How did you treat people on 9/12? Were your thoughts filled with unity, suspicion, fear, or something else entirely?
Of course, I remember 9/11. I was single at the time and living alone. I had the day off of work for some reason. I slept in and then went to the mall to do some shopping. I had a CD in the car so I didn’t listen to the radio. My purchases at the mall were uneventful, and I didn’t notice anything unusual about the crowds (or lack thereof). I didn’t turn on the tv until that evening. That’s when I found out. So, my September 12th was really probably what most of you experienced on the 11th. I went back to work and talked to all my friends and coworkers about what was happening. I don’t remember much about the 12th. I know I called my parents, I called my best friends, and I watched the news as much as I could.
But I do remember the weeks that followed. My father and stepmother were planning a trip to New York in three weeks. I begged them not to go. I was sure there would be more attacks. I didn’t want to be anywhere near New York. Or Chicago. Or San Francisco. Our country was in trouble, and I wanted to stay out of the line of fire.
I know many other people were uniting together, ready for a fight, ready to retaliate. I just wanted to stay out of harm’s way. I didn’t trust anyone. I didn’t feel safe. While I didn’t think that my small hometown would be attacked, I didn’t know about the future of our country, and about everything I hold dear.
I didn’t like that I was alone during these tumultuous times. I wanted someone who I could share my fears with. I wanted someone who would tell me everything was going to be ok. I wanted someone who could take care of me, and who I could take care of. I had just broken up with my boyfriend of two years a few weeks earlier; I considered giving him a call.
I’m glad I didn’t. I met The Agent two weeks later.
And everything was ok.
What I remember most, was how our Community really came together. It was our celebration of our town. On short notice, things were changed and added to the parade, the street fair and pageant to remember those lost on 9/11. To unit together and stand as one against the evil that tired to bring us down. I'm glad I got to be apart of that.
ReplyDeletewhat i remember most of the day after was waking up knowing my family was safe and close by
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's most important to remember 9/12. There's a scene in the Oliver Stone film World Trade Center where Maggie Gyllenhaal walks up the middle of her deserted street, past house after house, and every house is occupied and everybody is watching the news. That image struck me because that's exactly how it was. We were all in it together.
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