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Friday, September 11, 2009

September 11

The following is my post from September 11, last year. This morning I though about how angry I still am. Angry that so many innocent people died. Angry that our lives have been turned upside down. Angry that M has missed years of Indy's life. Angry that friends will never see their husbands again. Angry that Indy and millions of other children will never know what life was like before September 11, 2001. Angry that I can never look at the date on the calendar or say it out loud without thinking of what happened. Just...angry. Eight years now and still there is anger.


September 11, 2008
Seven years ago today the world changed. The world of the military family changed in ways that few can understand. We started hanging blue star banners in our windows, said goodbye to our loved ones, not knowing if we'd ever see them again, and glued ourselves to the news, eschewing food and sleep for fear we might miss something important. Sadly, we also began attending funerals of our friends spouses and were silently and guiltily thankful that it wasn't our husband laying in the flag draped coffin. We grew to fear things that would never occur to a civilian family: a knock on the door when no one was expected, dark blue or white mini-vans (what they arrive in to tell you the news you don't want to hear), and radio silence from our spouses unit (this means something has happened and they have to let the family know before it leaks out). We became suspicious. Who was that man lurking around the gate of the base? Who was that odd looking person staring at us in the store? We tried not to be suspicious of everyone of middle eastern descent, but it was hard. We grew to hate the news, but couldn't turn it off. We cried. A lot. Never in front of our children because we had to remain brave for them. We lived for 3 am phone calls that were static filled and lasted only for a few minutes. They had called. They were safe. We tried not to pay attention to the occasional explosion we could hear in the background of those phone calls. We waited. Waited for the day they would finally come home, months, sometimes more than a year after they left, and tried not to think about the day we would have to say goodbye yet again sometimes less than a year after they returned. Our world was no longer dominated by complaints of bad military housing, low pay for ridiculously long hours, broken items from the recent move, unexpected orders to move when you just got your house set up or 2-3 month long training exercises.. We now had something completely different to think about. We had to think about what we would do in that "worst case scenario." We had to talk to our spouses about what their wishes were for their funeral if it came down to it. Believe me, this is not an easy conversation to have. Many had to explain to their young children what had happened, why daddy or mommy had to go away and some had to explain why they would never come back. All because of one day in September.

At the end of August of 2001 M and I left our post in GA (we were so glad to see that post in our rear view mirror) and went to visit our families before we moved back to Germany. M was due to fly on Sept 18, and the dogs and I would follow a few weeks later. The morning of Sept 11, M, my mom and I were watching the Today Show (we were staying with my mom). The lead story of the day was Michael Jordan's return to basketball. I was lacing up my walking shoes, looked over at M and jokingly said "Must be a slow news day." He laughed and agreed and then we took off out the door. M went for a run and I went for a walk. I came home after 2 miles and M was still out as he had planned a 6 mile run. My mom was on the phone and cleaning the blinds in her breakfast room (isn't it weird the details you can recall?). I looked at the ginormous TV in the living room and saw smoke coming from one of the Towers. I walked back into the kitchen and asked my mom what was going on. She had no idea. I flipped on the TV in the kitchen and we stood watching it Tower smoke. M walked in and I told him what I knew, which was nothing really and he came up behind me. We were all staring at the small TV, listening to Matt Lauer talk about an apparent freak accident when the second plane hit the other Tower. My mom grabbed my arm and uttered a shocked "Oh my god" before dropping down into a chair. M wrapped his arms around me and said quietly "This is not an accident. This was planned. We've been attacked." I started crying right then. I cried as I watched reports of other planes crashing. I cried as I wondered where every person I'd ever met was. I cried as I took a shower. I cried as I watched people leap from the Towers, the Towers crumble one after the other, as people ran from the debris and as people begged on camera for news of their missing brother, father, son, sister, mother, daughter, husband, wife. At one point I wondered if I'd ever cry again after all I had cried that day. Surely I was using up every tear my body could produce. I remember watching the news anchors, generally stoic no matter what, tear up and their voices break. That was somehow more frightening to me than almost anything. It was the longest day I can remember. And in such vivid detail. I know my brain stores everything, but it rarely recalls anything with such clarity. Not my wedding day, not the day I graduated college, not even the day Indy was born a little less than a year after the attacks. That day though, that one beautiful Tuesday, I can see in my mind as clearly as if it were yesterday.

Those who know me, know I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. Almost sickening really. There's a quote from one of the books (written more than a year before the attacks) that always strikes me as incredibly appropriate for remembering this day:

"We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are
divided...Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our
aims are identical and our hearts are open."
-Prof. Albus Dumbledore
JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
(p.723, Scholastic Press, New York, 2000)

Never Forget. God Bless America.

10 comments:

MoxieMamaKC said...

HUGE Hugs to you!!! I worked for a company that serviced the military in several locations. It was so sad and scary as the days after 9/11 I heard from military spouses all over the country that their husbands/wives were being deployed and the brave, but scared sound of their voices. Please thank M for serving during that time. The rest of the country/world is still standing thanks to him!

Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...

Finally! Someone else who is still angry that our lives have completely changed because of that day. That innocent people died and that innocent people are still being affected by it.

Love that quote

Yankee Girl said...

What a beautifully written post. I know I will never forget. Every anniversary brings heartache.

Rue said...

I'm angry... angry that people have forgotten or don't want to remember. Thank YOU sweet friend for posting about that tragic day.

xo,
rue

Cole said...

I, too, am still angry! As military wives, we live with the reality of that day everyday of our lives and can't forget it. I'm angry that others seem to have forgotten and that we no longer have that sense of unity that our nation shared that day and in the following weeks.

Mike said...

I think that the country was united in the fact that Bin Laden needed to be hunted and caught, no matter where or what it took. I think when the unity was lost was when we changed directions and Bin Laden was allowed to go underground. If we had stayed on him and caught him, we could have sent the message that if you attack us, we WILL get you, and I think that the country would have remained united. Just my opinion. I love and respect everyone who serves this country and even if I disagree with certain policies, I think that all people need to honor our heroes. As for the World Trade Center< I watched them being built, and I watched them fall, it was a great loss in my life. I wish that we had rebuilt them, added one floor extra as a memorial, and as a big Fuck you to the spineless suicidal maniacs who would do it again if given the chance!!!

Infarrantly Creative said...

Beautifully written...I will remember!

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

What a wonderful post. You really capture the emotions well. I was a Junior in college on September 11, 2001. I had just pulled into a parking space at school when my favorite morning radio show broke the news. I sat in the car for as long as I could to listen. By the time my class let out that morning, there were rumors all over the place about disaster in DC (we're about 50 miles South). I feel very lucky that my FIL wasn't at work that day...his office was in the direct path that the plane took through the Pentagon building....

Hope you are having a restful weekend.

Nancy Rosalina said...

Great post!!! Seems so many really have forgotten!

Nancy

Anonymous said...

I enjoy reading your blog. You are quite witty and I have really laughed out loud when reading.... Pssst..... (I think that was JennyMac before me from Lets Have a Cocktail she's very funny).....Anyway...Thanks for your recall of that day. I was at the orthodontist with my 15 year old....I cried for days...I respect you and your husband for serving our Country, God Bless America. Hope to meet you in person some day, I really do love your sense of humor....


Pam

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