nmah2084.xml

nmah2084.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-10

September 11, 2001 started out as an ordinary day. I was getting ready for work and like I always do, I turned on the television to watch the news and weather. This time as I tuned to CNN I saw a building with smoke billowing out. I called my husband, Tom, into the room. I remember saying, "Look at this! What would cause a plane to run into a tall building?" Tom, being a retired Army officer became alert and said we are under attack. Not to long after that we saw live on the television a second plane close to the second tower and sure enough it hit. We knew that instant Tom was right. Immediately we called our son, Dave, and our son and daugher in law, Mike and Jenna. We woke them and told them to turn to the news. Soon after that the Pentagon was hit and then there was a fourth plane. They were in disbelief as they watched. This was new to them and to us a new war had begun.

I continued to go to work that day, taking a small television with me. Customers watched the updates and stood in disbelief. It was hard to continue on in any way of normalcy. Very few people were out and about. The streets had little traffic on them, towns and cities were very quite, childern were not outside playing. The skies were very quiet, it seemed even the wild birds and animals took on a silence. Living very near McConnell Air Force Base we still would hear a jet take off every so often. At night the skies were quiet. I would look up at the night sky and wonder when any plane other than military would fly again. It was so strange not to hear planes above and not see their lights in the sky. I wondered if we would every hear them again. Would we be here the next day or the day after that. What would happen next? Who could have done this? Did not someone know this was to happen?

I think everyones lives have changed. I know mind did. Yes, I continued on with a somewhat normal life, but I am more alert to my surroundings and to people around me. Both in and out of my neigborhood, which at one time was my safe zone. I pick up on people who speak a foreign language and dress in their countries attire. I am leary of groups of people. When sirens sound or I see emergency lights I am more atuned to them. I wonder what has happened now. I call my sons, mother and brother more frequently. Each day I try to live to its fullest. As a quilter I joined in to make a quilt.

September 11 will always be remembered as the day thousands of lives were given for our freedeom...all in one day....America was attacked. We should remember what freedom stands for, why generations before us came to this great land, why we should not take anything for granted again...we should have learned with Pearl Harbor, but being of the nature we are, we are to trusting. We never thought it could happen again, but it did, and this time we should listen to this history and NEVER let it be repeated again.

An American Flag flies frequently at our house. That day it was out immediately. My husband saw to that. He was on the web and was able to print out a picture of the twin towers with an Eagle and tear. Tom put it in a frame. I drove to the local grocery store and grabbed some patriotic balloons. When I got to work I dressed up the front window for all people to see, you see I was going to make sure the place I worked had a flag flying that day and that those people who gave their lives for freedom would be honored. People stopped by the window to pay tribute to those who soared.
I have attended many military and public fuctions over the years. The flag was always very meaningful to me. I am and have always been proud to fly the flag and be an American, I am even prouder today then yesterday. Where else could we have such freedoms?