9/11 Remembered

Today we are recalling the horrible events of 9/11. I'm sure everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing that day. For me, I walked to work that morning and talked to Aunt Ginny on my cell phone most of the walk. Arriving in my office at 7:55, Paul, one of my bosses, called me into his office to say a small plane had just hit one of the tall buildings in New York City. It was just coming over the radio, and of course, there were no clear details.

Immediately I turned on my computer and went to CNN.com where a report was just being put together. It was sketchy, but confirmed a large airliner had hit one of the two towers. There was no clear reason at this time.

I phoned Hans, who had his TV on and we stayed on the phone in disbelief - he was relating what he was seeing. I remembered we talked until a new bulletin reported the Pentagon had just been hit. His words were, "Oh my God, they've just hit the Pentagon! I've got to get to work!"

At that time in his career, Hans was a Navy recruiter, stationed in the twin cities. He hung up and then I called Heidi, who at that time was an air traffic controller in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I got her voicemail, so I hung up and dialed again, this time leaving this message, "Heidi, get up and turn on your TV. Turn on your TV!" In a few minutes I phoned her again and she told me she had gotten up and was watching the news. She was scheduled to work that day, so went to the tower. I'll let her comment on how that day played out for her and her co-workers.

Someone in our office located a small TV that many of us gathered around. We were simply glued to it. I walked home for lunch that day noticing there were absolutely no planes in the sky - atypical for where I live. I turned on my TV and had a hard time going back to the office. Like many, my eyes were seeing the footage, but my heart couldn't embrace it.

It is with much sadness that these events are recalled.