Most of us probably have one moment in our lives when we remember exactly where we were or what we were doing when a national tragedy occurred - for my parents generation it was the day JFK was killed. For my grandparents, it was the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. I remember asking them about that and hearing them tell with such detail exactly what they were doing and how they heard. My folks were in college, and they cancelled class that day. I remember asking my dad his reaction and he said "people don't just kill presidents."
I did not have anything like that in my generation maybe with the Challenger explosion as an exception, until five years ago today. I will always remember where I was, what I was doing and what I thought. Of course, disbelief was first, then sorrow and profound loss at how something like this could have happened - and so far away from where I was going on about my daily life. I hurt for the people of NY - and it wasn't until later that the images and pictures of all four crashes became evident. I hated this "unseen" enemy and was proud to be an American. I remember the street corners in my town becoming instant vigil sites - flags waving, people holding candles and praying - it was something I do not want to forget. I wish, sadly, that we could have those bonding moments without tragedy - but I fear we will not. We are consumed with our daily lives, not in a bad way, just in a way that shields us from thinking about something so sad for too long.
The picture is graphic, I know, but I do not want to forget - I want to forgive and move on and hope to make the world a little better where I live.
3 comments:
I was a junior in college. I woke up, poured myself a bowl of cereal, and sat down on the couch to watch "The Today Show." The first tower had already been hit and no one knew what was going on. All of a sudden, right before my eyes, a 2nd plane came across the screen and hit the other tower. It was chaos and I didn't move from that couch for hours. Later on that morning, I learned that one of the flights took off from Boston. My best friend was catching a connecting flight in Boston. I remember the feeling in my stomach and the bile rising in my throat as I called my mom, crying, wanting her to reassure me that my best friend would be okay. She was silent - she could not give me the reassurance I so desperately wanted. It was the worst moment of my life. Later that day I learned she was safe, and I cried again when I heard her voice on the phone. Many times I think about other people that day, waiting for their loved ones to call - a call they never received. My heart goes out to everyone who lost people they loved on that day.
I was getting ready for work that morning and was watching as the second plane hit too. So scary. I went on to work and Mark kept calling me updating. I remember when he called and said that they had hit the Pentagon. It was such a feeling of insecurity. I thought for sure that WWIII was starting and that life would never be the same again. I remember thinking that I didn't want to bring kids into our world and other thoughts like that...I also remember just watching hours of TV and how every channel had coverage from ground zero, even HSN! How quickly life goes back to normal, for us at least...I just think of other countries like Israel where bombings are a way of life...
Theology mom: I'm so glad you re-considered your decision to have kids! Yours are the greatest and make the evil in the world dim a bit...
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