This year is the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that not only devastated the United States but the affected the entire world. Al-Qaeda recruited a total of nineteen suicide killers to assist in their coordination of wreaking havoc on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Viciously their weapons of choice were four commercial jetliners filled with innocent passengers, who never knew that their freedom would be taken into custody as part of the senseless killings of over 2,996 people.
I remember going to work that day and it beginning as a regular normal day. A few hours later one my co-workers came into to work screaming, “Oh my God somebody just flew a plane into one of the twin towers and the Pentagon.” Instantly I stood up and gathered with the other ladies in the healthcare office around the mini TV she had. We all stood there in horror, we couldn’t believe what are eyes were letting us see. A billow of smoke and fire poured out of the first tower as we all gasped in horror watching helplessly another airplane crash into the second tower.
I felt an instant heaviness in my stomach and I ran away crying. All I could think about was my family members and in-laws that I knew worked in downtown Manhattan. Frantically I called my husband, only to hear him answer the call crying in despair unable to get a call through to New York. All phone lines to New York were jammed because of the chaos and people trying to call into that area. Crying, I said a prayer, because there was nothing else that could be done.
I felt empathy for all those who lost a mother, a father, a child or a friend. The event taught me to never take life or the people in your life for granted and always live as if it is your last day.
On today, 9-11-10 we honor the memory of the lives that were lost on this catastrophic event that took place nine years ago. Even though the years may pass by the memories of those lost will never tarnish nor fade.
Through this blog we want to hear your thoughts by answering these three questions:
When it took place, where were you? How did it affect you? What have you learned from it?
Norma Jean
