Today the flags flew at half-mast across America to remember the lives lost 9 years ago. Has it been 9 years already??? I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was the day after Tanya had left to return to SA after living with us for a year. When I woke up on September 11th my eyes were puffy and swollen from crying the night before.
We were getting ready for work when I turned the TV on to catch the news. That's when we heard the first plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers. There was confusion and disbelief in the newsroom and we wondered out aloud about how a plane could go so badly off course as to hit a massive tower in the middle of Manhattan.
When the second plane hit moments later, I remember the very serious expression on Charles Gibson's face (Good Morning America's news anchor) when he reported that he believed the USA was under terrorist attack. I immediately phoned Dad in South Africa and told him what had happened. He didn't believe me but soon CNN was broadcasting the news and he and Mom were also following in disbelief the events unfolding in New York City.
Warren and I couldn't decide if we should go into work or not. Airports, train stations, subways and other public transportation had been shut down. We made the decision to go anyway so I took Jordan to the day care center. I remember a staff member had brought in a TV and the office staff were watching the scene in New York. Dozens of stunned parents shuffled in with their kids and shuffled back out again. Everyone seemed to be in shock.
I had the radio on all the way to work and I ran into the building to log onto the internet and follow the news. By then a plane had crashed into the Pentagon and one had crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Travelport had the TVs turned on in the communication room and most of us stood around and watched the news. When the towers came down, most of us cried and stood huddled in shock and when our managers told us to go home, we all walked dazed to our cars.
There was talk about terrorists targeting soft targets like schools, hospitals and day care centers and I sped to get Jordan, grabbed him from his class, raced home and stayed on the sofa in our TV room with the TV on until way past midnight.
I'll never forget that day.
Taken in November 1997 when we visited NYC for Warren's 30th. We'd been up to the top of one of the WTC buildings earlier and they stood behind me, high in the sky and proud against the Manhattan skyline.