I had just finished breakfast on 9/11/01 when I turned on the television to watch the Today show, a ritual I continue to this day. They had just broken into regular programming and started talking about how there was an accident at the WTC. What was surreal about it all was how calm everyone was and how it was first reported as an accident. Then, stories started to trickle in about how witnesses described a commercial jet had hit. I remember the terrible sinking feeling in my gut and the overwhelming emotion of sadness when, as I continued to watch the coverage, the second plane hit. I didn't want to go to work that day and I kept calling my wife at her job and talking about it throughout the morning. When I did finally go in at about 1, I brought my tv with me so I could keep watching the coverage. Customers came in and were as numb as we were as we couldn't look away from the news. Finally, around 3 or so, I remember they instructed us to close down, as were all the other malls and shopping centers around the city. Going home, all I wanted to do was be close to my family and grieve for everyone who lost their lives.
Today, I wanted to try and find a way to journal this subject without being disrespectful to my friends, family, and my neighbors in the world. I had thought about going to the fire station and snapping some pictures of those everyday heroes, or even to the armory down the street and showcasing our military who sacrifice their lives for me. The cemetery was on my list and I thought about catching the sunlight in a way that would signify our rebirth as a nation that day. Instead, as a family, we set the stage for this remembrance photo that I thought would pay respects for those lost and show support for those that are continuing our fight for freedom against tyranny and terrorism. I will never forget.
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