nmah6502.xml

nmah6502.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-04-17

I was on my 2nd day of orientation for a new job, & the group of us waiting wondered why no one had come to take us to the orientation class...one girl left to find out & came running back saying"a plane has just hit one of the World Trade Center Towers".We all followed her to the lobby television, & were just in time to see the second plane hit LIVE,which was horrifying. Everyone in the nursing home who could be was gathered around the television for awhile. We went to class, & while we were in there, an announcement came over the loud speaker announcing an imminent prayer service"for our country" & the girl announcing it was weeping. We didn't know why until we took a break, & saw a replay of the collapsing of the towers,which gave me a chill to my bones that I will never forget. On my way home, I heard a man who had witnessed the crash of Flight 93, & HE was weeping, saying over & over"It was just obliterated".I looked at all the cars around me, & realized that all of us driving were listening to all the accounts, & I thought"I should just go home."My daughter & I were staying with my parents, & when my daughter got home from school, she came running into the house terrified, saying"Planes are crashing all over!" & she was afraid to go to the 2nd floor of the house. She was in 4th grade, & the school had let them watch the television coverage.I remeber us being glued to the TV for the next several days.Although we knew no one personally, Tom Burnett had gone to my brother & sisters' high school & was a "local" boy(Bloomington MN). I just remeber a great aching sadness from that time, the horror almost being too much to grasp.

My daughter & I had moved to MN to live with my parents. My 2 sons lived with their father in West Virginia. September 11 played a large part in my decision to move back to Virginia, to remain closer to my sons. We moved home by the end of that month.On a larger scale, I think none of us will ever again take life as much for granted as we did before Sept.11.

I think we should never forget the tragic loss of so many innocent lives,& I also think we should always celebrate the many,many stories of heroism that came out of that time afterwards.

Yes, we flew a flag, & I have become much more patriotic after Sept.11. I have American flag decals on my car, we celbrate Flag day, & I have a much deeper understanding of how FIERCELY proud & privileged I am to be an American.