Wednesday, September 9, 2009

I don't need reminding, I'll never forget.



I've been hemming and hawing about writing this post, I really don't want to be a Debbie Downer. But I can't believe it's been eight years since 9/11. That's a long time, when it's still so fresh in my memory. It's not something I talk about much with people, especially Mike. The days that lead up to the Anniversary are sometimes harder than the day itself. So I think it would help me to blog about what that day was like, just to get it out of my mind a bit.

That Tuesday was absolutely gorgeous. Blue skies, no humidity, the temperature was in the 70's. I was in Queens on my way back from an early appointment, and listening to Howard Stern. He started talking about the first plane hitting the WTC, which seemed bad, but we had no idea how bad it was going to get. The second plane hit. My cell phone stopped working, my last call was to my dad, we spoke about the planes but he said not to worry because everything would be fine. I inched my way down the highway, and decided to stop home before getting the subway to work. When I turned on the TV I saw how bad it was. Mike called on the land line, his office was downtown, and he said things were getting scary. He saw the first plane hit as he came out of the subway, he called his Dad in the Adirondacks to find out what was going on. He sat on the fire escape of his building with his coworkers, no believing what he saw. People leaping out of the WTC to their deaths. I told him to come home, just start walking and come home.

Mike started walking with hundreds of other people, most of them started running as they passed the Empire State Building, because they thought that was the next target. My sister worked at Homeland Security at the time, her boss ran into her courtrooom and said we were under attack. The thing that stands out in her mind is all of the shoes in the streets, shoes people kicked off their feet as they ran, shoes from God knows where else.

Mike got to the 59th Street Bridge that leads into Queens when he called again, we were on the phone as the second tower fell. I told him they were all gone, I couldn't believe all those people were gone.

I couldn't take it anymore so I turned off the TV and went outside. Right outside my front door was a National Guardsman holding a machine gun. I walked to the bodega next door and bought a beer, even though it was 10:30 in the morning. We lived 10 blocks from the entrance to the Triborough Bridge, and I couldn't get over the silence. Cars and tractor trailers just sitting there, with the engines turned off, listening to their radios. Mike got home and the rest of the day we sat there, we managed to get a couple of phone calls from family, but the phones didn't really work. We finally got a call at 11:30 that night, from our friends K&C. It was their wedding anniversary.

The next day I got up and went to work. It didn't make sense, but in a way, it did. I wanted to show those f**kers that they didn't change my life even though they tried. Have you ever seen that Tom Cruise movie Vanilla Sky, there is a scene where Time Square is empty? That is exactly what it was like. It was so surreal, it was like a movie. That weekened Mike and I went out and bought some things that the recovery workers needed, gloves, spray paint, etc., and brought them down to Ground Zero. On the walk over, we kept noticing pieces of paper that were floating around, charred around the edges. They were memos, reports, things from different offices.

It was hard working at a newspaper during this time. It was hard reading a newspaper during this time. Reading every day the new list of people who were identified. Seeing all the Missing Person flyers everywhere. My boss' wife had her baby on 9/11. In the days that followed, he enjoyed his newborn son, while attending 30 funerals. I did a double take whenever I saw a plane in the sky. We were in The Gaf, our favorite bar on the West Side, the night of the Concert for NY. It was weird to be in a bar that was usually loud and fun, it was silent as we all watched the concert on tv and drank our beers. We drank a lot that month.

A few months later my brother and sister in law came down for a visit, and we brought them down to Ground Zero. My brother in law couldn't get over the cross that was found in the rubble, just two pieces of steel that became a cross, and where prayer services were held for the recovery workers. I truly think that cross is meant as a message. The one thing I get comfort from out of all of this, is the hope that when those poor souls perished, that God was there to bring them to heaven.

15 comments:

Relentless Forward Commotion said...

Thank you for sharing. Your story gave me chills. I will never forget that day either, I don't think any of us will. It unites us all. That day and those victims will never ever be forgotten.

Ronnie said...

Wow...it was so very surreal. I can't imagine what it was like being so close to everything. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Susan Fobes said...

I have enjoyed reading some of your posts. I just joined you as a follower(and I saw your link on mom bloggers club). I also started trying to "shape up", and have carved a little me time in the evening to go lift weights at the Y. Check out my site at http://susanchapmanfobes.blogspot.com.

Maria @BOREDmommy said...

That was beautifully written - still so sad, so tragic to think about, as if it happened just yesterday.

Tara said...

Wow. That is definitely be one of those days where we will always remember what we were doing and where we were at that particular moment in time. I still remember what I was feeling on that day; I couldn't even imagine being there. Thank you for your story.

Mandee said...

How touching! Thanks so much for sharing your story! I had never heard about the cross. I'm so glad you told us about that. It is a great reminder that God is watching out for us and was there that day. 9/11 is also my wedding anniversary. We were married 2 years before the attacks.

On a brighter note...thanks for stopping by my blog! We must be a lot a like, huh? I'm so glad I'm not the only one living this fun/crazy life...hehe! :)

yonca said...

What a beautiful post! Thanks for sharing your story Molly!
That day will be never forgotten!
We were planing to go NYC that day. My husband was off..his boss called early morning and asked him to come work and our plans changed..
We were lucky!

5 Miles Past Empty said...

Thank you for your post. I know most people have not forgotten that day. I remember it every day and like you said, each time I see a plane in the sky over a city. That day changed my life forever. I joined the Air Force shortly after and married my husband in 2003. He is in the Army I guarantee he has not forgotten what he is fighting for.

Beautiful post.

Amanda

Cindy said...

What a wonderful post! It's so hard to believe it has been eight years already. A day I that will never be forgotten!!

Amo said...

It is hard to believe it has been so long. My best friend's birthday is on 9/11. I remember that year, trying to celebrate her birthday, but none of us could muster up our spirits. We all felt bad celebrating when so many were mourning. It was awful.

LisaJaneB said...

Hey Molly, Thank you for sharing that day with us all, Although i am all the way over here in England, it is a day i wont forget,i watched the news footage praying that none of our exchange partners had been caught up in it, although none of us had spoken in 13yrs...this is the day i started hunting for you again, trying old phone numbers and friends reunited sites, so in some respect some good did happen that day !!

JaelCustomDesigns said...

Popping in from MBC!
Now following you.

I'm an original born & raised New Yorker but now I reside in NC. I moved here in 2000. I was so upset and overcome with disbelief and emotion when the attacks happened. I lost it!

I tried calling home and couldn't get through, circuits had been busy for hours. I have several relatives that work downtown. I cringe everytime I think about it. The skyline looks empty. It's definitely missing the twin towers. Every time I cross the GWB it's like, I wish they'd magically appear. I have a huge painting of the original Skyline hanging in my livingroom.

I come home often but, that day will not ever be forgotten. We lost a lot of people and my heart goes out to their families.

Heather of the EO said...

I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to carry these memories. You wrote this so well, I feel like I have a deeper understanding of what it would have been like to be there. Thank you.

(here from SITS, by the way. So nice to "meet" you)

Chanda the Eco-Cheap Mom said...

Thank you for sharing this. Reading this brought back so many emotions from that day. From utter disbelief to complete panic, from sadness to anger.

My parents lived in DC at the Navy Yard and my dad worked in the pentagon, so we were terrified wondering if they were okay. Many phone calls and hours later we finally got through. They were okay!

That day all of our lives changed. We will always remember. God Bless America!

Chanda the Eco-Cheap Mom said...

Oh, and Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest!