Remembering...

Today, September 11th, is a day which you can't help but remember as a day of terror 10 years ago. This morning I picked up the Topeka Capital Journal, headlines of KU beating N. Illinois, a new burger stand, & the U.S. food supply, were just side notes in comparison to the 9/11 Anniversary article. As I'm holding the paper in my hand, before even reading one word I flashback to that day in 2001. I was waiting to leave for school. Junior year. Agriculture class. My mom always had The Today Show on in the living room and I always sit there, get distracted and wait until the last possible minute before leaving. As I was sitting with my backpack listening to Al give the weather & Matt talk about Micheal Jordan making a comeback they flash outside to a burning building and announce something on the note that the North World Trade center is on fire or a plane has hit it. I am mesmerized in disbelief and yell to my mom in the office to come check this out. As a little time goes by (this point I had no clue what time it was), the cameras watching this building smoking & burning then all of the sudden capture another plane smashing into the South Tower. I couldn't believe it with my own eyes! I finally peeled off the T.V. and made it to Marv's ag. class which that is all we could talk about. About an hour later I am headed into Niwot (my home high school) and they announce on the radio that a plane has crashed into the pentagon and another into a field in Pennsylvania. History class, that was where I was supposed to be... made it remembering thinking, 'oh my how many planes are out there? will there be more attacks? who did this? all those people...' Once in history, we discussed what was happening and the teacher went on to teach his normal lesson thinking that was the best thing. I remember just being in a daze all through my classes and the rest of the day being glued to T.Vs all over, feeling for the families, wanting to help but being so far away...
I finally snap back into things this morning, ask Paul where he was that day, then read aloud the story in the paper of Brian Clark, a Survivor from the 84th floor of the South tower. Clark actually felt the plane hitting the tower! As he was his floors fire marshal he led them all into the stairwell to start the decline. As they were doing so a lady was coming up saying they had to go up. Clark & a co-worker, Ron DiFrancesco went to help another voice (Stanley Praimnath) as he did he looked back and quote, "I have this very clear vision of all my co-workers turning around and starting up the stairs... And they all died." They saved Praimnath.
The other articles of 9/11 included disaster trauma, a fighter pilot told to go after flight 93, and miscellaneous first hand accounts.
Now that I have made it to my computer I 'Google'd' World Trade Center Memorial... (last I had heard they hadn't decided on final design - I don't watch too much t.v.). On the National World Trade Center Memorial website it shows their design that they unveiled today, and I am pleased with what I can see from the pictures and someday I would like to make the trip to NY and visit the Museum.

Thank you to all those who helped in that hard time and my thoughts go out to those who lost the one's so dearly to them.

                                                                                               ..... Where were you?