The Day My World Changed

Eleven years ago today was a turning point for me.  I remember it like it was last week, the sky was a lovely blue, I was in my office, a typical morning, when someone came in with the news that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.  Like many people, I assumed it was a light aircraft that had succumbed to a tragic accident.  I went down to the cafeteria in my building and locked eyes on the news coverage.  It didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t a small plane.  As the reporter was talking, I watched in disbelief as the second plane hit the adjacent building.  I remember thinking; “they just said they didn’t have footage of the collision!”  Then my mind translated what my eyes had seen and I knew…this was a second incident.  Time stood still for me until I suddenly remembered where I was…directly across the street from the Pentagon.  I ran up three flights of stairs to warn my co-workers when we heard the roar of jet engines.  The next thing I knew the building was moving, followed almost immediately by a sound I will never forget.  A jet had just crashed into the Pentagon and the force of the explosion sent a shockwave that literally rocked our building.  I saw several people running toward the windows and I yelled at them to “get the F*** away from the windows!”  I don’t use that language at work, but it seemed appropriate at the time. 

The next several hours were building evacuation, frantically listening to car radios for information, calling my main office to let them know we were safe, mixing with others on the street, like refuges...  dazed, confused, crying, scared…

Then, finally, driving home, looking in the rear view mirror and seeing the smoke rising against the clear blue sky.  People on overpasses waving flags.  The silence of no traffic in Northern Virginia because the Interstate going North had been blocked.  Going home, putting my flag out and then sitting in front of the TV, too numb to cry, too overwhelmed not to watch the coverage, thinking about the heroes on Flight 93, the courage of the first responders…

We didn’t return to work for two days while the building’s structural integrity was verified, but driving in and seeing the charred space where the wall had been…

Take a moment and remember those who were lost and those who survived but were changed forever.

Be safe.