Where were you?

Where were you on September 11th 2001?

I'm sure that's a question anyone who was at least 10 years old at the time can answer. I don't remember everything about that morning but I do remember some things. I remember being alone in my car. That was unusual because I usually rode to work with Becca and we went in at 9:00. That morning I had to go in early.

It was around 7:30. I was on Walnut Grove about to get on the interstate. I was listening to

FM 100. I remember they interrupted the song to say that a plane had hit the World Trade Center and the first thing I thought was "Oh no, it's happening again". I was remembering only 8 years earlier in 1993 when a bomb exploded. Then the people on the radio were saying that they believed it was an accident, that the pilot must have passed out or something. I called Chris, he told me he heard it on the radio but he had to go back to work.

I got to work and when I walked in, I noticed that nobody was at their desks. The company had a large TV in the exercise room and when I walked back there, I realized almost everyone in the company was packed in. I went in, worked my way to the front, and immediately saw the second plane hit. No one said anything. We all just stared. I remember not realizing what I had just seen. All in the matter of seconds, I was thinking " Did they show it from another angle? No, I can see the other tower? Was that another plane? Was this one an accident too?".

One by one, we all left and went to work. Some silent, some angry, some crying. I remember my boss coming by a short while later telling us about the Pentagon. We were watching TV again when the first tower fell. All I could think about was the people who would never see their loved ones again. The children who would never again hug their mom or dad. The wife who would never again hear her husband's voice. Then I began to cry. As I stood there and cried, the second tower fell. Then we heard about the plane that went down in Pennsylvania. There was talk of schools closing, I don't think they did. We lowered the flag outside and so many stood in a circle holding hands while we prayed. I remember standing next to Meredith and we cried together.

I don't remember too much more about that day. I know we weren't busy at work even though we should have been since it was close to the end of the fiscal month. I remember getting home and just hugging Chris for what seemed like hours but was probably only about 10 minutes. I remember the lines at the gas stations and watching President Bush's speech while I was at my parents house.

Tomorrow I will spend the 10 year anniversary of that day with my family. Loving them and thanking God for all of my blessings.