That September Day

Then:
I don't remember much of that day.  It was all a blur.

It was a Tuesday morning and I was working the early shift with Dr. Jensen, a resident from the U of M.  I only worked with him 2 days a week for 6 months.  After all these years, I should have forgotten all about him, but we are linked by the events of September 11th. 

We were working on a patient in an operatory when another dental assistant came in and said that a plane flew into a building in NYC.  I just thought to myself..."okay.  That's nice."  I didn't register the significance of what that meant.  We were with a patient and everything outside of that room was irrelevant.  We had to focus on the treatment for the patient.

Twenty minutes later, that same dental assistant came back in and said a second plane hit a building in NYC.  Now I thought "What is going on?  What's with all the craziness?"

It wasn't until an hour later that I was able to sit in the break-room huddled around Dr. L's 8" TV with my coworkers.  I remember just being in shock.  This couldn't possibly be real.  It's all a soap opera.

I was only able to see footage for a couple of minutes and I remember wanting the patients for the rest of the day to be canceled.  I didn't want to work anymore.  How could we go on after what happened?  I couldn't wait to get home at 3pm so I could plucker down in front of the TV and absorb it all.  I was still living at home and reflecting on it now, I'm sure glad I was able to see my parents and eat supper with them and go to bed with them under the same roof.  Having them near gave me peace.

If something that BIG were to happen now and even though I'm almost 30, I would still want my mommy and daddy.  Going Up North and seeing them is comforting.  "Home" is wherever they are and wherever they are is "safe".


Now:
This past weekend my sister and I were at our parent's.  We didn't watch much TV but what we did watch were shows about 9/11.  Even though I wasn't personally impacted by the terrorist attacks, I can only sympathize with what the victims and survivors went through.  

The stories of those that died were touching, but it was the stories of those that survived that had power to them.  How a single staircase only two stories tall could remain entombed after the building collapses and people are still alive in the stairwell is amazing.  It was the decision of the firefighters of Ladder 6 to help an elderly lady make her way down 80 floors but then she can't make the last 4 that saves them all.  If they had made it down those last 4, they would have died on the sidewalk.

The power of miracles!