story50.xml

story50.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-02-09

September 11, 2001 was the sixth day of classes and I was
trying to keep my stern face and no nonsense attitude alive.
I did not want to appear weak - yet, although I had not recovered
from our son's wedding on Sept. 1. West Springfield High
School has a break each day between 9:10 and 9:30 and I was
in my room planning for the next class, when another teacher yelled
to me, "Quick, turn on the TV, the World Trade Center
has just been hit by a plane!" I quickly turned to CNN and
stood there in awe with tears rolling down my face. I could
not speak. I had just been to New York a few weeks prior
and marveled at how safe I felt in the big city.

As students trickled in, they froze in their tracks. The bell
rang and I began class by telling them what I was watching,
and with little coaxing, I granted their wishes to watch, too.
However, the pit in my stomach deepened with the second hit.
By now even the 15-year-old students recognized terrorism. We all
were sick about what was happening to New York, when CNN switched
to Washington, D.C. A suffocating silence fell over the classroom
like a deep blanket of snow when we saw the black plume of
smoke at the Pentagon. Terrorism was in our backyard!
I was brought back to the moment when I heard whimperings
in the class and students asking if they could call a parent.
I was dealing with 24 students' fears by sharing my cell phone,
which would not work, and letting them email parents from my
classroom computer. Even former students were coming to me
for assistance. Our principal got on the PA to request we all
stay in the building and to offer comfort to students and
faculty. However, we quickly learned that communications
were impaired and we felt isolated. Since about a third of
my students' parents worked in the Pentagon, fear of the unknown
penetrated our souls. This was a time to do my best
with limited resources to help ease those fears with hugs,
consoling words, and adult reassurance. Panicked parents were
wisely lining up at school to take their children home.

Because of the necessity to take care of my students, I had to put
my own worry on the back burner. I kept thinking of my husband,
who, periodically, had meetings at the Pentagon. Was this one
of those days? I could not remember if he had mentioned he
would be there or not. I knew I could not reach him via
telephone or email; it was too late. I had to patiently wait,
which isn't one of my virtues.

After my classes, I quickly rushed home to find my husband on
the phone. He was talking to someone long distance. I
could not contain my emotions any longer and I burst into
tears. He excused himself from the phone and just held me
as I shared my day of extreme emotion. Then he told
me about his day. He was on his way to work in Washington, D.C.
as he has done for 26 years, but today he was much later than usual.
As he was driving to D.C. the plane that hit the Pentagon
flew right over him on I-395. He said his first thought was
"That plane is way out of the flight path and it is going to
hit a building in the area!" A few seconds later his words
came true. He didn't dream it was actually on a mission
aiming for the Pentagon. As smoke and flames poured from his
sometimes workplace, traffic came to a halt. Commuters had to
roll up windows to guard against inhaling jet fuel and smoke fumes.
After two hours of nightmarish hell, my husband made the eight
mile trek back home. The bridges into the District had been
closed forbidding entrance into the District, so he couldn't
get to work.

All of a sudden, my husband told me that our son and his new
wife were safe, too. I was scared and shocked again. I did
not know what he was talking about. Trey and Sara were on
their honeymoon in Hawaii! Of course they are safe. However,
they were scheduled to return on Tuesday, Sept. 11. I did
not know that. Our son and daughter-in-law were twenty
minutes out of Dulles International Airport when the pilot
came on the PA to announce that they had been told by FAA to
divert to Cincinnati. The passengers on that flight from St.
Louis that morning did not know what was happening on land.
Trey said he knew something terrible had happened because he
saw the military F14 escorts beside their flight. It was
such a relief to speak to our children. They had a three
day extended honeymoon - in Cincinnati - and a close friend
at the University of Cincinnati loaned them his car to drive
home because transportation was impossible to acquire those
days following the attack.

Our other son, a college student in South Carolina, was safe,
too. Even his girlfriend's mother called from Japan to check on
us. Many concerned calls came that day from all over the country.
It was a good feeling to know that someone cares.

I had an overwhelming need to hug and kiss my family that day.
I am forever a changed person; maybe even a better person. I
just know my priorities are different and I take time to appreciate
the smaller things in life now. Although my life is guarded due to an
element of fear, my focus on what truly matters is a blessing.
Our students lost two parents in the Pentagon attack along with
their innocence that day. Somehow, the basic things in life are
important again because we all lost something that day. Simplicity
is a necessity. Teaching has always been my passion and I feel
very grateful that I am able to share life with wonderful young
people, even during a tragedy.