeks following, overwhelmed by the sadness of all the lives lost. A few days later, my office gave everyone an American flag which Jean and I hung at the house. We also flew the flag on our cars. Everywhere you looked, the American flag was hanging on cars, houses, overpasses, office buildings etc.
My heart goes out to the families that lost their loved ones.
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