Remembering 9/11

Everyone has their story of where they were, what they were doing on 9/11, here's mine.

My life has come full circle in a way on the fourth anniverssary of 9/11. I was at Syracuse taking a class, that's about three hours away (for my west coast pals), and I was late for my class as usual. We were staying and taking classes in the hotel on SUs campus and I was walking through the lobby when I saw one of the WTC towers smoldering on the television. The first plane had just hit. I slowed down but didn't stop, thinking it was some sort of accident. But as I continued to my class I thought that didn't really make sense. I was the last one in class so no one had heard. I leaned over to my classmate and whispered, "You know the WTC is on fire?" She raised her eyebrows, "Really?" I nodded my head and shrugged like, "Should I say something to the class?" We turned our attention back to the professor.

Incidentally he is a professor and ex-Navy guy whose wife was still in the Navy and worked at the Pentagon. He teaches this class (Enterprise Architecture) at SUs DC campus usually. There was also an FBI agent in our class. His pager went off. He read the text message and looked up at as and very casually said, "Two planes just hit the World Trade Center." We all just sat there not knowing what to think. The professor suggested we take a break to see what happened and we all half ran to the lobby to see the TV and there it was. The towers were on fire and more reports were coming in about other planes and the chaos began. Someone said, "We are going to war." And I realized the West Coast was probably just finding out about it all and wondered if my husbad was going to be called up. Who would take Gabe? Would I get to say goodbye? All these crazy thoughts ran though my mind. (When I returned to my hotel room that night I found a note slid under the door. It was from Terry's parents and read, "If Terry called up will take baby." It gave me chills.)

I tried to call home (Spokane at the time) and all the cell networks were busy. I tried to call on a land line and I think I got through. My husband was already asking me, "Where are you?!" I promised him I didn't go to NYC and was safe in the hotel. Then I turned it back to him, "Are you getting deployed!?" Nothing had come down yet. Later he was put on alert. After we had watched as much as we could stand we returned to class. The professor drew a box on the whiteboard. "In the Navy we would take all the stress of the moment and say, 'Put it in a box.' Let's put this in a box and try to finish today's class." I don't remember anything. I don't really even understand why we continued with the class.

It's hard to believe it was four years ago. Terry and I were consumed with finishing college without screwing up Gabe and getting divorced. Today, the dog days of college is something I kind of wish for. Really, we had few worries. You all know where we are now. Terry's at war. I'm a single mom. We have two boys now and we worry about THEIR college, :) retirement, buying a house, etc. etc. Well I guess I shouldn't say worry it's fun to plan but I certainly feel like a "grown up" and not a college kid.

So on this fourth anniverssary of 9/11 I'll be mingling with Army wives at our monthly meeting. We'll be thinking about our husbands, our country, our lives, our children's future. And of course remembering the heroes of 9/11 and why we continue to fight for freedom.

"History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid."Eisenhower

Here's to my husband, his men, all the armed forces, the citizens of our country who believe in our ideals and to the heroes of 9/11. Esp those on flight 93.

No matter what your politics you gotta admit, it's great to be an American.