Where was I 10 years ago Sunday…
At the gym. I’d normally forget these minor details but I remember them so clearly. I was just married, not even 3 months. My dad had won a 3 month membership to a local gym, and gave it to me.
I was finished working out. I cleaned off my treadmill, and headed toward the locker room. As I walked by the juice bar I saw on the muted t.v. a scene from a movie.
I was thinking ‘What country is this horrible act happening? I mean this doesn’t happen in the states so maybe the twin towers in Malaysia, the Petronas Towers. I had seen Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones on them in the movie Entrapment. But all too fast I realized that was here. In OUR country. In OUR New York.
Instead of rushing to the locker room to collect my things and hurry home. I turned towards the gym. Full of people who were doing what they do everyday… knowing that they only have a short period of time left before their world is changed forever.
I drove home, and called my husband, I was the first one to tell the day shift surveillance agents at the casino about what was happening. I called my parents and my best friend. Like everyone else I needed to just check in on those I loved.
I got ready for work, I was a teller at a local grocery store bank. I remember sitting in my purple Pontiac. In the grocery store parking lot. The radio station said that the building was collapsing. I cried in my car.
I went into work. And we solemnly sat around with a radio on. Listening to what was happening to our world. The older customers were scared and wanted to take out all their money. We ended up closing early that day because we didn’t have the funds on property to cover if there was a panic of customers wanting to withdraw.
I remember NEVER being SO proud of our country. All those people fighting to save each other. Fire fighters going into a burning skyscraper. KNOWING they will not come out. The police, the doctors, the regular you’s and me’s who did all they could to help. The empathy we all had for each other right after it happened.
And still 10 years our troops who sacrifice their lives, their time with their families to fight and keep me free. I thank them will all of my heart.
What will I do this Sunday?
I will be with my children all morning. Then the 4 of us will be going to the annual family reunion. Hoping to catch some of the Bears game too. We will be mourning the loss of our cousin, due to Cancer this winter. But enjoy our time with each other.
In honor of 9/11 I will never forget. I will pass along the story of that day to my children, and their children. I will never. forget.
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