Where were you when the world stopped turning?

I hear that song by Alan Jackson every once-in-a-while and those memories still come flooding back.  Every generation has at least one event that is burned in their memory so vividly that they remember exactly where they were and what they were doing at that time.  September 11, 2001 is one for my generation.

I was working for Southern Company Services on the Trading Floor located in the Alabama Power building in downtown Birmingham.  We always had several televisions on the floor watching the news, financial channels, etc... to see what might affect the power and gas markets.  That morning, we were watching the news when they started reporting that an airplane had accidentally hit a building in New York City.  I called my boyfriend (now husband) at home and told him to turn on the television.  We were standing there watching as the second tower was hit.  We now knew that this was no accident.

I remember being scared.  We were at the power company!  If this was a terrorist attack on the whole country, would we be a target?  We had co-workers stranded in New Orleans because all flights were cancelled.  Some were able to get a bus ticket to get back home.  I remember one had his in-laws drive down to pick him up.  There were no rental cars to be found.  We were sent home early because no one knew what was going to happen.

I sat on my couch in my little one bedroom apartment, watching television, crying, and wishing that someone, anyone, was there with me.  I would call my boyfriend at work and my mom at her work because I just needed to know that the people I loved were OK.  I had to go gas up my car because it was low and the lines were horrible, prices already rising.

For days, I watched everything I could to try to figure out why.  I was sick over all of the lives lost.  I finally had to just turn it all off.  I couldn't turn on my TV at home.  I had to wear headphones and listen to music at work so I couldn't hear the constant news reports.

The events of September 11, 2001 brought back Patriotism.  People were proud of their country.  American Flags were flown everywhere.  All of a sudden, everyone knew the words to the National Anthem and sang it with pride.  To this day, I can't hear the National Anthem without getting goosebumps and all teary eyed.  It's one of those things that changes you deep down inside and you're never the same...
















Photo source: Able Engravers