Posted on 09/09/2002 6:15:02 PM PDT by Pippin
It was a day I’ll never forget. Nor do I imagine will anyone else! I might forget the exact details of what I was doing that day, but they became less important as the day grew older.
I remember leaving early to go to work in Baltimore, MD. I had decided to go into work at 6:00 am in order to get off at 2:30. In my job with the Social Security Administration, as in other federal agencies, we have flex- time. For some reason, even though it was only Tuesday, I wanted to sign out early. Well, I should explain, Sept. 11, 2001, started out with a cool morning and the forecast was for cooler temperatures, I don’t remember, but I think it was somewhere in the 80’s. Cool compared to July and August, two really hot and humid months for Maryland, especially Baltimore!
The morning started as usual, nothing really earth shattering. I had some work to complete that I had stared the day before but had to leave for the next day. I did check FR for any news articles and to go to a thread I had always enjoyed lurking on, “A Day in the Life of President Bush”. I liked lurking, as, along with some great pictures, the regulars on thread were really great people who seemed more like a family that really cared for each other and for their country and their president. I felt like I knew them even though I have never met them at the time, as I was not yet registered with FreeRepublic.
Well, after reading the thread and eating my breakfast, I was ready to start the day. But around 8:45 I kept hearing my coworkers talking about a building having been bombed or something like that. At first I thought it was another house-fire, all summer we had bee plaqued with fires around the city. So I paid no attention. Then I heard a commotion around me of people talking rapidly and all panicky. I finally turned on my radio, I was listening to my cd’s at the time, I turned on one of the local country and western stations to hear the reporter announcing confirmation of a plane going into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York. I thought what a weird accident!
Then I heard someone exclaim, “ Oh My God! Another plane has hit the second tower!” I started thinking to myself, what on earth is going on! There is no way two planes could hit both towers on the same day by accident. I started to get really scared when I heard words like terrorists and hijackings. Then I heard about a third plane going into the Pentagon. I lost it! I started to cry and I can’t remember saying much as I was in full panic. A coworker tried to comfort me. All that morning became a blur of questions and speculations. After all, we were in a federal building and after the plane went into the Pentagon, we were sure our building would be next.
Then a co-worker asked were was the President, along with the statement that she was sure he was hiding somewhere! That made me angry, as I did not think President Bush was the type to run away and hide when trouble started! But, she was a liberal and a Clinton supporter, so I wasn’t too surprised at her comments. I ignored it as a matter of fact. Then it dawned on me that the president was in danger so I started praying that he and his family would be safe. At about 11:00 my mother called me saying that I better come home, as she feared more attacks. She did not have to tell me twice! I went and filled out a leave-slip for 11:00 and left for home. I was in a state of shock and fear. Not knowing what was coming next. I was riding home on the light-rail train from Baltimore to Glen Burnie. To hear all the anti- Bush rhetoric around me did nothing to improve my mood at the time! I kept thinking, what a time for criticizing the president!
I finally got home and the phone immediately began to ring, people calling and asking me if I was all right, even a friend from Toronto, who told me that all the tall office buildings in Toronto were evacuated as well. The government on Ontario feared the attacks would extend to Toronto as well! Even though I told everyone I was all right, I knew I wasn’t all right emotionally!
All the rest of the day I was glued to both the TV set and the computer and FR, The thing that kept me from going completely off the deep end were the people on FR. I also sensed their strength and resolve and their concern for one another, especially those freepers in New York and Washington. I also sensed their sadness. AI wished I could have posted something to them back then. Finally the news began to upset me, so I turned both computer and TV off and decided to go for a walk.
I took a long walk because I needed to think and to pray. But all I could see in my mind were those pictures of the two towers falling and the smoke and dust that blackened the sky over New York, as well as the people running all covered with dust. Those scenes are forever burned in my memory. I kept wondering why. Why did this happen to us? I felt so helpless and small, not to mention vulnerable. I felt violated like I was raped, like my country was raped! I started to feel fear and insecurity. Then I happened to look down as I was walking under a tree. I saw two twigs lying on the ground they were laying in such a manner that they formed a cross. I took it as a sign, a communication from God. Like He was saying, “Fear not! I’m in charge still.” This comforted me. I went to my parents’ house because I needed their company for a while. While I was there my sister came in and told about how my nephew reacted to all that was happening. When some of his fellow students made snide remarks about the towers collapsing, he was upset with those students.
I did not go to work the next day, as I was still shaken and unsure if the building was safe and would not be attacked. I don’t remember what I did that day as I was still in shock and in a daze. I’m sorry this is so long but I felt I needed to get it out in the open as I had kept most of my thoughts and feelings inside for a year. I started to blame all the presidents that came before the current one, especially Clinton. I blamed everybody from the Democrats and liberals and others who were too blind to see what was going down.
All this has changed me in that I realized how much I had taken for granted all my life. I never realized until that horrible day that I could loose so much of my freedom or that we could be attacked so viciously on our own land. I thank God every day, now, for this great land and for having a decent and Godly man such as President Bush leading us at this time. I also pray for those in our military and for their families. So I’ll end this by saying something I said to a Freeper friend in a reply on the Canteen thread: "I said that because an attack on one is an attack on all. When I saw the Towers fall on TV, saw the planes fly into them, and also saw the damage to the Pentagon and remember Todd Beamer and his fellow passengers, I think these terrorists did not ask who was from Texas, California, New York or any other state. All they wanted to do was kill Americans. So, therefore I repeat, we are all from New York. “
I also say GOD BLESS AMERICA!
I did not ping everyone to this as I dont have an extended ping list, so if you all could ping some of the others to this thread I would apprediate it, Thank You!
I checked in on FR as soon as I could see through my tears. I remember the thread where Huck was telling us what was going on, and then he wasn't there.
All day I prayed he would be okay. I closed up early and came home. I found out Huck was safe. I thanked God for that.
I didn't get to ping a lot of people to this thread, so I'm hoping some others will ping them.
I'm not good at remembering everyone on my list.
Thank you for remonding me of it, ML!
Thanks for the ping, Pip. Excellent post. : )
To my thread on my memories of 911.
You're welcome, Pip.
Here's another bump! : )
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