What I Was Doing 9-11-01

September 11th, 2001 is day most Americans will never forget. Thirteen years later and I still remember exactly what I was doing and the major of events of my day.

After getting up and preparing for work, I received a rare phone call from my boss telling me to turn on my television. I asked what channel and he told me it didn't matter. After I turned on the TV, I instantly understood what he meant. It was on just about EVERY single station. By the time I started viewing the first plane had hit, but not the second. At this point, and still in utter disbelief, I headed to work.

In the ten minutes it took me to get there, the second plane had hit the other tower AND if I remember correctly, the plane had hit the Pentagon as well. This particularly hit home for me, because I lost a few personal friends. I had been stationed in the Washington DC area for just under 3 years at spent a few days a week actually in the Pentagon. It's also noteworthy my status was inactive reserve (which basically means I was no longer active duty, but I was available to be called back at a moments notice). My boss was aware of my military background and sent me home to pack... just in case I was called in.

Three days I waited, hoping I would be called upon once again, but the call never came. I can honestly say, I never saw the planes hit or watched any of the archive footage of the incident until recently. It was just too hard for me.

The one positive that came out of the attack is what I like to call: aftermath unity. For sometime after the events that fateful day, the majority of America seemed to be on one accord in a way I had never seen in my years on the earth. Racism, prejudice and bigotry just seemed petty and insignificant in the bigger scheme of things. If only it didn't take tragedy and loss to get the masses unified.

God Bless America and may those that lost their lives on September 11th, 2001... never be forgotten.