Remembering 9/11

This morning, I take the time to remember 9/11. To remember what I was doing and how, by fate, some people happened to live and others did not.

I was at work in a meeting room, cut off from the rest of the floors chatters. My coworker and I exited the room and instantly we were met by comments of "a plane hit the building" and "building on fire". Instantly we thought it was our building, but realized that everyone was staying put so it must be another building. Getting back to my desk other employees who sat near me were heading down to our cafeteria to catch the news. It wasn't until I got to the cafeteria that I realized what was going on and the magnitude of it.

I arrived just as the second plane was hitting the towers and sat there watching, wondering what was going on. Our team decided to regroup upstairs for a bit, but with the internet going crazy and everyone chatting, not much was getting done. I headed back down to watch some more news. This time, I was there for the towers falling. I will never forget one of my less than favorable coworkers looking at me and asking if I was alright. Thankfully, I got the right words out, "No, I am not alright, there are thousands of people in that building". He just looked at me blankly, then said, " I am sure they all got out." I just couldn't believe my ears. That was one of the last things I said to that man.

My Boss, the good hearted man that he is (was, as he is not my boss, but still a friend) was feeling about the same as I was. Not wanting to be at work, worrying about our families. Thankfully, he decided that anyone wanting to go home could do just that.

I arrived home to quiet, silence. It was very strange. Why you ask? Because I live in the flight path of our airport and all day and most of the night we can hear the planes taking off and landing. We are close to the airport so they are quite loud. All afternoon, evening and the next day it was eerily silent.

I called my friends in NY and my relatives in Delaware. My cousin-in-laws parents had been at the Pentagon just the day before and live not far from it. It all makes you stop and think really.

Thankfully, nobody I knew personally was lost that day. But, truthfully, a little piece of all of us was lost. Hubby and I were flying to Vancouver on the 13th for his Sister's wedding. It was the scariest time. The flights had only started going again and there were so many people just wanting to go home. And here we were going to a wedding, we felt terrible taking a seat, but if we bumped ourselves there was no telling if we would have made it for the wedding at all and we would have forfeited our tickets. Selfishly we boarded our plane. There was little chatter on the plane and the flight went well. Actually, the pilot informed us that it was probably the safest time to fly as everyone was on alert.

Hubby and I have not made it to New York to see Ground Zero we have meant to go, but just haven't gone. Apparently it is very moving and remarkable to see. Now that they have permission to rebuild, Hubby would like to go even more before they start.


Instead of posting a photo that someone else has taken of 9/11, I thought I would post my own photo of our Parliament buildings, with our flag flying tall and proud. I am very patriotic and I truly appreciate that I can walk up to the front doors of the Parliament and take a picture. I appreciate that my Sister had her wedding in the Grand Hall (which they no longer do since 9/11). I appreciate that we live in a Great Country and that we have many opportunities that so many other people don't have. And I remember so much about that horrible day five years ago. Most of all, I choose to remember, so that none of the people that died, died in vain.