It has been ten years since that horrific day, 9/11, when the WORLD watched the Twin Towers fall after two hijacked planes crashed into them. As I type this, I'm watching 205 FXNWS on DISH, '9/11: Timeline of Terror.' And as they play a timeline of that emotionally traumatizing day, I remember ...
A beautiful day ... much like today, ten years later ... and I was on my way to work as a telemarketer for a call center here in my home town of Ogallala, NE. The radio went on alert with a report that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers of the Trade Center in New York City.
"What!? Oh my God! What could this be?" I remember mumbling out loud.
I drove into the parking lot of my work and ran into the building and announced loudly, "Have you all heard the news?"
A few blank stares met my eyes, just as the supervisor came out of her office and together we announced that a plane crashed into the World Trade Center.
I went to my assigned cubicle and put my personals away as I sat down to log in and begin my day. I felt numb as I began my calls. It wasn't even 15 minutes into the job when the phone lines went blank and the call center went down. Our supervisor reappeared and announced that the phone lines were down for an undetermined amount of time and everyone would be sent home for the day. Any other day I would have been elated that we had an unexpected day off. But this day was different. Different? How?
I packed up my things and couldn't shake feeling alarmed, scared even. Everyone was trying to analyze what was happening as they gathered their things and headed out the door. An accident? Another Pearl Harbor? A joke ... we knew NOTHING, but we all felt a premonition of doom, of something out of balance.
"Lord," I silently prayed, "please protect us!"
Protect us from what? Us? I was recalling Oklahoma. Even remembering Columbine. Our great country is full of sick thinking so I was preparing for the worst. I had no idea how the 'worst' would unfold as it did that day. Our easy access to such events through the various media seared the events to our soul.
Instead of driving home, I drove over to Mom and Dad's. As I opened the front door, they were both watching the horror unfold on TV. I recognized that look of alarm on their faces. Didn't I just leave an environment of alarmed looking telemarketers? The day would draw in alarmed expressions from all walks of life and from all over the world. Alarm that would grow into despair, anguish and sheer shock.
Mom moved her pillows from the end of the couch to make room for me. I sat right beside her. Being near her seemed to make me feel more settled, more secure. I knew my folks were just as powerless as I. Still, there was some comfort in sitting as near as Mom would let me. I felt like a little girl again and had this crazy desire to climb into her lap. Yeah, sitting as close as I could get was good.
.... and later in the day, she and I would tell each other how grateful we were to be with each other. Families would be watching what we were watching and they would know someone inside the towers or one of the first responders. For them the agony would find no comfort. We still had each other. Mom and I said a prayer for everyone. Ok, I said the prayer but Mom was holding my hand and agreeing with me.
Dad sat in his recliner with his hand over his mouth. It amazed me that he was so quiet most of the day. He'd have moments of ranting when we learned that it was a terrorist attack but even his ranting was mostly quiet. He hadn't been feeling well since coming home from a recent hospital stay. And after this traumatic day, he seemed to decline faster and would go to be with the Lord less than 5 months later. He was also a veteran and had seen war and didn't like it then and sure didn't like it now. Now? He knew we would be going to war as a result of this. We all thought it would be with Egypt since the terrorists were from Egypt or Iran. Dad would have been surprised that we went back to Iraq. Anyway, rather Dad wasn't feeling well or reeling from the events unfolding on TV ... he was quiet. Too quiet. Later in the day, I would look over to witness tears rolling down his cheeks as he sat silently crying. In that moment I felt so small and helpless.
So there we sat, in silence, watching ... shocked. My only comfort of the moment, of the whole day, was being with two people I loved dearly. Together we witnessed, and cried, and despaired for all those in the Twin Towers and the unfolding terror that we could only watch...
... I only watched ... and it tore my heart out of my soul. I can't imagine what the experience was like for those who became innocent victims of such senseless evil. I can't imagine what one went through when they jumped from one death to another. I can't even fathom what sickness holds someone to commit suicide while killing thousands of innocents. I cry for those who went up to save lives and lost their own. I marvel at the survivor stories, miracles amid the tragic loss, and the heroes, like Flight 93 and all the first responders and all the people who helped each other. I was moved so much that, ten years later, I still feel a knot in my stomach and my heart still aches. And I wasn't even there ... I could only watch ...
Osama Bin Laden is dead now. He was supposedly the master mind, the leader of such evil. He was killed by the United States under the order of President Barack Obama. And he never was in Iraq ... but President Bush put us there and ... ok, ok, I'm digressing. So the king pin was finally brought down. But that pales to the impact of that day, 9/11/01, when terrorists brought down the Twin Towers. Ten years later there are still more questions then answers, more sorrow than joy and more fear than trust.
No comments:
Post a Comment