The Day The Earth Stood Still: Part 3

The prayer service started at 6:30. It would be short; the president would be addressing the nation at 7pm (central). I stayed in the nursery with Pierce and Reagan, because neither of them were in the mood to sit quietly. I could watch the service on a monitor. At seven, the men in the control room tried to get the president's address to come up on the big screens in the auditorium. It took a minute or two. I changed channels on the nursery monitor until I found it. It was so moving. I cried at this reference to the 23rd Psalm.

On the way home, it was strange to look up and see nothing but stars. No moving lights, not a single plane in the sky. We got home and put the kids to bed. Of course, Tim and I sat in front of the television for the rest of the evening. We were stunned to see the brilliant fire lighting up the NY skyline. There wasn't a lot of new information. Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist group (based in Afghanistan) were the main suspects. It was too early to say for certain that he was responsible. Earlier in the day, there were reports of gun fire in Afghanistan, but the US denied having anything to do with it. It was too soon to declare war on them. Mostly, the images on TV were those I had seen all day. The plane slamming into the building, the buildings collapsing, people running for their lives, the Pentagon on fire, NYC covered in snow-like ash. It was surreal.

I felt such sorrow and heartbreak. I also had the unsettling feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. I knew it wasn't over. As terrible as that day was, each day after was worse. The personal stories were coming out. The widows, the widowers, the orphaned children. About 400 firefighters were missing. Every reporter on the street was surrounded by people holding up pictures of their missing loved ones. There were answering machine messages left by people trapped in the WTC or passengers on the hijacked flights. I told Tim that if he had been in that situation, I wouldn't have wanted him to call me. I wouldn't want those final words to play over and over again in my head for the rest of my life. But, that's just me. Maybe people were comforted by hearing goodbyes from the people they loved. There was news that some of the passengers on Flight 93 (the one that crashed in Pennsylvania) knew they were supposed to become a weapon. They attacked the terrorists before the plane could reach its target. The pilot had already been killed, so these people knew that the plane would crash and they were going to die. The sadness was crushing. I wondered if I would ever stop crying. The president declared September 14th a National Day of Prayer. That day was also my 27th birthday. I watched the prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., overwhelmed with a mixture of grief and love for our country. Tim and I got a sitter that night so we could go out for my birthday, but we certainly didn't feel like celebrating. I don't even remember what we did.

There were hero stories that made me cry, too. Like the two men that carried a woman in her wheelchair down 86 floors of the World Trade Center. Two women that ran a daycare close to the WTC raced across town to safety on foot carrying 10 young children. Lines were 3 to 6 hours long for people donating blood. Everyone felt so patriotic. God and prayer were mentioned on national television by people who would usually do their best to avoid the subjects. I remember looking out of the car window four days after the attack and thinking how beautiful the scenery was and how blessed my family was to live in this country.

I could write so much more. But, I don't think I could say anything that isn't written in the memorabilia I've saved. Previous generations remember just what they were doing when Pearl Harbor was bombed, JFK was assassinated, or the space shuttle Challenger blew up. I know I'll never forget 9/11. I hope no one does.

The Day The Earth Stood Still: Part 2

Eyewitnesses were being interviewed one after another. The second plane was crashing into the tower over and over again. One thing I noticed was how blue the sky was. It was such a beautiful day in New York City. The black smoke just didn't belong in the picture. Finally, at 9:30 (central), I scooped up Reagan and ran to the car. I didn't want to miss anything. I cranked up the car and turned the station to 99.7 just in time to hear that tower #1 had just collapsed. There was a moment of silence, then Peter Jennings said only, "Good Lord". Chills raced down my spine. I felt compelled to see it for myself. I threw the car in park, grabbed Reagan and ran back inside. As I turned on the TV, the tower was collapsing again in a replay. The TV anchors searched for words. The World Trade Center, two of the tallest buildings in the world, was nothing but ash. I had to get to church.

On the way, I listened to a blur of witnesses. Then, as I got close to church, more breaking news. There were reports of a plane crash in Pennsylvania. It was now speculated that these planes had been hijacked. It seemed so odd that this plane had crashed in an empty field. Why hadn't they tried to hit something on the ground?

When I arrived at church, people were walking around like zombies. Several were crying. We exchanged stories: how we heard the news, how we reacted. I left Reagan in the nursery and walked down the hall to class with my friend, Kathy. There was a few minutes of complete panic when her phone rang, and she got a report that Camp David had been hit. I wouldn't find out until I got home later that this information was false. I remembered my cell phone in the car. What if the schools were cancelled and I needed to pick Pierce up early? I ran back to get it.

About 15 of us gathered. A couple of women spoke and read Bible passages, a couple prayed. We all cried. Then to end the class, we stood in a circle holding hands and each took a turn praying. I was so glad I went. I felt some peace.

My mind was filled with questions as I went to pick Pierce up from school. Would the teachers know? How much would they know? Would they ask me what I knew? I sat outside the school and composed myself. Pierce's teachers brought his class outside. They acted as if nothing was different. They didn't want the kids to get upset. On the ride home, Pierce chattered away, blissfully unaware.

As soon as I got home, I turned on the TV. Pierce was oblivious to what was happening. Each station speculated how many people had been killed. I had already prepared myself to hear about 10,000. It was too early to tell. Information was scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Malls were closed, churches all over Nashville were announcing prayer services. Tim worked downtown. There was a building a few blocks away from his office that had been evacuated because of a bomb threat. This happened to many buildings around town that day. For the first time all day, I put my head in my hands and cried. Tim called, but we didn't know what to say to each other. I put the kids down for naps, then went back to the TV. They were asking for blood donors. My blood is O+, and I knew it would be in demand. I called my friend, Tammy, from Ladies Class. She was an OB nurse, and I wanted to know how soon after having a baby I could donate blood. I got her machine, so I called the Red Cross. They told me one could give blood six weeks after giving birth. Reagan was 7-months-old. Tammy called later to answer my question. She wasn't worried about a lack of blood, she was more concerned that the blood wouldn't be needed. Very few were coming in injured, which meant the death toll would be big. She asked if I'd heard about our church's prayer service. I had seen it on TV. I called Tim to tell him I wanted us to go.

I had dinner warmed up when Tim got home. Reagan was napping and Pierce was at the table. We went to the living room. Tim saw the pictures for the first time. The WTC and the Pentagon continued to burn. A third building, tower #7, had collapsed at about 4:30. We watched the plane hit over and over. No matter how many times I saw it, the fireball and then the collapses, I was horrified. I couldn't wrap my brain around it. We clasped hands and cried. We ate in front of the TV. Tim blessed the food and thanked God for keeping us all safe. He said that one of his first impulses had been to go get Pierce from school, but he had decided Pierce would be safe there. We didn't have much time to talk. We gobbled down dinner and got the kids ready for church.

The Day The Earth Stood Still: Part 1

As I get older, it is unbelievable to me how very fast time goes by. In just a few short days, the world will acknowledge the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. Even though I was not directly affected by the events of that day, I find myself resisting the process of remembering. All of the stories, pictures and videos from that day and where the survivors are now strike a nerve in me that is still so raw, even after all of these years. The events took place during a time that I was dealing with some post-partem depression, and it's a place I don't like to visit. However, I believe strongly in archiving the family history. This is my generation's Pearl Harbor or JFK assassination. So, for my future generations, I wrote down the details of that day in the way it related to me and my family. I did this about 2 months after the attacks. In fact, I wrote it the day another plane crashed in New York in November 2001. It's a fairly long account, so I'm bringing it to you in three parts. I realize everyone is being reflective right now, so this is just one of millions of stories that are being told on such a significant anniversary. This story isn't special or unique; it's just mine.

November 12, 2001

Today, there was a plane crash in Queens, NY. No one knows right now if it was an accident or an act of terrorism. When I walked into the living room at 8:40 (central) this morning and saw the breaking news report, my heart sank. Black smoke billowed up from the ground and immediately I thought, "Please, God, not again!". I said a quick prayer and thought about the day two months ago when the world was changed forever. I have articles describing the historic events of that day, but I want to give my own account.

September 11, 2001. The day started like any other. I woke up around 7am. I really try to give my day to God, but when I first wake up, I start to think about everything that has to be done and get sidetracked. This day was different. Before getting out of bed, I thanked God for the day, and asked for protection for every member of my family. Then, I woke Pierce up and got him dressed for pre-school. I kissed Tim and Pierce goodbye, then got 7-month-old Reagan up and fed. Today was Tuesday; Ladies Bible Class day. I needed to shower and dress, but I decided to take the time to have some coffee and watch The Today Show on NBC. I think it was about 7:50 (central), and one of the Kennedys was being interviewed (I think it was Edward). I really wasn't interested in the interview, so I turned it to Fox. A cartoon was on, so I turned it to CBS. The top of the screen said, "BREAKING NEWS" and there was black smoke pouring out of a tall building. Bryant Gumble said that witnesses had reported a plane crashing into tower #1 of the World Trade Center. I was panicked! Preferring NBC, I kept turning it back there to see what they were saying. They were showing commercials. I couldn't figure out why they wouldn't be showing this. Finally, at 8 (central), Matt Lauer told of breaking news at the World Trade Center. They talked to a doorman at the Marriot Hotel, which was between towers #1 and #2. He said it looked like a small charter plane had hit the tower. Debris was falling and people were running. I just couldn't believe what a horrible accident this was! How could a pilot not see the WTC? It was 110 stories high! Katie Couric was talking to an NBC producer who called in from her cell phone at about 8:05. Suddenly, she screamed and said, "Oh my God, another one just hit!". A huge fireball rose from the second tower. I could hear Al Roker and others off camera gasp. The producer yelled into her cell phone, "Did you see that?!" Katie answered yes. My feet were frozen and my knees were locked. My brain couldn't process what I was seeing. I screamed over and over, "Oh my God, my God!". My next thought was, "This is it! The world is ending!". The Today Show anchors were at a loss for words. I decided to call my mother. I knew she couldn't do anything, but I just needed to hear her voice. She sounded groggy. I asked, "Are you watching this?". She said she was still in bed. I told her to turn on the TV. The WTC had just been hit by two small airplanes. She got the TV on just as NBC began to replay the second plane hitting. It took me a moment to realize that it was a replay and not a third plane hitting the towers. I tried to fill her in on what I knew, and the thought suddenly hit me: THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT. We both watched, stunned, she in SC and me in TN. After a few minutes, we hung up, hoping nothing worse would happen.

Ladies class! My first impulse was to stay home and watch the news coverage. Then, I knew that now more than ever, we needed to be together praying for our country. I tried to pull myself away from the TV. Katie Couric kept saying it was possible this wasn't an accident, but an act of terrorism. I yelled back, "Of course this is terrorism! Don't you see that?!". I finally carried the radio into our bathroom and turned it to 99.7 talk radio so I could get a shower. The station was airing ABC's live coverage. Peter Jennings was covering the story. A couple of minutes after I got in the shower, president George W. Bush made his first public statements. He was in Florida talking to second graders when everything began. He gave a brief synopsis of events. Then, he said that we would "hunt down the folks who committed this act". I felt reassured. A minute or two after he spoke, Peter Jennings said he had more breaking news. There were reports of smoke coming from the Pentagon. Once again, I panicked. This couldn't be happening! Sure enough, the Pentagon had also been hit by an airplane. For the first time ever, the FAA ordered all planes in the air to land at the closest airport. Then, US airports were to close indefinitely. By now, we knew that the planes that crashed were Boeings: 757s and 767s. Big planes. They just looked small beside the enormous World Trade Center.

I hurried out of the shower and ran back to the TV. Once again, I needed to hear a familiar voice. I knew Tim was in a meeting, but I called him on his cell phone. He was getting pretty sketchy details from phone calls to the other men in the meeting. I told him the Pentagon had been hit and that all US airports had been closed. He couldn't talk long, so we exchanged "I love you"s and hung up. I ran to get dressed and put on my makeup. I was in the living room getting things together for Ladies Class. It was about 9am (central). Someone was being interviewed on NBC. Matt Lauer interrupted and said, "Can we roll the tape back a little? I thought I just saw something fall from the side of tower #2.". Before the tape could be rolled back, the tower crumbled. It just pancaked; floor after floor until there was nothing but smoke. It was such a strong building. No one seemed to think it would come down. This was the first time I heard someone mention all of the firefighters that were inside the buildings helping people out. How many were in that building when it came down?