9/11 - WHERE WERE YOU?

theMuch like when JFK was assassinated, we have a tendency to remember the exact happenings of the specific day and days that followed.

I was in 5th grade when the principal came to each class and said school was being dismissed. We were not told why, that would come as we got to our homes. My twin and I were told by the housekeeper (remember parents were older & distant) and she immediately took us to her families farm in Ohio for the next several days.

As for September 11, 2001 - I was in town at my local haunt (a Greek restaurant) and someone came in and asked if I noticed that a plane had apparently crashed into the WTC. There was a small 13" TV by the register and we all surrounded the tiny thing, and it was no time before we saw another plane hit - which registered with us before the TV anchor even noticed. I had no clue what was going on - just that something tragic was happening. I came home, turned on the news (all channels were tuned in by this point), yelled for theson to come downstairs. I needed company at that point - thedaughters (both) were at work and immediately started calling home - because they had no TV and were only hearing dribs from customers coming in the store.

Theson and I were glued to the TV, tossing back and forth various theories. I reminded him of when the WTC was bombed (thru parked vehicle in underground parking lot) in 1993. He was in high school then and didn't pay attention to news like that. The hardest part was watching the towers fall - I just sat and cried, sobbing - it was all so senseless. Then the reports were being clarified of the planes hitting the Pentagon and the plane that they thought was heading to Camp David - which was Flight 93 which went down not far from here in Shankstown, PA.

Oddly enough, theson had planned on giving blood that day anyway, so we headed to the Fire Department where the line was incredibly long, but he managed to "give it up." We filled the cars with gas, and all sat around the TV for the remainder of the day, through the night, into the next several days.

Theson would be leaving for New York and training for his job, and be off to his travels around the world from that point, within a few weeks. He has encountered all the travel restrictions and changes in our NEW terrorist alert status. The new color coded "watch" chart was revealed - and our lives have never been the same.

Yes, I remember well and will never forget. I grieve for all the lives lost for such a senseless cause. I am also saddened that the almighty dollar has prevented the rebuilding at the WTC site. One would think that a structure would have been at least started by now. Bureaucracy at its best I guess!

I'm off to Amish country - even taking the camera, so I may be back on here later tonight. Have a good day all and TTFN!