Remember When . . .

By Bonnie Harris

To quote a song by Alan Jackson, "Where were you when the world stopped turning. . ." Where were you 10 years ago on September 11th? That question brings back a flood of memories, pictures, and feelings. Many stories are resurrected and shared again around this time of year. I've heard all over the radio that we have not forgotten the events of 9-11 and I believe that's true to some extent.

My sister has been working with the Boys Scouts of America and one of the things they talked about this week was what was happened during their birth month and the boys in September struggled with it. They had a hard time remembering what happened beyond saying that 9-11

thing. To me, the best way to remember is to share. So . . .

Ten years ago on September 11th, I had just gotten back from Europe. A bug came back with me and I ended up extremely sick with some type of respiratory thing. On that morning, my mom woke me up to make sure I was still breathing. She helped me to the chair I spent way too long in and the handle to the TV. I was pretty out of it and don't remember my parents and siblings leaving. I vaguely remember pictures and news reports of planes hitting the Twin Towers, but it didn't sink in. I thought it was a movie, a movie that felt very surreal.

Honestly I can't say when it hit me that I wasn't watching a movie. I look back and can still see the Towers collapsing, how unreal it seemed. I remember the sky being very quiet, eerie quiet.Most of my clear memories came from conversations with my parents after the fact. I found out that one of the planes hit the wing of the Pentagon that my uncle worked in. I had a cousin evacuated from the Pentagon at the same time. A friend had been vacationing in New York and we didn't hear from her for a few days. It just seemed . . . the only word I keep coming back to is unreal.

Then in looking up pictures for this post my stomach tightened and I felt a void. But I am thankful for the sacrifice of those many, many people. I feel for the loss of life, I am grateful for a nation that pulled together, and I will remember forever. (Here is the link for the National 9/11 Memorial.) Where were you on that September Day?