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Nine years ago today. What a morning that was. That instant when I heard and saw what was happening on TV lasted for days. In fact, it goes on even now. When I think of it, the chills still make a dash up my spine and kind of explode in my head, not as strongly as on that day and the ensuing days, but it is still in me.
I was walking out the door for work. Just as I reached to turn off the TV, where I'd been watching the morning news, the screen went to a plane hitting the Tower. No big flashes of "Breaking News" or anything similar. It just switched from the newscaster's face directly to that scene.
I stopped and watched for a few minutes as they reran the clip three or four times. And as they showed a live shot of the burning tower, the second plane hit the second tower. And my heart stopped. I had painful prickles all over my body, as I realized just then that it was not a little private plane, but an airliner.
I woke my husband who wouldn't believe me until he I turned on the TV in the bedroom, and he was looking at the TV screen himself. And he said, "Goddam. We may be at war."
I went to work and began a process that was repeated day after day for many days to come. I worked at a treatment center for children. Everyone was in shock, and while many of the children didn't even understand what had happened, they picked up on the emotion and stress of the staff. The therapists and I worked with the children and the childcare staff in an attempt to process the events and defray as much anxiety as possible. Watching TV was forbidden, only videos could be watched. By the end of the day, everyone would be better. The therapy staff would go home, as the daytime staff did. Then we would watch news at home, because we couldn't help be need to find out what was going on. But the next day, we had to repeat the process to defray the nervous fright in the souls of everyone.
I'm sure each of you had similar emotions, although how you lived it out varied. But I'd guess that you still have the pin prickles on your neck much like I do even today. Our lives are forever changed.
I'm reminding us all that it is important that we learn how to move on. So many have latched onto a paranoid fear of a faceless group, a group with which they have no relationship and little knowledge. It is critical that we help each other through each day. The more we allow the fear to manifest into hatred, the more dangerous our world is. I'm not willing to just let everything evolve into chaos without trying to bring some sense of reason and peace.
I don't propose going easy on terrorists. They are the scum of the earth whether they are from the Middle East as these were or from Kansas as was Timothy McVeigh. We just need to remember that every Muslim or brown skinned person is not a terrorist, any more than every Kansan is or every white person is when we remember the Oklahoma bombing. Bad people come in every size, shape, color, religious persuasion, culture and from any nation. But in every one of those categories, there are also thousands (tens or hundreds of thousands) of good people for every bad one.
We all need to learn tolerance. I do, too. I have weak areas, and know what? Every time I find a person or a group that I have some fear of, it is based in the unknown. And every time I am able to learn about that person or group, the fear lessens. And once I'm able to know those people, the whole thing becomes rather silly, as I realize that they have their good and bad apples. Just as we do, whoever is included in "we."
May we never forget the losses our nation suffered on this day in 2001. And may we find ways to move forward with emphasis on love, forgiveness, and learning as much as possible about others. It still won't be perfect, but fear, hatred, paranoia and distrust don't do a thing .... not one single thing .... to "them." Those things only hurt us if we carry them with us in our hearts and minds. That's right, we are hurting ourselves. We cause our own downward spirals into darkness.
Let's find the silver lining and move ahead. Hold onto the memories and lessons, but move forward into the light.
Listen carefully to these words:
Just Americans, The New Christy Minstrels
Listen carefully to these words:
Just Americans, The New Christy Minstrels
Good post Lynilu. It's quite frustrating when people blame entire countries for the 9/11 tragedy that weren't even involved. Then you have people like that ignorant pastor in Florida trying to stir up even more problems against people who are mainly peace-loving. There are extremists and terrorists in every country, as you said. On 9/11 I was at school, walking a group of kindergartners to gym. My teacher was out that day and it fell to me to try to keep calm and keep the kids totally oblivious. It was hard because there were so many rumors flying around and I couldn't get to a tv to see what was happening. Even days later we had to keep the children in from recess and when we were finally able to go outside every plane that came near would completely freak-out all the adults outside. Those were scary times and it's sad that even today people are blaming countries and nations of people that weren't even involved. Just goes to show what power the media has and how things completely ignorant people say on the news is sometimes taken for gospel. Mostly I feel it's sad that the world will never really be the same as it was before that day. We will never really be able to go back to how we were, so innocent and trusting, able to fly anywhere without fear of who else is on the plane, paranoid about back packs sitting on a sidewalk, checking old ladies and babies with metal detectors before they board planes. Just so sad.
ReplyDeleteYou've said it, Deb.
ReplyDeleteI've flown only 3-4 times since 9/11, and it just isn't fun anymore. Part of it is fall out from 9/11 and what has grown in the media and in the heads of ignorant people who have fed on the media crap.
You're right. Our lives will never be the same.
Lynn and Deb AMEN!!!!
ReplyDeleteOn that fateful day I was on the way to work when I heard of the first plane crashing into the WTC on the radio. When I got to work the television had already been moved into a common area where most of us could hear it. Shortly after arriving the 2nd plane hit and we were all numb with astonishment. Realizing that this was now not a simple accident but, we were under some sort of attack. The days to come revealed by whom.
I will always be astonished by these events and will have empathy for the victims and everyone that were and are affected by these atrocities not only during my lifetime but throughout history in general......... The Holocost, OKC Bombing, 9/11, Columbine High school shooting, just to name a few. Unfortunately the list is not short.
DJ
No, the list is anything but short. And the list is horrendous, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteOur innocence and a society had been hacked at with many events, but this one took it away completely. I heard a number of older people say that it reminded them of the shock experienced when Pearl Harbor was attacked. We never recover from those things.
Very well said Lyn, I can't add anything more. Love Di ♥
ReplyDeleteThank you, Di. :')
ReplyDeleteI couldn't say this any better. I will never forget that day and all the emotions I felt.
ReplyDeleteI wish there were nothing to be said about the day. :'(
ReplyDelete