People that know me, know that I feel strongly about certain things, so they probably won't be surprised to see this post.

It's important to me to say this today. I feel compelled to do so.

The other day I had a weird moment. The dentist office gave me an appointment and said it would be on Sept 11th and immediately I thought how nuts that sounded and maybe how nuts that I sound as well, just by admitting that. I feel a little silly about it, I mean it's been 7 years but every time I hear the date, I freeze a little inside.



For those of us that are too young to remember something like Pearl Harbor, September 11th, is a day that shell-shocked many of us. I'm not afraid to say that I cried alot on September 11, 2001. It was the single most horrifying thing I've ever seen so far in my life as I watched CNN on the TV in GE Plastics' lobby.

I happened to be walking by when the first plane had already hit the first tower. They were discussing it as an "accident". And I was still standing there watching "live" as the second plane hit the second tower. It was...well words cannot describe it. If you saw it in a re-run of the events, I'm not sure if you felt the same as I did watching it as it actuallyhappened but it was the most terrible feeling in my chest.

I watched in horror and tears as people fell and lept to their deaths. I was there watching this, work ignored for the moment in time. And I watched as the towers collapsed and smoke and debris fell.

I remember a guy in our building walking by with a cellphone, dazed and upset. He'd just been talking to someone in one of the towers and was cut off and he was worried.

I remember getting through that day in a daze. It didn't matter that I knew no one in New York, I just felt so much empathy and saddness for the people there. I remember clearly when I got home that day : immediately, before I did anything else, I turned the radio on. And I cried some more.

Today, on MSNBC they are replaying that same footage from that day and I still got choked up when they showed that second plane hit the second tower. If I'd stood there much longer, I might have started to cry. Maybe that sounds silly, but it was a day for me that I'll never forget even though I wasn't physically there to see it. To this day, I can't yet watch a movie based on the events.

It's easy to forget things like today's anniversary when you're in a hurry and trying to get things done today. And at some point the memory is less sharp and it's not as painful as it used to be--that's the way it should be over time. But if you are anything like me, that day--you empathized with those people and maybe you thought of your family and friends and were glad they were safe.

No matter what you're doing today; no matter where you are-- take a few moments today and remember September 11th. It's something that I don't think you should forget. Even if you just take the moment to read this and go on with your day, that's fine. But take a moment and remember today for what it was in our history.

Take a peice of that feeling that you had that day and be thankful, thoughtful, and appreciate the people that you love today and if you get the chance, be sure to let them know how you feel

-Isa / Peli

I can't help but show these images again. You probably have seen them a thousand times in the past years so I've hidden them so that if you don't want to look, you don't have to.

(click to show spoiler)









Time has done an internet page on Sept 11th if you're interested in seeing it.
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020909/index.html

Thanks for posting this Peli. It's good to remember the bad things so to not forget those people and not to let stuff like this happen again.


I remember exactly were I was when we first heard of this. Was in my computer class in the 10th grade. A teacher poked her head in and said a plane hit the WTC, she made it sound like it was a small private plane hit it or something.I can't say for sure if I saw the second plane hit the tower but I know it hurt to see it happen. Didn't get to see what was happening till my History class. We watched as they replayed the footage. I'll never forget how I felt and how horrible it was. Still brings those feelings back every time I see something about it. The same sinking feeling I had and still get tears in my eyes. After that I feel no sympathy for anyone who would associate themselves with Terrorists or people who scoff at what happened or those fools who say it was an inside job.

Agreed, never forget the past...

I remember seeing the towers down. I was in vacation from college in Romania, at my parents country house, getting ready to go swim with my friends. Then somebody started to scream from the house and we all went in and watched for the few next hours, forgetting about everything else.
And you know, its true, the whole world watched in silence and then cried in the same silence. There were really no words to say then and its still hard today when I remember it.
I know this sounds awkward but in moments like this, is not considered an American tragedy, but world's one and I'm sorry for the families and friends that are still grieving.
And even today, when i called home, my young college student cousin told me they held a commemoration in the University Plaza for the 9/11 tragedy.
We still remember.
Hugs
Aleah

I was in 11th grade, getting ready for gym when the first plane hit. The administration decided to cancel classes and we were all moved to the auditorium where they had CNN playing on a big movie theater style screen. I'm not sure if I saw live footage of the second plane hitting the WTC, but I know when we saw it, the whole room gasped at once awestruck at the scene. The rest of that day is a blur, but that one moment will live forever burned into my mind.

I was actually on the way to my history class (11th grade as well), the teacher just turned on, turned up the volume and that was the class. Thats actually about all i remember from the day, just the moment walking in and seeing the TV and the teaacher telling us to sit and watch, "This is history in the making, a day like JFK's shooting. People will remember where they were and what they were doing when it happened for the rest of their lives."