A Random Tuesday

I worked at Fidelity then; that random Tuesday. I worked the late shift answering the phones from 4:45pm to 1:15am. That morning, the phone kept ringing, so I woke up way earlier than my 11am wake up call. Frustrated, I finally got out of bed. My dog, Sam wanted to go out since I was already up. I hit the button on the answering machine and my sister's voice came on. "I just want to make sure you were alright with every thing going on in the world", she said. That was weird. But, hey, my whole family is weird. So, I took Sam out for a walk. I kept thinking about my sister's message. What was she talking about, I wondered. I went back in the apartment and grabbed the phone to call her back while turning on the TV. My mind was not comprehending what I was seeing on the on the television. I remember my sister saying "the buildings are gone." What? What is happening? "We are under attack, Kim!," she said. The terrorists were attacking us. I walked backwards slowly in a cloud of confusion dropping down to the couch. Wait. We are the United States of America. We fear no one. We don't get attacked. Other people get attacked. My heart sank. The rest is a faint memory. I remember being glued to the television. I remember the empty Dallas highway on the way to work. I remember the deafening quiet that encased my typically noisy workplace. I remember the first call I got that day. I remember crying in my bed listening to the radio of New Yorkers searching desperately for their loved ones. I remember the heroes that rose from the ashes. I remember the picture of the firefighters pushing the flag up. I remember the stories of courage from the cell phones of the victims. I remember a country united. I remember being proud to be an American. I remember mourning the loss of people I never knew and would never have the chance to know. I remember that I will never forget September 11th.

I REMEMBER.

:(