Remembering 911

It could have been us…

I remember. I still remember…

I was working in Human Resources at a Nursing Facility when the first plane hit. Some of the residents were watching tv in the Activities Center and I was talking to one of my favorite residents, a dear gentleman, as the plane crashed into the building.

I first thought it was a movie trailer for an upcoming action flick. So did the residents. Within minutes the sickening reality became apparent to everyone. A plane had indeed hit one of the Twin Towers.

We stayed glued to the tv as the unbelievable events unfolded before our eyes. A sort of community shock took over as residents and employees could not speak or look away from the tv.

I was guardian for a dear lady friend with Alzheimers at that time and she was living at this same facility. She looked frantically for me even having a nurse page me. When we connected she was terrified because in her confused state she thought the plane had hit somewhere in our community. Her fear was palpable as she tearfully demanded we stay together all day. And so we did.

About 10:00 a.m. I got another page telling me I had a phone call. When I picked up the phone I heard my husband’s voice, “I’m on the ground”. What an odd thing to say, I thought. So I replied, “Well I’m on the ground too”.

“I mean I’m safe”, my husband continued. And in that split second I realized he was flying that morning for work. It could have been him on one of those hijacked flights. It could have been us. He was just going to work as all those thousands of other of people were doing. Only they never returned home to their loved ones.

It took me some time to let what could have been sink in as I tried to comprehend his story: his plane ready for takeoff was grounded with no explanation, he and the fellow passengers departed the plane with police escort, there were bomb sniffing dogs in the airport, all airport televisions were turned off, passengers were not allowed to claim their baggage, etc. He and his coworker had gotten the last available rental car and were getting ready to drive the many hours home.

As I waited for my husband to get home, I prayed and cried — a mixture of grief for what others were going through and thankfulness that it had not happened to us.

But as I have continued to think of that day and the weeks and months and years that have elapsed since that day, I realize 911 did happen to us. To all of us. Whether we were physically there or not.

It happened to all of us as we watched some of our American Heroes bravely go into those towers with an unshakeable goal of helping their fellow citizens. They did not hesitate even a moment because they were part of us.

It happened to all of us as we saw our fellow Americans jump from the burning buildings to escape the searing heat of the towering inferno they faced. We prayed for them, we cried for them because they were part of us.

It happened to all us as we heard of the heroes of flight 93 who very likely knew they were giving their lives to save others, fellow Americans, they did not know. They did this because they were part of us.

It happened to all of us for the weeks and months after 911 as we heard stories of bravery, love and unspeakable loss for those who were part of us.

It happens to all of us even now as we lose first responders and others who have suffered physically and emotionally from what they saw and experienced on that day and the many days after.

All of these things and more happened that day but that was just the beginning. And as we think now of what happened on that horrific day I hope we always remember that when something like this happens to some of us, it happens to all of us.

It could have been us…

It was!

Jackie Deems Copyright 2019