09/11/2003 Entry: ""
Posted by Maynard @ 11:28 AM MST
Remembering
Everyone older than about eight remembers what they were doing when they heard the news about September 11th. I was in bed, waking up to CNN Headline News on the radio. Some talking head was describing the crash into WTC 1 and I was thinking "oh, its just like that B-25 that crashed into the Empire State Building in WW2". Then he shrieked "Oh my God there's another one!"
I wasn't drowsy after that. I was thoroughly confused.
I turned on the TV and after gawking at the images, I got my towel and took a stunned shower. After I finished my morning routine and began getting dressed, my roomate walks in and asks "Did you hear about the Pentagon?"
The rest of the morning is a blur. Pentagon, Pennsylvania, falling people, falling towers, sequestered President, calls to and from parents, CNN, Fox, grounded jets. Endless replays.
I was walking out the door when the second tower fell. I stayed around a bit instead, and one of my other roomates reminded the six of us that we needed to pray for the President, since he would be a likely target as well. He was, and he was well protected at the time, being in the air and surrounded by F-15s, but we didn't know that. So we prayed throughout the day.
I had packed Lieutenant Hornblower with my lunch but I didn't feel like reading that day, or eating very much. Mostly I sat and stared at my computer while I refreshed Fox News. One of my coworkers expressed a sentiment that he could understand a little why someone would plan and execute the evil of the day. I remember thinking "understanding does not give excuse", but I didn't say it. One of the employees from the business across the hall vocalized that someone would get their @$$ killed for this, and indeed someone did.
I remember watching the initial estimates of 70,000 dead roll in. As the day and week progressed, it dropped to a merciful 3,016. I remember recognizing that God wanted us to repent, both as a nation and as individuals. I remember preachers being ridiculed for suggesting that. I wonder how many will consider the question God puts to them today: what sin are you going to stop today?
It has been said that the past calls to us, asking us to live up to their expectations, and that the future calls to us, asking for a better life for them. The best way for any individual to achieve that is to obey the voice of God. People like Rick Rescorla and Todd Beamer deserve to have died for countrymen like that.
Meanwhile in the blogosphere, Bill is thankful, Kim and Misha are advocating unforgiveness, Rachel is speechless (sort of), and several have posted links to CNN's gallery. There's also my post from last year.
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