LIGHTS ON.....9/11
On Tuesday, September 11, 2007 everyone in the USA who
will be driving a motor vehicle is asked to drive with their headlights
on during daylight hours. Though no explanation is needed as to why we
are commemorating September 11, we hope more importantly to pay
respect to the victims of that day, show our nation's solidarity and
show support for our men and women of the Armed Forces.
You can help by sending this information of to others!
REMEMBER!
LIGHTS ON.....9/11
2 comments:
My lights will be on, and there will be a candle burning all day long in my house, in memory of a terrible day in American history.
Being on the subject of 9/11, maybe we should remember where we were that awful morning. I'd love to hear everyone else's story. Here's mine:
I was living in Ft. Collins, Colorado at the time. I'd made it home late the night before, from a two-week long tour, and I was utterly exhausted. The attacks took place early in the morning MST so I was still sound asleep. Then I heard a sound I'll never, ever forget - Kori's (my roommate)voice as she began to understand what she was seeing on the television and screamed out my name. I can't describe what it was in her voice - all I can say is that it got me straight up and running out of bed, from of a dead sleep. I instantly knew something was really, really wrong. I ran out into the livingroom where she was standing in front of the t.v. That was about two minutes before I saw, on live television, an airliner smash into the second tower of the WTC. (By the way, I'd been in the WTC just a few weeks beforehand.) At that point, I finally realized that what I was seeing was not a dream or a movie - it was real. I grabbed my keys, the 20 bucks I had to my name and Kori. I was headed for Montana. At least there, I thought, I had fighting chance against whatever was coming with my family. I was more scared than I have ever been in my entire life.
When I got home, I found a gigantic American flag in my closet and hung it outside my livingroom window. For the next long while, I felt the most incredible sense of belonging and brotherhood. For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be an American. That is something I have not let go of since. This is MY country, MY people and MY responsibility - and nobody is going to take that away from me. You remember that feeling, don't you? Wouldn't it be great if all of us remembered that, everyday? No matter what your political beliefs or affiliations, you have a most amazing privilege and duty. This is your country and you have the right to vote for who you believe will best run it. Vote for who you feel is the best person for the job in 2008. We're not all going to agree but that is a big part of what makes this country so great. My sister (this is her blogspace but I don't feel like I need to hold my tongue in saying that I'm quite liberal) don't agree on many things, politically. But we both vote and we respect each others' opinions. I wish all Americans could do the same and feel as comfortable as Jen and I do in discussing important issues.
The best lesson I learned from the tragedy that happened six years ago - despite all that has happened in the past six years - is that we, as Americans, need to love each other, listen to each other, respect each other, and look out for one another. Those are the ideals this country was really founded upon. We're all in this together, after all. Rich or poor, black or white, Christian or not, gay or straight, young or old, female or male, liberal or conservative, etc. All of those things are what make the United States of America the greatest country in the world; a nationality and a history to be VERY proud of and a place DEFINITELY worth fighting for.
I will remember that this day, September 11th, and I'll do my best to remember it every other day. ('Course, I'm half hillbilly - half hippie....)
God Bless you all!
Good idea Julie.
I was getting ready for work. I worked in the Special Ed department at the local High School. I was fussing with my hair when I heard Matt Lauer say that it appears an airliner has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trader Center. At that point, there was no mention that we were under attack.
So, I got into the Jeep and headed off for work. When I got to the edge of town, there was an old gentleman putting up the flag at the Post Office. He was dressed in a Military uniform and I drove by as he finshed tying off the flag. As he stepped back, he saluted. I knew right then and there that something was really wrong.
When I arrived at school, I went directly out on outside duty. Then, about 20 minutes later, when I came back in, one of my co-workers was chattering away excitedly and I heard the words "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK" come out of her mouth and my boss, John, went out the door. He came back a few minutes later, ashen faced and sent me off to the History teacher's classroom. The History teacher, being the wise man he is, was setting up the television in the multipurpose room. I spent the rest of the day with the History teacher helping him explain and console the kids as they tried to process what was happening. I think I cried about a dozen times that day - and am crying now. It was terrible. The next day was spent much the same and then I spent that evening at Bible Study trying to sort out my own feelings about what was happening. I will not go into any detail, but bascially I was angry, am still angry and sad about the whole thing. Such a needless waste and it grieves me to this day. I see that old gentleman saluting that flag in my mind all the time. I see the confused and outright frightened faces of those kids all the time. I remember the sickening feeling of not being able to find Julie (ahem....) and the relief at the message I received at work saying she had called. I remember holding the hand of a friend at Bible Study as she sobbed uncontrollably for a long while. And NONE of that had to happen.
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