If you were born in the 70's or 80's you might have grown up listening to parents and grandparents remembering where they were during crucial historical moments in America's history...
I remember an older lady in our church telling me where she was when she heard about Pearl Harbor.
I remember both of my parents telling me where they were when they heard about JFK being assassinated.
I'm a history nerd (history major here), I soaked these stories up. I love social history (social studies was my other major)...I want to know the personal stories, not just the big dates....
I also remember thinking, I'm glad that nothing bad will happen to America again. I'm glad I won't have a "I remember where I was when ______ happened" moment in my life.
Then one quiet morning 11 years ago I joined the world in getting our 'I remember moment'...
Where were you?
I was sitting on my couch nursing my nine month old baby girl watching the morning news. This was our schedule...wake up at 6, she would nurse for an hour while I caught up on local/national news.
I in no way can even grasp the terror of those living in New York, Washington DC, anywhere on the East Coast, anyone that was on a plane or in an airport that day....
But because I was watching the news...I saw it all...
I was watching from the moment the first plane hit. When they thought it was still a freak accident. I SAW the second plane, I watched it fly into the second tower. I screamed and woke up Beau, made him try to understand what was going on.
I sat on the couch holding my sweet baby girl and so frighten for the world that I had brought her into.
I watched the towers fall...
I watched the plane in DC...
I watched as flight 93 crashed into a quiet field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
I'm not sure when I got off the couch that day, I know Beau went to work. I babysat my friends baby everyday back then...and I can't for the life of me remember if she brought her to me that day to watch or not. I just remember the tv being on all day long...I remember holding my baby and praying, and praying, and praying. I prayed for her world. Her life. Her America.
And I have a story I never wanted, I have a "I remember where I was" moment....
And I'm asking you to share yours.
These stories are part of history, they are the untold stories of history. The history that never gets written. We will tell our children and maybe even grandchildren, but they will be forgotten. I know that 9/11 will never be forgot, just like we have never forgot Pearl Harbor or the death of JFK, but the sting of those tragedies lessens when we loose those personal stories.
Lets not loose our, "I remember where I was when I heard/saw the news on 9/11."
It's weird to think...that it was a just a day before that day. Had you said 9/11 on 9/10/01, everyone would have no idea what you were talking about.
It wasn't one place like Pearl Harbor...
It wasn't one man like JFK.
It was our entire country that was attacked that day...
and we can't remember it by just saying one place...the entire day has been forever changed!
Share your story...where were you?
Busy Little Bunnies
4 months ago
2 comments:
I was at my first OB appointment with Ethan when I found out. We were in Goshen In a town surrounded by a huge Amish community. There was no tv in the waiting room and I had not turned on the tv at home before going to the appointment. Trent had gotten up early and taken Aidan, then almost 2, out on an adventure, so I enjoyed the quiet house reading. I'm called back for my examine assum "the position" and the doctor says he can't believe what has happened!! He seemed very shocked and slightly angry that I knew nothing about it!!!
I went home and family began calling us. This is before cell phones so I had no way of talking to Trent. Apparently we were close to some government something and roads were closed. He had trouble getting home. I watched that tv and prayed for Trent's safe return with my baby boy!!!
I had a 2 year old and a 3 week old. My mom was still in town helping. My husband called me from work to tell me about it. The impact wasn't really hitting us yet and we went on with our day, storytime at the library, lunch at Target while doing errands. Two year old starting throwing up later that day and believe it or not, my husbnad still had his job interview with the state. Glad he got the job though!
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