story4969.xml

story4969.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I wasn't due at work until noon, so I stopped at Arby's for a sandwich first. While I was there, I heard people talking about missing planes. I thought it was strange, but didn't pay alot of attention to it. (I had not turned on the TV or radio while getting ready for work). When I got to work, my co-worker, Nancy, looked so serious as she told me that she had brought a radio to work. This also seemed strange, as our office has digital music piped in. I asked her if the digital wasn't working. She replied that she wanted to be able to get news so that we could keep up with what was happening. I asked her what was going on. She looked at me like I was from outer space. She told me that we were under attack. I asked her "under attack? Who is attacking us?" She replied that we didn't know. I said, "Then how do you know we are under attack?" She said that the World Trade Towers had both collapsed. I simply could not believe what she was saying. I kept saying, "That's impossible. They are massive, I've seen them in person. A plane could not have collapsed them. You have to be pulling my leg." Finally she got the news on the radio, and I heard my first report of the disasters. I was stunned. It could not be possible. Each patient that came in that day couldn't stop talking about it. We even had several cancellations due to the attacks. I felt a heightened sense of awareness, and a sense of being numb all at the same time. I remember the blue of the sky, and no planes flying overhead. We are only about 60 miles from Chicago, so we always see planes. But not that day. Finally about 4:30, one solitary plane flew over, I found out later that it was President Bush. When I got home that night, I was glued to the TV, seeing for the first time, the total devastation being played over and over. It took a couple of weeks of seeing those images daily to make it real for me. Part of me still does not quite believe that those massive towers are gone.
I was impressed by the way our leaders and politicians pulled together, forgetting who was Republican and who was Democrat, forging a united front for our nation. President Bush and Mayor Guilliani deserve a very special place in the history of our nation for the unflinching way they handled the crisis.
One good thing that has come out of all of this is a renewed sense of patriotism, a sense that we are the "United" States of America. Suddenly, being American means so much more than it used to. My heart swells with pride as I drive down streets and still, one year later, see countless flags flying, where 13 months ago, there were none. It is gratifying to see all of the flags on the cars and trucks, whether as bumper stickers, or as flags on antennas and windows. We are a mighty nation.
We saw our nation pull together to help each other through this unbearable time. My heart aches for those who lost friends and loved ones that day. I cannot imagine the pain they feel. We all know that we will lose loved ones, and that we too, will die. But to die in such a tragic, senseless manner, is shockingly horrific. It is almost too much to comprehend. My family and I are fortunate, we did not lose anyone personal that day. We only experienced the loss that the whole nation felt, not the personal grief of the victims families.
The people on the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania are heros. They did not think of themselves, but instead, put the good of the nation ahead of their own survival. They chose the time and place that where the plane went down, greatly minimizing the loss of life to the people on the ground. How many more might have died that day if the terrorists had crashed the plane according to their plan?
The police and firefighters and all emergency workers, who bravely kept going into the doomed buildings must never be forgotten. Their noble sacrifice saved thousands of lives. It takes a special kind of courage to run into a burning building. These brave men and women possessed that courage. In the midst of their overwhelming pain and grief, their families should be proud of them. They went above and beyond the call of duty. They are the true heroes of that day, and the weeks of search and rescue/recovery that followed.
To the people of New York, and all the other cities and countries who responded with help during the crisis, .....
......THANK-YOU!!!!! You have shown the world what true compassion is. You saw the need and stepped up and filled the need. May that spirit of community live on forever. May the old complacency never again show up. We are one people, what affects one segment of us, affects all of us.
God Bless America!!!! I am proud to be an American. We have shown the world that we are made of the right stuff.