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Monday, September 11, 2006

I Remember

*Reposted Today. Scroll down for newer posts.*

I was enjoying a perfect walk on a perfect Wisconsin fall day. It must have been 65 degrees that morning as I pushed my then-two-year-old son in the stroller. We'd just left Deena at preschool and Curt was looking forward to us walking all the way to the high school to visit Daddy. I remember the warmth of the sun and the sweet breeze, thinking there wouldn't be many days like this left before colder weather took hold.

As we entered the high school, I immediately knew something was amiss. Classrooms of kids were hunched around TV monitors. The office staff crunched in the waiting area. When we strolled into the guidance resource room, we found a crowd of students and teachers as well. I saw the TV screen and got disjointed messages from the reporters on the network, and the viewers in the room.

Plane crash. New York. Terrible Accident. Airtraffic. Instruments.

Minutes after I entered the room, the second plane hit.

When the mind erroneously believes something strongly enough, it doesn't automatically switch to logical thinking. No matter how obvious the evidence.

Pentagon. Terrorists. Plan.

We all watched in silence, searching for understanding. I don't even know how long.

Then, too stunned to avert the eyes of my oblivious son, we witnessed the first tower disappear into a billow of death, which created a fog that would hover Manhattan for weeks, and our spirits for years.

Five years ago Monday, the world as we knew it shifted for a generation of Americans that had never known anything but safety...prosperity...peace.

I remember.

If you've written an "I Remember" story, please leave your permalink here. You can leave your story in comments as well. Find more September 11 memories at Rocks in My Dryer.




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posted by Kelly Curtis at 3:51 AM

30 Comments:

  • I remember that day too, I was cleaning out my kitchen cupboards and heard the announcement on the radio and immediately switched on the TV and watched in disbelief and horror. To think that these evil terrorists are continuing further attacks against innocent people travelling to America is horrific, but I don't know the answer, what will make them stop these atrocities?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 4:26 AM  

  • "Five years ago Monday, the world as we knew it shifted for a generation of Americans that had never known anything but safety ... prosperity ...peace."

    I felt this way too!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 6:24 AM  

  • I agree with Renee, you summed up the feelings of a nation beautifully. Please stop by mine. baileyandsophie.blogspot.com. Sorry, since I switched to blogger beta, I can't leave comments using my account on non-beta blogs.

    Trisha

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 7:14 AM  

  • Such sad content, but a beautiful post.

    By Blogger Knitting Maniac, At 8:57 AM  

  • I posted too. It is amamzing how we can remember moment by moment these crutial times in history. From The Challenger Explosion to JFK being shot.....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 9:04 AM  

  • We all experienced this, but were affected in so many different ways. That would have been weird to be in a school at that time!

    By Blogger Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph, At 9:29 AM  

  • Yes, "searching for understanding"--almost as if watching it long enough would make it make sense...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 9:36 AM  

  • I have since moved to another office in our building, but if I ever have to walk into my old office, I can still see George walking in to tell me about the plane hitting the first tower. It is true that none of us will ever forget where we were when we heard.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 10:46 AM  

  • Thank you for your post....

    By Blogger Bryan, At 11:15 AM  

  • Such a different world. I am saddened that my daughter will not grow up feeling the same sense of security I felt as a child.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 3:23 PM  

  • I agree with your comment to my post, we all probably had very similar reactions: stunned disbelief, horror, sorrow and rage.

    We were so unprepared for it.

    By Blogger michele, At 6:36 PM  

  • I can only imagine how horrific it must have fet for you to see the terror unfolding on the TV screen. It was just the same for us. It was evening here in India when the horror struck, and I remember all activity stopped as the family converged in the living room, faces filled with shock and disbelief at the images that flashed on the television.

    May the bloodshed end. We've truly had enough of it.

    By Blogger Bhaswati, At 9:46 AM  

  • Thank you for sharing your memories. It is one of those days that none can ever forget.

    By Blogger Anna Venger, At 7:35 AM  

  • Unfortunately, how can anyone forget. I, too, remember that day and being glued to the tv all day. I also have posted a tribute to one of the firefighters that lost his life there.

    By Blogger Biker Betty, At 10:25 PM  

  • I'm going to do my best this week to read each and every one of these 911 posts. You've expressed some of the same thoughts and feelings that I had as well.

    I posted a 911 remember post too.

    By Blogger Overwhelmed!, At 1:24 AM  

  • Thanks so much for sharing this. I remember, I don't ever, ever, ever want anyone to forget. To forget would be to repeat...we must not forget.

    By Blogger Michelle, At 7:04 AM  

  • Thanks so much for this remembrance. It captures the shock and disbelief we felt.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 10:49 AM  

  • I've posted with "Mr. Linky" twive this morning, and it shows up on the list, but when I leave this page and come back, my entry is gone. Don't know what's going on....it's doing this at another site as well. But my "remembrance" is at http://barbarah.wordpress.com/2006/09/11/i-remember/

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 10:52 AM  

  • I added mine...

    Kelly, you have a lovely craft of words; "a fog that would hover...our spirits for years."

    How true.

    By Blogger Robin, At 10:53 AM  

  • I'm so behind on getting links to my post on this but it's so fun to share and see what other's remember. Thanks for hosting one here too!

    Hugs,
    Holly

    By Blogger Holly Schwendiman, At 11:08 AM  

  • Well done! You have a lovely blog.

    My post is up today too:

    http://atahenspace.blogspot.com/2006/09/clueless.html

    By Blogger At A Hen's Pace, At 11:17 AM  

  • Thanks for fixing my link, Kelly. I think it must be a problem with my computer, as I'm also having trouble with Mr. Linky on Shannon's site as well.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 11:19 AM  

  • Thanks for coming by my post. This I remember linky is a great idea!
    I will see if I can get my widget running for it!

    By Blogger Lynn, At 2:38 PM  

  • Thanks for coming by my post. This I remember linky is a great idea!
    I will see if I can get my widget running for it!

    By Blogger Lynn, At 2:38 PM  

  • I remember.

    Thanks for visiting me today also.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 2:55 PM  

  • Beautiful post, for such a tragic event!
    My husband's a prankster, so that morning when he called me,(he's in construction, so he goes to work real early) I thought he was just trying to get me out of bed. I didn't take him serious at first, because I would never have ever thought any of this would take place, but then I thought he wouldn't have said something like this that's just not something to joke about.
    I remember driving to work later that day, and the freeway I use is right in the flight path of airplanes headed/leaving PHX International Airport, where you can see and hear planes anytime of the day. There was a strange calm and dead silence as you looked at the sky!

    By Blogger Unknown, At 3:24 PM  

  • It's just one of the tragic events that everyone will forever remember where they were and what they were doing when the news broke.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 4:21 PM  

  • Yes, I remember that day as well.

    Thank you for the comment you left in my 911 remembrance post. By the way, Oronzo and Snuggle Bug made it home safe and sound today! What a relief!

    By Blogger Overwhelmed!, At 7:44 PM  

  • By the way, I love how you have your blog linked in the comments that you leave. It's so much nicer to have to just click on one link and viola, you're there! :)

    By Blogger Overwhelmed!, At 7:46 PM  

  • Am finally getting around to reading Blogging Chick Carnival -

    A day in infamy. A day we won't forget. Thanks for sharing.

    By Blogger Karmyn R, At 5:15 PM  

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