Remembrance

Memorials

So today is the 3rd anniversary of 9/11. Amazing how one day could so completely change the entire world. Memorial services and ceremonies are being held all over the country. In New York, parents and grandparents of the WTC victims will recite the names of their 2,749 lost family members. Last year it was the children reciting the names. On the 1st Anniversary, it was various public dignitaries and such. And tonight, the twin beams of light will shine over the city at ground zero again. Similar remembrances will be held in DC and Pennsylvania.

Traditions. I'm beginning to understand why they have become such an essential part of basic human survival.

On That Day...

Today, on my message board, folks were posting what they remembered about that day. Here's what I remember:

I was in my car on the way to work when I heard the news of the first crash on the radio. They only had sketchy details, and at first it was the story of a li'l 2-seater plane that accidentally ran into one of the towers. Sad for the pilot and mebbe the office it hit, somewhat shocking for the unusualness of it... but mostly something to chalk up to strange things that happen in life.

When I got to work, everybody was talkin bout it. And we stayed glued to the radio and internet. The news only got more shocking and heart-wrenching. It almost came as a surprise when horrible things STOPPED happening, and we couldn't quite believe that there wasn't another one just waiting around the corner to descend without notice. Downstairs, they turned the TV on to the news, but it was after the second crash so I didn't see it happen live, as many others did. Of course, I don't think any of the stations showed much of anything else for a week.

We were pretty much shot for being any kind of productive for the rest of the day. We were an office of women, so one or all of us was leaking saline at any given point during the day. And I remember rumors were runnin around about possible gas price gauging, so some of the office left early to fill up. I'm too lazy for that stuff... I mean, folks were waitin in lines wrapped around blocks. So I stayed behind to keep the office open... not that anything was happening.

During the course of the next week, though, after it was concluded that muslim extremist fanatics were responsible, I also remember seeing many of our muslim students (most especially the women who chose to stick with traditional attire) conduct themselves with just a bit of wariness for the inevitable hostility many others displayed toward them.

Somehow that was almost as sad as the attacks themselves.