Memories of 9-11

Today is the 7th anniversary of the most horrible day in my 39.6 years of life...9/11/2001. I'm sure none of us will forget that day. I remember how stunned I was when I first started hearing of the plane crashes into the World Trade Center towers and how it hit me like a brick when I realized that 3,500 of my co-workers were in the south building. I was so scared for them and as I rushed to work, I prayed that they would be okay. I had no idea what floors they were on. I just wanted them to be okay. Luckily, only 13 of the 3,500 died. I actually had to help in the recovery efforts in tracking down all of our employees. That was very intense and emotionally draining.

In the days to come, I scrapbooked my feelings and memories of those days - as deeply as I could so someday, someone, would be able to feel the feelings that I felt that day and know how very scary that time was - overall and to me.

The following year, I had to fly to Chicago for a business trip. It just so happened that my flight out of Chicago was on 9/11. I was truly scared beyond belief. But, I also knew that security was tighter than ever before and would be that day because of the day's significance. And, it was. Although I was flying out of O'Hare - one of the world's busiest and biggest airports, on a jet loaded with fuel for a long haul, in a city with the now tallest building in the U.S. which was also one of the terrorists' targets, I felt safe (mostly - there was still some reserve there).

I'm so glad to live in a country where I am free. I feel bad that people hate our country for what we have, what we stand for, and who we are. Hopefully someday the world will become a better place.