Remembering Sept. 11, 2001

This is my 50th post on this blog and I wish to honor those that died on September 11, 2001.  Here we are once again, on the anniversary of the most important world-changing event—9/11. Like other crucial historical dates, most people remember exactly where they were and what they were doing on that date. I remember September 11, 2001 very well. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was at work at Philips Semiconductors in San Antonio, Texas. My husband called and said that a TV station reported that a small plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I stepped into the break room and saw that everybody had their eyes glued to the TV and they were expressing many levels of sadness. My attention was immediately drawn to the image of the burning North Tower. As I stood there in shock, I saw another plane fly into the South Tower. It was at that moment, I knew what was happening was not an accident and I think I said aloud, “We’re being attacked!”

As horror gripped us all that morning, watching the events unfold on TV, I knew that September 11, 2001 had become a day to remember. All of us stood there watching images of the tens of thousands fleeing the dust clouds pouring through the streets of New York and we witnessed the deaths of approximately 3,000 people that day. The images that still haunt me are the ones of the people jumping to their death. They stood in the windows of the Towers, desperately breathing in the air and with an inferno raging ever closer knowing that they would die if they stayed. Finally, with no options left, they hurled themselves out into space. As the days passed, I could not sleep and I stayed in front of the TV watching those images repeatedly.

For all those who remember, who continue to bear the scars and to the memories of all who were lost on that tragic day in New York City, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon — Godspeed. Know that I will never forget you.