Todays thought...9/11/01

People tell me that I have a way with words. They say I can paint pictures in the minds of those who read my entries. This one is about how my life was affected September 11, 2001.

Pooh Bear and I were actually on the interstate when we heard the news. We had turned on the radio to get the traffic as where I worked was a high traffic area. Especially during rushhour. We did the same as we had done every other morning. But this morning was different.

We turn on the radio to hear talk. We didn't pay it much attention because the normal usually goes on with the local morning shows. So we changed the channel. Again, more talk. After changing to the 3rd station with more talk, we'd decided to just leave it on. As we listened, we heard something that neither of us will ever forget.

They started talking about the first jet hitting the North Tower @ 9:02 EST. Pooh Bear looked at me and said "Oh my God...This is a terrorist attack." I looked at him like he was nuts. I said "No...its not either...." And just as soon as those words came out of my mouth, it came across the radio that the South Tower had been hit by another jet. 9:18 EST. I looked at him again and I said..."You're right. This is a terrorist attack" As we drove on to get me to work we contemplated on me even going in. But I worked in a home health company and people get sick no matter when it is or what is going on. I had a job that had to be done.

By the time I'd gotten to work, everyone upstairs was in a mass huddled around the television and all of us downstairs had our radio's on listening to the news as it came in. My first line of thought...even before my patients...was my mama. I called her at work in tears...first telling her that I loved her, and next, asking her if she'd heard about it yet. She'd been at a job where she went in at 4:30 in the morning and as far as I knew, there was not a TV in the building. Getting the call through I found out she knew, and like everyone else, she was huddled around a TV watching this aweful tradgedy and travisty unfold.

About then I heard on the radio that the South Tower had collapsed. Heartwrenched I made a few calls to my patients to make sure that they were all ok through all of this. Thankfully all of them were. About to call my mama about the news about the South Tower, it came across that the North Tower had fallen. I called Pooh Bear and debated again on going home. All I wanted to do was to be with my family. To be with my mama, daddy, Pooh Bear, and everyone that meant something to me. That was all I could think about the entire day as my heart grew sadder and sadder as I heard the terrible news more and more.

As the morning went on, I heard about the jet hitting the Pentagon, and lastly the jet that went down in a field in Pennsylvania that they believed was headed to the White House. By the time Pooh Bear got to me that afternoon after an extremely long day of listening to the radio, they had stopped all air traffic.

All planes, jets and commercial airliners had ceased flight, and at that point, had not even made it to their destinations when instructed immediately to land at the closest major airport they could. Amazingly...and miraculously...of all of the air craft that landed at every major airport in America, single file...one right after another...it went off without incident.

Living fairly close to a major airport myself, it was extremely eerie to get home and not hear a single one go over the house...when ordinarally, you hear them all day, and all night. Pooh Bear and I obviously spent time around the TV ourselves, holding eachother, talking to our friends and family on the phone, extremely saddened at what had taken place, but at the same time (Not to sound insensitive) thankful that we live so far away from the East Coast. It brought a whole new meaning to family, patriotism, freedom, humanity, and an extreme sense of unity to every American out there in this great land.

It brought out some of the best in people. You would look down the street and everyone had an American Flag hanging from their door. Some were big, some small, some were the original flag, some were the others that had all 50 stars and 13 stripes, some were hanging from a flagpole in the front yard, others were on a stand outside the front door. You could see bumper stickers and magnets to go on your vehicle with the American Flag, they were hanging out the car window, the local stores were giving them out left and right.

Then you saw the real unity of the American people. The Red Cross called that there would be a blood shortage due to all of the victims in the hospitals and those who had not been found yet. The owner of our company told us that he would allow us to stay on the clock, and go down the road to give blood. There were so many people donating, that they ended up having to dispose of half of it because there was too much, and blood will only stay good for a little while. There were lines on top of lines of people trying to get through the door to donate.

A couple of days after that, they let the air craft once again take flight. Most everyone was able to make it home, who had not already rented a car and drove home by then. I will never forget that day as well. Pooh Bear came and got me from work and we had gone to Wally World. Again, with a pretty good sized airport close to where we live, and Wally World even closer, while walking in, a commercial airliner was making a landing. I noticed the entire parkinglot full of people just stop and stare...and hold their breaths...as it went overhead...and then take a sigh of releif when it was out of sight.

This experience has changed many of us as Americans. We have become a more patriotic people...and are now beginning to hold true the saying on our currency, "In God We Trust" and "E Pluribus Unum" (Which for those of you who are not aware...Is Latin for United We Stand). As an American myself, I say unto you, I DO trust in God, and I will continue to Stand United. The question now is...Will You?