A Decade Later

It's hard to imagine that a decade has past. 10 years? How is that possible? 2001 was a tumultuous year in my life, in both good and bad ways. My Mom passed away; I got married; other friends and parents lost parents that year too. It was a very emotional time. And then September 11th came along.

My wife and I, and our Beagle Virginia had just come back from vacation in Cape Cod on Saturday the 8th. I was working from home that year, a great fringe benefit the company I worked for provided for those of us with long commutes to work. So I was home on that fateful Tuesday, sitting at my computer working when I received an email from a friend. A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I repeated what I read to my wife and we put the television on, not having any idea of the scope of what was to take place.

Moments before we put the TV on, the second plane crashed in the north tower. Two planes, two towers, two "no-accidents". It was instantly chilling and terrifying as we watched things unfold. It was clear that something earth shattering was taking place and our world would never be the same. We were sat that there transfixed, not fully grasping what was going on, especially since no one at the news stations knew either. Then the horrible news came that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon. My wife had held it together until that point, but that was the final straw. We held each other tight in our joint terror. When United 93 crashed in a Pennsylvania field all we could think of was, "Where next?"

I don't have to play out the rest of the day for you, you all remember what it was like. At one point, after hours of being glued to the TV, we took the dog for a walk. It was a beautiful day out; a cloudless,sunny day with comfortable temperatures. To this day, when the weather is the same as it was that day, I think about 9/11. I try not to, but I can't help it.

This year things will be a little odd on 9/11. We'll be returning home from another trip and will pass the Pentagon. It will be eerie. I'm sure plenty of people will be glued to the TV on the 10th anniversary, watching retrospectives and remembering back, but I don't plan to watch any of it. I remember it. The terror, the tears, the fear, and the death. The devastation on the faces of the people that lost loved ones. The grime covered civilians trying to get out of the area. The rescue workers bravely risking their own lives in attempt to save lives.

There are some that want 9/11 to be a national holiday with all business and government agencies closed, but I disagree. To me it's giant middle finger to terrorists to go about our daily lives on each 9/11. We should take time out toreflect back on what happened that day, and then go about our usual business as if it were any other day.

You hurt us deeply, but you will not stop us.