I can't believe it is 5 years since that fateful day. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. I remember I didn't have to be to work until 1 pm, and I was still in bed. Of course I had fallen asleep with the tv on. I woke up and saw the image of the plane crashing into the WTC. I was thinking what kind of crazy movie is on in the morning. Then I noticed the Today show logo on the bottom right hand corner of the screen and the time posting. I couldn't believe it was real. My heart was beating at an irregular pace. My best friend, Joni, worked out of her home, so I called her and asked her if it was real. I imagine the correct answer was that it was surreal. I was affixed to the tv set for hours. I worked managing a retail store and my staff called to say that the mall closed and not to come to work. I spent the entire day watching the tv - CNN, FOX News, ABC, NBC, CBS and every other report I could. I was on the phone with friends and family all day and evening as well. How could this happen we asked each other. What did it all mean. What was the future going to hold for all of us? Was there going to be a future? Joni's cousin worked in the Pentagon. My cousin saw the plane as it turned over Cleveland before it crashed in PA. This isn't supposed to happen on our soil. This isn't supposed to happen at all.
As I said earlier, I will never forget that day. I will always mourn for those that lost thier lives and for the families that lost loved ones. I will remember how are lives were effected for the long run. Our views of certain people have changed, our economy has changed, our level of safety and security has changed. Then I will also remember how we have gotten complacent as well. In the days and months following 9/11 flags flew everywhere. Not so much anymore. We learn of threats and react and then go back to our old ways. I suppose we just don't want to believe that it can ever happen again. That lightening can't strike twice. I am just as guilty as the next guy. I swore I would never fly again. 1 year later, on 9/9, I flew to Italy. I wouldn't fly via United or American. We also decided that in conversation, we would tell people we were Canadian, unless we were talking to other Americans! And I certainly wouldn't announce that I was Jewish! I still don't make that announcement to people I don't know.
I am not sure where I am going with this post! The bottom line is we must never forget what happened on 9/11, a modern day holocaust on our soil and in our air. Keep the victims in our thoughts and prayers, keep our servicemen and women in our prayers and pray it never happens again.
Until next time...goodnight
2 comments:
Maureen,
What a haunting and well-written post. We all mourn together today, and while we pray that it will never happen again, 9/11 took our innocence. We realize now in a blatant way that these jihadists hate us all.
As it is in Israel, with constant attempts to attack, so I fear it will be in America.
Yaakova,
it is sad and unfortunate that you are probably so right. There are so many people that hate us - Americans - regardless of religion, because of our perceived wealth and power. Those that hate us probably don't even realize or care to realize the number of poor and illiterate, the number of people with no health insurance, the number of children that go to sleep hungry each night. Then add to that the fact that America is perceived to have Jewish people in roles of wealth and power and we have a double whammy against us.
Oy.
Post a Comment