by Noella Noelophile®
(Royalty-free photograph by Alexa from Pixabay.)
It was an ordinary Tuesday morning.
My husband dropped me off at the Blue Line station in Long Beach, California. I waved as he drove back home to await the repairman.
My normal commute into Los Angeles was uneventful. So was the walk across Wilshire Boulevard, for a quick breakfast in the coffee shop of a local hotel.
That’s when “normal” stopped.
(Royalty-free image by mar lidia from Pixabay.)
The TV monitors in the hotel lobby were playing footage of–fire. A major news outlet was running the video of the attacks on the World Trade Center. They had happened about thirty minutes earlier.
A small circle of people, gathered around, were staring up at the screens.
What I remember best, is the eerie silence.
On everyone’s face was an identical expression of shock and disbelief. But in that normally-bustling hotel lobby, no one said a word.
I hurried for the hotel’s pay phones. (Yes, that was before everyone carried a cell phone!) Calling my husband, I checked in–and let him know I’d arrived safely.
I remember getting a quick breakfast afterwards, and saying, “Michael, take care,” to the young barista, on his regular shift. No one knew what was coming.
And then it hit me, through the shock. Since I was a member of the behind-the-scenes staff for a news/talk radio station, turning up early for work might be a thought.
Things were beyond hectic, at work that day. But there was also the sense of all of us, pulling together as a united group.
There were also the moments when we saw that unity come to the forefront.
(Royalty-free image by dcandau from Pixabay.)
I recall the Congress members spontaneously singing “God Bless America” on the steps of the Capitol building.
For a moment, Republican or Democrat didn’t matter. All were Americans.
I remember then-President George Bush, a tear trickling down his cheek, assuring the nation that we would find out who had attacked us on our own soil. At that point, no one had even heard of al-Qaeda.
And I recall the ensuing weeks, of hosts exploring the various angles of what had happened to us, and of the local people sharing their stories.
(Royalty-free image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.)
One of our custodians had a cousin who’d been scheduled to work in the World Trade Center that morning.
But she’d overslept.
She decided, since she was late anyway, she might as well pick up a coffee on her way to work. Thank goodness!
There were others who’d lost friends and family members in the collapse of the Twin Towers. Parents were reassuring scared children who didn’t understand why their safe world suddenly no longer existed. And travelers apprehensively checked their reservations: did they dare fly? Would there be more attacks?
Our hearts went out to all of them.
(Royalty-free image by David Z from Pixabay.)
Twenty-four years ago this very morning, the world saw an unprecedented time of heartbreak and uncertainty. We came through it all together.
I’d never really acknowledged how much I love my country–until we were suddenly in danger of losing it.
Today, as we face challenges and questions in another unprecedented time, that collective strength and unity comes to mind. Can we surmount our differences and come through new obstacles together?
Be safe today–and we will never forget.