Force- September 12, 2011

Yesterday was a day of reflection for everyone, myself included. I think we have to force ourselves to watch those smoking towers again. Force ourselves to see the faces of our terrified countrymen running and bleeding. Force ourselves to listen to Matt Lauer’s shaky voice as a plane hits the second tower. We have to force ourselves to remember because 3,000 innocent victims’ families are forced to face grief everyday.

I think we all had the “where were you?” conversation yesterday.

I was a 20 year-old college junior living with my sorority on our hall in a dorm. I was sleeping in because I didn’t have class until later. One of my sisters woke me up and told me to turn on the TV. That day made me feel like the problems of my silly little life were so mundane. I had been worrying about an upcoming quiz, a midterm project, and sorority recruitment. After I watched the day’s events unfold I realized how insignificant one person’s problems are in comparison to the horror and loss our world was facing. I just remember thinking that everything was going to change.

It did.

A decade later I’m a married, 30 year-old, working new mom. I watched the anniversary events on TV and later went to our church’s annual worship in the park. I looked down at my feet where I had laid out a blanket for Charlotte and saw this…

Instantly I was taken back to that day, sitting on the bed of my dorm room with that same blanket watching with shock and disbelief. Once again I realized the problems of my silly little life were so mundane. I’ve been worrying about work next week and my teething baby.

I hope and pray Charlotte will never have one of those, “I know where I was” days. Days like the attack on Pearl Harbor for my grandparents. For my parents, the day President Kennedy was shot. For me, the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion when I was really little, and September 11, 2001 for all of us. (I’ll add to this, the Columbine High School shooting. Greyson’s hometown is Littleton, Colorado.)

I want to take Charlotte to the memorial at Ground Zero one day. I want to tell her what happened that day, to force myself to remember.

2 Responses to “Force- September 12, 2011”

Ashley says:

September 13, 2011 at 8:03 am

superb post. I too hope none of my nieces and nephews will have one of those "I know where I was" days.

Reply
Carved in stone- September 11, 2012 - Somebody's Parents says:

September 11, 2012 at 8:37 pm

[…] Last year on the 10th anniversary of that terrible day I watched the memorial opening on television with the rest of the nation. I believe it’s important to grieve and remember each year. We have to. […]

Reply