In Remembrance

Light a candle. Take a few moments of silence to remember all who have perished in the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon. And let’s not forget the plane that was taken down in PA. Think about the firemen and policemen on duty that fateful day. Think about all those who have been affected by the attacks.

I was reading today’s paper saying that it’s been 5 years since the attacks. How many of us remember what we were doing that day, that very hour, of the attacks? It is forever imprinted in my mind what I was doing that day.

I got a gravy job at work that day. I was assembling knobs and wrapping them at the factory I worked at. Some of my co-workers were gathered around a radio. I didn’t pay much attention to them. I wanted to get my quota. One of the ladies came over by me and said that a plane crashed into one of the Twin Towers. I admit I had a hard time digesting this in my mind. Did I hear her right? Did she say that a plane hit the WTC? Isn’t that a wee bit too low for a plane to go? If there was engine trouble, don’t the pilot(s) try to avoid crashing into a congested area? It was surreal. Then there were more exclamations from the others. They came over by me and said that a second plane hit the other tower.

That got my attention. This was no accident. Is this the start of WWIII? It was a somber day. I couldn’t wait to get home. I didn’t have the option of taking the rest of the day off. I had started riding with another co-worker the past two years to take the 30-40 minute commute to work because it was dark at 5:00 in the morning. I am nightblind.

Once I got home, I just hugged my kids. My youngest was only a year old at the time. I was just happy to be home. How many people worried when their loved ones didn’t come home? How many people were able to go home that night?