911 revisited

Eight years ago American life changed forever. I remember it oh too well...

It was my first year at Mann Elementary teaching kindergarten. It was a Tuesday morning and my children were gone for that hour. I was in the teacher's lounge making copies when one of my colleagues came in muttering something about an airplane colliding with something. I went over to my friend Julie's room and told her. She called her husband and that is how we found out. We put on the TV-and there-before our eyes-we saw the plume of smoke coming from the first tower. What freaked us out more was what happened next, a second airplane flew into the second tower. We just looked at each other and words wouldn't come out. We put the sound on and it was there before our eyes that we saw the first tower go down.

I remember that as a staff we all came together and just watched over and over again the same images of those towers being hit and disappearing from the New York skyline in a dark cloud of rubble and dust. Everyone of us wanted to go home to our families. Ben was only 2 at the time. He was safe in the home of his Auntie Pam, but I still touched base with her to make sure everything was ok.

I remember talking to Julie about how we, as teachers, were going to explain to our very young children what had happened. They were so young and we had to tread carefully as to not frighten them. But we knew we had to say something. We knew it was going to be the topic of conversation everywhere.

I remember the horror of learning about flight 93 that had crashed in PA and how these now- deceased heroes had stopped the third plane from attacking a target in Washington. And I remember the attack on the pentagon.

Now, eight years later, Americans have somewhat healed and memories of this day have faded. I don't want to forget so I dedicate this blog to all the victims of 911. I must say that my life has resumed normalcy since 9-11-09, like most Americans. But-we must never forget!