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Blue Skies

Gray Days


Remembering it, like it was yesterday. Yes, I am talking about September 11, 2001.

It was a beautiful clear crisp Tuesday morning.  I was getting ready for work.  In the bathroom.  Listening to the radio.
The news at the top of the hour (8am) reports that a plane (probably a small passenger plane) crashed into the World Trade Center tower in New York.

Curious, I walked into the living room, to see if they had anything about it on the Today Show, which was on the TV.  I watched then as the second plane hit the other tower.

The events of the day endlessly seemed to unfold, and the knees beneath me, continued to weaken.  I will never forget the feelings of uncertainty and insecurity.  Me...pregnant with my third child. Read More...

My husband was making his daily trek,  dropping off our 1st grader and pre-schooler at their school.  The anticipation of him walking in the door seemed to last forever. I needed him to join me, standing there in awe in front of the TV.  Frozen...what do you do?

My office was in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel building in Sturtevant at the time.  Kinda a quiet little place.  Few reporters, distribution people, and me.  I am sure, even our quaint newsroom would be "a buzz" today.  I get there...there is NO ONE there.  I connect with my boss in Milwaukee.  We were all numb.  How do you work when your world is under attack?  Do I go pick my kids up at school?

Crash after crash, it was more than I could process physically by myself.  This beautiful day, was nothing but gray....the smoke, the ashes, the future.  The blue skies were eerily peaceful.  I would probably freak out if I saw a plane.  Your family, friends, safety and the horror we all were experiencing with the devastating events...was all you thought about.  And now, in a few months, I would be bringing another precious child into this world of uncertainty.

CNN was on continuously for days.  Reports from New York, Washington, and the middle east all day and night.  I was soon captivated by CNN chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour's reports in the middle east: terrorism, bin Laden and al-Qaeda .  Topics that I probably never paid any attention to, if I even ever heard of before, was catapulted to the forefront of the news, lunch discussions, and my thoughts.

Ten years ago seems just like yesterday to me, though I don't get nervous when a commercial airline flies overhead.  I don't, however, enjoy flying.  I am suspicious of passengers for some reason, I don't seem to trust.  Time has quickly slipped us back into our day to day, though I know, just like me, you haven't forgotten.  I have a daily reminder, my daughter, Christiane, born 6 months later.

In honor and remembrance of the 9/11 victims and their families.

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  1. […] Say It Ain’t So: September 11th Memory Lapse (2013) Time Traveler: Taken Back on 9/11 (2012) Blue Skies: Grey Days […]

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