7 years. Wow. For my generation, 9/11 was our JFK moment. You know... "Where were you when the towers were hit?" Everyone remembers exactly where they were, what they were doing, how they learned about it. I even remember what I was wearing that day. (Black wide leg pants, crisp white wraparound Kenneth Cole shirt with cufflinks.)
That was probably the worst day of my life, not only because of the horror that unfolded before all of us on live television, but also because there was a 12 hour delay from when I got an email from my brother saying, "I'm OK, leaving work now" at 10 a.m. to when I finally talked to him on the phone at 10:45 p.m. and knew he'd made it home to Brooklyn safely. Not knowing where he was all day or if he was safe was absolutely the most terrifying, gut-wrenching experience I've ever had.
About 6 weeks after 9/11, I traveled to New York for a Halloween party, U2 concert, and get-togethers with my brother and some friends and family. Had I not met IronHubby shortly thereafter, that weekend would have changed my life. I sobbed all the way home (talk about a difficult drive down the NJ Turnpike). I immediately started looking for jobs in New York. I was so moved that I was ready to pack it all up and start again in the Big Apple.
I still regret not doing it. I think I could have convinced IronHubby to move. Maybe I still can... who knows.
Another 4 weeks after that trip, I again traveled to New York as part of the Children of the Heroes program. We had collected thousands of new toys, books, and other holiday gifts for the kids of the firefighters and police officers who had died running into the Towers on 9/11.
The fires were still smoldering at that point. The smell still lingered. The memories were still too fresh. I had another breakdown, right in the middle of the sidewalk near Ground Zero.
Here are a few of the pictures I took that day.
And one picture that was taken of me with some new friends.
If you're so inclined, say a prayer today for those we lost and for those they left behind. We can't change the past, but we can ensure that their memory lives on in our hearts.
God bless America.
2 comments:
WOW. Very touching. Being on the other side of the country and not knowing anyone personally even close to the city this impacted me differently. That was still a hard time for me, but in a very different way.
I couldnt imagine going trough what you or any of those with family and friends had gone through during those times. It was heart wrenching enough watching things unfold 2500 miles away not knowing anybody directly involved.
It was surreal when I went to NJ and NYC in '05 and saw the skyline without the towers. They were there the last time I had went back there but that was many years ago. My wife and kids will never know what its like to gaze upon those bldgs in person.
God bless FDNY, NYPD and all those who suffered in those tragic times
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