Where Were You?

On September 11, 2001, early in the morning, I was awakened by my husband. He had woken to his radio alarm and heard news reports about the World Trade center attacks. He turned on the television, and we watched the reports for a few minutes. Then my husband went in to the bathroom to get ready for work. I remember watching the first tower come down, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was such a shock that my brain couldn't process what was happening. I called my husband in, and in the process of telling him what happened, the reality hit home. Part of my brain wanted to believe that all of the people got out alive. I couldn't begin to believe how many people were killed when the buildings fell. I couldn't comprehend the numbers. It was such a sickening feeling.

One clear memory is of the rescue vehicles that showed up after the buildings fell. They were waiting for the wounded to be brought out the rubble. But they never came. There simply weren't any bodies in tact to find. I remember the look on the faces of the rescuers. It was utter helplessness.

I have to admit that I get angry when I hear conspiracy theories. Those are probably the same people who believed the earlier theories that said that we never actually landed on the moon, it was all a production. I feel like those who make those claims are an insult to those who lost their lives. This was a pure terrorist attack. Up to then our nation had been very blessed that we had never had an attack on our soil. But this changed the game. There are those with political motives who would like us to forget this ever happened. They would like us to believe it wasn't a terrorist attack. They want to change history. But by remembering every year, and keeping that memory alive, we can teach our children the truth.