As you can see, the words traveled down my arm, through my fingers, and onto the keyboard. Capitals, punctuation, grammar, etc., were not important. Every cell in my body was involved remembering and writing this.
09-04-01
the end of a memorable week at the us open in NYC
on a plane back to colorado
my daughter on a plane back to oklahoma
little did I know the photos still in my camera with the stately towers providing the backdrop would become cherished ones the very last ones of the two giants providing the outline for that famous skyline
gone forever but forever an image in my mind
09-11-01
the beginning of a usual day sunrise wrestling with the dogs coffee
then the news
standing in the exact place in my kitchen when the news of the oklahoma city bombing flashed across the screen
a pendulum of emotions and thoughts fear hope disbelief hope confusion hope pain hope panic hope horror hope hope hope
a snapshot in time...j.f.kennedy, space shuttle, first images of desert storm, oklahoma city and now such vivid detail all my senses engage
first plane maybe an accident
second plane
who is osama bin laden
pentagon
attacked on our own soil
flight 93 how many more planes
find the phone fingers shake uncontrollably dialing a staten island number
all circuits busy
fingers dial every staten island number i have for all those friends living there
finally a trembling voice
hello
where are they
they being four of our new york city firefighter/policemen friends
we don't know we can see the smoke from here
not wanting to hang up for fear of losing contact with the voice at the other end of the connection clinging to every word
please call back
this is a nightmare please wake up
each minute is an eternity
waiting for the call about our friends
hours pass
then the call comes the ring of the phone fills the air with sheer panic my hand is frozen then moves in slow motion
the news comes all four friends are safe but so many of their brothers, sisters, friends are unaccounted for
now they are our friends too
days pass stories range from sheer horror to miracles
our nation rallies together
why does it take a tragedy
?
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Every year since September 11 of that year, I have re-posted this message.
09-11-02
09-11-03
09-11-04
09-11-05
09-11-06
09-11-07
09-11-08
09-11-09
09-11-10
09-11-11 (05-02-11 Osama bin Laden buried at sea thrown overboard the USS Carl Vinson.)
09-11-12
09-11-13
09-11-14
09-11-15
09-11-16
09-11-17
09-11-18
09-11-19
09-11-20
09-11-21
09-11-22
09-11-23
I will call Staten Island today.
The voice will still tremble, at first, but then it becomes strong.
Very strong !
Where were you when the World stood still?
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Today, we reflect on the moment we became one.
Differences cast aside, we stood together.
In memory, we stand unified.
