About this time on 9/11/2001 I was boarding a plane in Providence, RI. I remember the red haired security gal who was barely paying attention to her job, not really watching the camera. I actually remember thinking "she's thinking about her date last night and not paying attention to the security at all".
I remember walking thru the Chicago airport and wondering why all the TV's were off.
I remember waiting impatiently on the next plane; wondering why we weren't taking off on our flight to San Jose, CA.
I remember people trickling onto the plane, muttering about a plane and the WTC and thinking it must have been some small plane pilot who lost power, poor souls.
I remember the shock of hearing the overall gist of the story, seeing the Flight Attendants crying, listening to the pilot telling us that there was a "problem" and that we wouldn't be taking off soon.
I remember calling my husband and listening to him cry, thinking that my plane to Chicago was possibly one of horror-planes, maybe getting ready to hit the Sears Tower. I'd never heard him cry like that before.
I remember driving, driving, driving home - spending the night in Sandusky Ohio - and at 11:00 pm that night, seeing for the first time, the awful, horrible videos of the planes hitting the WTC...in my home town...where we had Dad's birthday party the year before...where my brother had been staying the week before. I couldn't grasp it all.
I remember needing to see my loved ones, to hug my husband, to hug my nephews. I remember another day of driving home - and just going, going and going. It seemed like a week until I could get home.
I remember thinking "we will never be the same again". I remember crying for the loss, for everyone's loss, for NYC's loss.
I will always remember that day. Every detail is etched in my mind. I don't obsess about it, but I will never forget it.
Never....
18 comments:
As will I remember. Thank you for your account of that day.
wow that's an amazing story.
Oh Mim. That was being close enough to the situation. Your poor husband not knowing, even for a moment that you were okay.
My husband landed in San Jose on the night of 9/10
after his yearly trip to Rhode Island. He made it there too late to catch the shuttle to Monterey and so he had to stay there for the night. He woke up to the news and his bosses calling, get here now and get on this story!! But like so many of us he was stuck, dumbstruck too, that something like this could happen here.
I remember walking on the beach path sobbing, trying to wrap my head around it. I couldn't. I never will. And the images are forever burned in my memory too. The terror of choosing to jump 100 stories because you had to get away from the flames.
yes, we're all forever changed. But to borrow Renee's phrase, hopefully now we're 'together strong.'
I will never forget either. I stayed at work that day because I knew if I left, I probably wouldn't come back (52 floor).
It did take a long time to "get over" the fear of being that high up and vulnerable.
That's a great way of putting it. I don't obsess, I don't dwell. But I sure don't forget.
Thank you for sharing your story of that horrible day. I hope no one ever forgets.
That day did change us forever...after that I never left my husband without saying I love you, because 9/11 showed us how you never know if it might be that last time you see someone you love.
Your day, that day, filled with observations that speak volumes. For me, Mike had moved out DC in July, I had to stay on in Oregon until October due to work. I didn't know much about where he worked except that he could see the White House from his office.
My sister woke me up and asked if I'd heard from Mike and to turn on the TV. It was a horror to watch, and I remember later hearing the sounds of so many firefighters alarms on their uniforms going off, that sound was overwhelming when you knew it meant lives lost.
Mike was fine, I finally heard from him in late afternoon after he was able to get out of DC and 3 days later I flew out to him and spent a few days. We just had to be together...just had to.
Well written Mim. We all have our remembrances of that horrible day.
I just wrote my long list of memories associated with this on Andrea's blog. I won't repeat it here...just to say I am REMEMBERING.
How awful for your poor husband to have to wonder for a second that you might be unsafe.
How I feared it when shortly after 9/11 my daughter chose to fly back east, my brother flew to So. CA. for a business meeting. I was terrified to have anyone I knew on a plane then. Life went on...life goes on.
Glad this 9/11 holds a positive day ahead without those fears and worries...
But I won't forget either those images of 9/11/2001.
Hugs.
Oh Mim I had to cry reading your story!
This certainly has changed my life and the way I experience my job.....
Althought I try to be possitive it will never be the same again.
Thanks for this beautiful sad story.
Have a good weekend and be safe always!
you have written this with total eloquence, mim. how raw and real.
9-11 was close to home for me. the hijackers stayed in a motel not even a mile from my house. my daughter jessica lost 8 coworkers--she could have so easily been among them.
never forget? never. never possible to forget.
love to you, mim
kj
sigh*
what an emotional post. we were working in kuwait, and you can imagine how stranded we felt far from our sons too. no one will ever forget or ever be the amae again.
Wow, what a story. It could have so easily been you. As for me, here on the West Coast, I was still in bed when my mother-in-law called from Mississippi extremely upset and agitated.
Nope, the world changed that day. We had the TV on at work all day all four free to air channels broadcast for the whole day. . just awful. And we should never forget.
Oh my God Mim, how could you forget that day especially when you were on a plane.
I am thankful that you are still here.
Love Renee xoxo
Mim, this is such a powerful post! Of all the blogs I read you are the only one who has spoken of this today. Even I didn't say anything about it. It has been on my mind off and on, and amazingly, our post office never made mention of this at all today. In the beginning we used to have a moment of silence, but sadly, I think people have let go. We should never let go. Thank you for this moving and heartfelt post.
Wow, I can't believe you were scheduled to fly that day. I was at work and when we heard about it, we all piled into the President's office because it was the only place with a TV and Cable. We sat in there for hours watching the news coverage. Then the following week, I flew to San Francisco for a girls' vacation. We were terrified to be on a plane and even to be away from home.
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