Always Remember, Never Forget
image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
As a young mother, I had definite ideas about how much television my children were allowed to watch.
We had a strict schedule with limited options: one 30-minute afternoon show before nap time. Only pre-approved PBS shows, and never, ever, adult television.
This particular morning, I was issuing orders about finding hair bows, putting away toys, and getting to the table for breakfast, when my husband called. He wanted me to turn on the television.
Inwardly, I sighed. He was traveling, so he relied on me for updates on weather and sports, but I figured it could wait.
I didn’t bother to hide my peevish tone. “Which channel?”
“Just tell me what you see.”
His lack of instructions caught me off-guard. I turned on the television and flipped through the channels, seeing the same story on each one. Slowly, I started to piece together for him – and for me – that a plane had hit one of the Towers in New York City.
As I narrated what I was seeing on television, and he told me what he was hearing on the radio, we agreed that some poor pilot had gotten terribly confused and crashed into the Tower.
The girls began to chase each other around the kitchen, which meant someone’s syrupy pancakes would end up on the floor, so I said goodbye to my husband and herded the girls to their proper places at the table.
After getting the girls situated, I returned to the television and saw a beautiful aerial view of New York City. Then, weirdly, I saw a second plane glide across the screen and hit the second Tower.
But what I saw made no sense. Was that footage of the earlier plane crash?
It wasn’t until I heard the broadcaster – several really – gasp, “What just happened?” that I realized something awful, something truly horrible, had occurred.
I sank into the sofa to call my husband.
“I’m coming home,” he said. “Do you have a full tank of gas? Do we have groceries? What about cash?”
I mumbled yes, yes, and yes, and let him disconnect.
The girls, now quiet and still, had left the table and moved to the couch. They cuddled into me and stared at the television screen.
I let them watch.
It is estimated that over 3,051 children lost parents on September 11, 2001.
Beautiful post, thanks for sharing this. I think stories like these are some of the best ways to talk about what happened, bringing all of our humanity, shock, and concern in. What a terrible morning that was! I was teaching high school in Chicago, everyone (students and teachers) were watching TV, and my students were afraid another plane might be on the to Chicago.
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Thanks Anne, I must say your students had real reasons to fear a strike on Chicago. I believe it was one of the cities considered for an attack?
I am both looking forward to seeing people’s tributes to that awful day! Mine is scheduled for the morning of September 11th on http://snippettsfrommymind.blogspot.com/
I hope you will read it too. :)
Thanks for stopping by, LadyJai. I’m looking forward to reading a lot of posts in honor of 9/11. I think it’s an important way to honor those who died.
Thank you for sharing this Bridgette. It is a day that we’ll all remember where we were, and what we were doing, when it happened.
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Thanks, Kerry.
Thank you Bridgette. The hero’s of that day were the men on the plane that ditched in PA. They prevented the third blow. Not only the tragedy of that day is embedded in our hearts, but also is embedded in the health of the firefighters and emergency responders as most of them inhaled noxious fumes. Their heroism is part of their job, the risks, and they risked it all that day. Thank you to all who worked to help in this horrid disaster, and may God help those affected intimately by loss, recover a quality of life if they have not already done so.
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Very true Marion. I have never taken for granted the work the first responders do after 9/11. So much of our society depends on their work. Amazing, really, when I think about it.
Your retelling is so vivid and powerful, it brings back memories of exactly how I felt when I saw it on TV. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks Angela.
Every time I see footage of the second plane heading for the tower, I change the channel. I remember pics of the triage units at the hospitals waiting to receive the injured and no one showed up. Really heartbreaking.
Oh Jen, just the idea of empty triage areas breaks my heart. Such a sad, sad day. . .
Jen, I’ve never seen that footage. Heartbreaking indeed.
Thank you for your beautiful memory, Bridgette. Very powerful and emotional.
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Thanks Tameri. I appreciate your kind words.
What a true to the minute reflection of what happened Bridgette. I was at work so what you described seeing on TV is what I was having relayed to me by a co-worker talking to someone in our NYC office. It was chilling and surreal.
Barbara McDowell recently posted..Three Liebster Awards! And Yes, I Am Still Dancing…
Yes, it was – and is – chilling. It’s as if that day moved in slow motion.
[...] Booth will never forget what her family was doing when the towers [...]
Thanks for such an intimate experience. Very moving.
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Appreciate your visit, Patricia.
Great post Bridgette. I got a huge lump in my throat. So desperately sad. Sometimes I can’t believe 10 years have passed.
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Thanks Natalie. It is a sad memory.
[...] Always Remember, Never Forget | Bridgette Booth [...]
Really heartbreaking. Thank you to all who worked to help in this horrid disaster, and may God help those affected intimately by loss, recover a quality of life if they have not already done so.
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