We all remember where we were when President John Kennedy was shot if we are old enough. We remember where we were when The Challenger blew up or Princess Diana was killed. And unless you were in a cave all week it's been non stop TV and radio coverage of 9/11. We all remember where we were on that day as well if we are old enough. Sadly I am old enough for all of the above.
I am repeating something from 2010 where I discuss how thankful I was to be called home on Sept 10th or I would have been in lower manhattan. I am certain I would have been fine, however with no cell and no way to reach Rick he would have been a hot mess. He also was thankful he wasn't on the road that week which again, was out of the ordinary. We had some protection on that day let me tell you.
Here is my story.
FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010
My Friday Thoughts
When my husband and I first moved here 10 years ago it got crazy right away.
I was not home much the 1st two years due to work.
I worked from home or I was in NYC.
I was in NYC on September 10th 2001.
I was standing on a street corner that afternoon about to cross the street when my cell phone rang. It was my doctors office. I was having some issues. Okay a yeast infection that nothing over the counter could cure.
I was not home much the 1st two years due to work.
I worked from home or I was in NYC.
I was in NYC on September 10th 2001.
I was standing on a street corner that afternoon about to cross the street when my cell phone rang. It was my doctors office. I was having some issues. Okay a yeast infection that nothing over the counter could cure.
The doctors office called to say they had a cancellation and that since I had asked to be notified if any opening arrived they were calling to tell me I could come in tomorrow Sept 11th at 8:30a.
Did I want this appointment?
Yes I told them I'd take it.
I was originally to stay overnight and had 2 appointments the next day with clients.
Instead I now called Amtrak and changed my reservations. As I sat in the back of the taxi taking me to my hotel I called my clients that I was to meet on 9/11 and told them I had to reschedule. I then called Rick and told him I was coming home early.
He was not traveling that particular week so he was thrilled I'd be home too.
The following morning was gorgeous and what we at our home call a Peggy Day. Blue skies, cool morning, lower humidity and just glorious.
As I pulled into my parking spot the news interrupted the radio show I was listening to saying that a small commuter plane had crashed into the towers. (that's what they thought apparently at the time)
I immediately called Rick and said, That was not an accident. The weather is perfect.
I was scared and he asked why. I said I didn't know but something wasn't right. This was no accident I kept saying.
We talked for a few more seconds and I had to run into the doctors office.
I walked in and signed in and asked, "did you just hear...." and before I could say anything they began talking about it.
There was a woman on her cell phone and a very large pregnant woman in the waiting room. The woman on the cell phone loudly screamed, "OH MY GOD THE PENTAGON HAS BEEN BOMBED."
Which immediately had the pregnant woman scream that her husband and her brother work there. It was utter chaos immediately. The doctor brought the wailing pregnant woman to the back. The woman on the cell phone screamed her phone went dead. She and I were ushered into rooms and we sat there hearing all this stuff going on outside. People running etc. I grabbed my cell but it didn't work. I tried to leave but they wouldn't let any of us go. I was now very scared. I did get my exam which I recall none of and I could hear the pregnant woman crying in such a primitive way that it is forever embedded in me. I will never ever forget that sound.
I do not remember leaving there. I remember seeing all the cars - the mass exodus out of DC to the burbs where the Pentagon and I were. We were being directed on which road we could drive. I saw low flying helicopters and men in flak jackets and guns and I have never been more frightened in my life. I remember thinking this was a scene from a movie and not a comedy. I was crying and I didn't know why. My cell did not work. Everything on the radio was confusing and each story was different. It took me 2 hrs to get home. It is a 30 minute drive normally. I wanted to speak to Rick so badly. I just wanted to be home.
I walked into the house and he jumped up from the ottoman where he had been rocking back and forth while glued to the television. We hugged each other. He told me he was not letting me go back to NYC. I told him I was never so thankful for a yeast infection which made us laugh. But seriously I was able to be home with Rick and not in lower Manhattan as I would have been. Now home, I, like the other few million of Americans I was now glued to the television. Our land lines didn't work and our cells didn't work for a couple of days.
The next few weeks here were horrible. Neighbors who died or their family members were hurt or killed at the Pentagon or in NYC.
We knew that we were blessed to not have any of our immediate family in this type of situation, but all around us were people dealing with this in their lives.
People that I was never allowed to know what they did for a living were no longer coming home and would never be at another block party with us.
I remember saying to Rick that maybe living in the bullseye isn't so great, remember we had just moved here less than a year earlier. He laughed and said, "Is anywhere in America safe anymore?" I didn't like that he was probably right.
And just as those tragic events calmed down we had an anthrax scare and we didn't get mail for awhile. I didn't mind that so much because really my mail is mostly bills so I wasn't bummed. But again another event that was pretty scary and I kept thinking, why did we move here? Are our careers really that important?
Then just as our mail was back there was a sniper driving around killing people.
Everyone was afraid to leave their home.
People got killed while mowing their lawn, sitting on the bus stop bench and pumping their gas with a bullet to the head. Doing everyday things and that was what made this more scary to me. The sniper didn't discriminate was shooting men, women, white, Asian, black and Hispanic.
Every damn day people were being killed and we others were paralyzed inside our homes.
I remember Rick saying he had to get gas for his car because he had to go to the airport in a day or so. I begged him not to go.
Finally I said, "Okay but I'm going with you"
He said, "Honestly what can you do if you are with me?"
"I'm going and if something happens I want to be with you."
He shook his head but knew I wasn't staying home and he couldn't stop me.
We went to our gas station and he put the nozzle in the tank and then he jumped back in the front seat and we both laid down in the car. Honestly, I type this now and see how crazy that sounds but it was what everyone around here was experiencing.
Then Rick had to get out to put the nozzle back into the gas station holder or whatever the hell that thing is called. At that moment I sat up and he and I saw at the same time the man in front of us.
Did I want this appointment?
Yes I told them I'd take it.
I was originally to stay overnight and had 2 appointments the next day with clients.
Instead I now called Amtrak and changed my reservations. As I sat in the back of the taxi taking me to my hotel I called my clients that I was to meet on 9/11 and told them I had to reschedule. I then called Rick and told him I was coming home early.
He was not traveling that particular week so he was thrilled I'd be home too.
The following morning was gorgeous and what we at our home call a Peggy Day. Blue skies, cool morning, lower humidity and just glorious.
As I pulled into my parking spot the news interrupted the radio show I was listening to saying that a small commuter plane had crashed into the towers. (that's what they thought apparently at the time)
I immediately called Rick and said, That was not an accident. The weather is perfect.
I was scared and he asked why. I said I didn't know but something wasn't right. This was no accident I kept saying.
We talked for a few more seconds and I had to run into the doctors office.
I walked in and signed in and asked, "did you just hear...." and before I could say anything they began talking about it.
There was a woman on her cell phone and a very large pregnant woman in the waiting room. The woman on the cell phone loudly screamed, "OH MY GOD THE PENTAGON HAS BEEN BOMBED."
Which immediately had the pregnant woman scream that her husband and her brother work there. It was utter chaos immediately. The doctor brought the wailing pregnant woman to the back. The woman on the cell phone screamed her phone went dead. She and I were ushered into rooms and we sat there hearing all this stuff going on outside. People running etc. I grabbed my cell but it didn't work. I tried to leave but they wouldn't let any of us go. I was now very scared. I did get my exam which I recall none of and I could hear the pregnant woman crying in such a primitive way that it is forever embedded in me. I will never ever forget that sound.
I do not remember leaving there. I remember seeing all the cars - the mass exodus out of DC to the burbs where the Pentagon and I were. We were being directed on which road we could drive. I saw low flying helicopters and men in flak jackets and guns and I have never been more frightened in my life. I remember thinking this was a scene from a movie and not a comedy. I was crying and I didn't know why. My cell did not work. Everything on the radio was confusing and each story was different. It took me 2 hrs to get home. It is a 30 minute drive normally. I wanted to speak to Rick so badly. I just wanted to be home.
I walked into the house and he jumped up from the ottoman where he had been rocking back and forth while glued to the television. We hugged each other. He told me he was not letting me go back to NYC. I told him I was never so thankful for a yeast infection which made us laugh. But seriously I was able to be home with Rick and not in lower Manhattan as I would have been. Now home, I, like the other few million of Americans I was now glued to the television. Our land lines didn't work and our cells didn't work for a couple of days.
The next few weeks here were horrible. Neighbors who died or their family members were hurt or killed at the Pentagon or in NYC.
We knew that we were blessed to not have any of our immediate family in this type of situation, but all around us were people dealing with this in their lives.
People that I was never allowed to know what they did for a living were no longer coming home and would never be at another block party with us.
I remember saying to Rick that maybe living in the bullseye isn't so great, remember we had just moved here less than a year earlier. He laughed and said, "Is anywhere in America safe anymore?" I didn't like that he was probably right.
And just as those tragic events calmed down we had an anthrax scare and we didn't get mail for awhile. I didn't mind that so much because really my mail is mostly bills so I wasn't bummed. But again another event that was pretty scary and I kept thinking, why did we move here? Are our careers really that important?
Then just as our mail was back there was a sniper driving around killing people.
Everyone was afraid to leave their home.
People got killed while mowing their lawn, sitting on the bus stop bench and pumping their gas with a bullet to the head. Doing everyday things and that was what made this more scary to me. The sniper didn't discriminate was shooting men, women, white, Asian, black and Hispanic.
Every damn day people were being killed and we others were paralyzed inside our homes.
I remember Rick saying he had to get gas for his car because he had to go to the airport in a day or so. I begged him not to go.
Finally I said, "Okay but I'm going with you"
He said, "Honestly what can you do if you are with me?"
"I'm going and if something happens I want to be with you."
He shook his head but knew I wasn't staying home and he couldn't stop me.
We went to our gas station and he put the nozzle in the tank and then he jumped back in the front seat and we both laid down in the car. Honestly, I type this now and see how crazy that sounds but it was what everyone around here was experiencing.
Then Rick had to get out to put the nozzle back into the gas station holder or whatever the hell that thing is called. At that moment I sat up and he and I saw at the same time the man in front of us.
He had pulled in and we watched him put on a motorcycle helmet before getting out of his truck. I guess he figured he wouldn't die if he wore his motorcycle helmet. Or it could stop a bullet. I don't know if it could but it struck me as a good idea and funny at the same time.
Once his helmet was on he got out, put the gas nozzle in the tank then jumped back into the cab of his truck and laid down. We looked at one another and chuckled and then realized that this was so ridiculous - this damn sniper has us all nuts and doing crazy things.
When the sniper was caught we all exhaled. But I kept waiting for the next thing. Thankfully there was none....well except another 4 yrs of W and the Iraqi war.
Once his helmet was on he got out, put the gas nozzle in the tank then jumped back into the cab of his truck and laid down. We looked at one another and chuckled and then realized that this was so ridiculous - this damn sniper has us all nuts and doing crazy things.
When the sniper was caught we all exhaled. But I kept waiting for the next thing. Thankfully there was none....well except another 4 yrs of W and the Iraqi war.
10 comments:
President John Kennedy - yep
The Challenger - nope
Princess Diana - nope
I can nope a lot of other famous events too.
The only one I remember is 9/11. I was picking the kids up from school and one of the mums mentioned if I'd seen the planes hitting the Twin Towers on the TV. I said no as I don't watch TV, but of course when I got home with the kids I saw all the dreadful news.
I was not yet born when Kennedy was killed.
Jamie, show off 🤣
Kennedy and Challenger are locked in my memory banks also. Remember Diana but not sure where I was. There certainly was a string of horrors for a while. They stole our feelings of comfort and safety forever from us.
I was in teaching that morning, starting my religion class when the principal got on the PS system and let us know that New York had been bombed. We just prayed and hoped that people would be saved but later we saw the Trade Centre building fall. I will never forget that scene. I made my blog special today just for 9/11 2021.
Cruisin Paul
Yep! All of them from Kennedy to 9/11... carved in my memory forever. With Kennedy I had just walked into my freshman class and was told. Didn't believe it, but classes were called off and we spent the day watching the TV in our dorms. With 9/11, DH called me from his work and told me to put on the TV. I remember going outside and looking at the sky... clear and blue, silent. Couldn't believe such a thing had happened. Life shifted.
I live far enough from all 3 9/11 places to have no connections to the terror and loss. My biggest memory of the entire week (actually most of the rest of September, 2001) is how beautiful the weather and the sky were. Some of the most beautiful, clear weather I've ever experienced in my life and every time I'd go out for a walk, I would start to cry. I simply could not believe (still can't) how so many people could've died on such a beautiful day in such a gorgeous month. Even out here in the boonies, the sense of loss was deep and palpable.
Boy, that was a day (and weeks that followed) wasn't it? I remember hearing about "a plane hit one of the twin towers", but it was all very fresh news. I thought maybe a strange accident. But then I was coming back from dropping my older kids off at their bus stop, and a neighbor told me a plane had just crashed into the Pentagon. No strange accident.
The Challenger, yes definitely vividly remember - watched it live on TV.
Princess Diana not as memorable.
JFK was assassinated a year before I was born.
9/11....our youngest son was driving back to his Army base. He called, and we rushed to tell him he may not be able to get on base...I was at work that morning....all was chaos and worry. I was in 5th grade when Kennedy was assassinated, and I remember all the teachers were crying. What a horrible day.
I will never forget 9/11. My sister worked for a company that had offices in the twin towers that were killed.
And no matter how painful, I will never forget that day.
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