Friday, September 11, 2015

We Will Never Forget

14 years ago:   We lived in the Kansas City area. My husband had flown to a meeting in Minneapolis, MN.  He sat next to a Middle Eastern man who kept reading the Koran and shutting his eyes and praying.  One of the hijackers?  We will never know.  I was home with our three kids.  The girls were both at middle school and high school.  Our son was home, watching Sports Center.  His friend called and told him to switch to the news.  We switched over just in time to see the second plane hit the twin towers.  Our son said, "That looks like a good movie!"  I told him it was no movie.  I took him to school and went to the girls' school just to see their faces.
   I went to the high school first.  The marching band was out in the field, practicing for their halftime show.  I pulled up to the curb.  Our daughter came over.  She asked why all of the jet-trails were in circles (the planes were circling Kansas City International, waiting to land)  I told her that all planes were being forced to land, and that there had been a terrorist attack in New York City.  I didn't know anything else.
     Next I went to the middle school to see our other daughter.  I sat at their lunch table and just visited with the girls.  The principal came up to me and said, "We're not telling them anything.  We feel it's best that this is a family conversation, especially without many details."  He was an amazing principal and I agreed.  I didn't want anyone else having that discussion with one of my children.  The girls said that they heard there was a bomb.  I could honestly say that no, it wasn't a bomb.
     Because I was substitute teaching at the time, I was called in as just an extra set of hands and eyes in our son's elementary building-a floater.  I was unable to reach my husband.  All lines were clogged with people checking on loved ones.
     After school that day, as were all dealing with the shock and trauma, our house cat ran away.  While we were combing the neighborhood, looking for her, our son reached up to grab a neighbor's baseball net and pulled the entire goal down on his head, hitting the front of his head on the driveway and the rim of the goal clunking him on the back.
     The next day, the two younger kids stayed home.  Our middle daughter because she was distraught about her cat, at least that was the straw that broke the camel's back.  Our son, because he had a concussion.  Later that day, the cat came back and my husband was able to call.
     He had no way to get home.  All airlines were grounded, as well as bus lines.  Three days later, he was able to rent a car and drive home.
     A year later, I was lucky enough to be asked to go on an American History trip to Washington, D.C.  At the Smithsonian, there was a tribute to 9/11.  One of the things on display was answering machine recordings of people who were either telling their loved ones goodbye or of people trying to reach their loved ones.  The messages were heartbreaking!  I can't begin to imagine the fear, the deep sadness, the loss, the despair, of those people!  It is unimaginable!  I shall never forget!