We Remember

My daughter is so young she would not really remember 9/11 if it wasn’t for what we were doing that day.

She was 4 going on 5.

I awoke and was getting ready for work at 7am PSA (West Coast). 

Usually talk radio greets me. This day was odd every station had on some rambling news. It really was not anything I could make out.

Arriving at work the tv was on or turned on. We worked in a home but this was unusual.

I was in the home of a local Hugo nominated author. We were Nannies or care takers for a couple of BABIES. 

I called them the Menopause Twins because they were twins, a boy and girl. Age wise they were 17 months old but each weighed around 38 pounds making them the size of preschoolers.

This enabled their motor skills and physical abilities at an accelerated rate. They were quiet and good natured. It was a fun job. We were  being nicely compensated to boot. The only thing do dislike was the 7am start time.

The poignancy of the day was that August had been the award ceremony for the Hugo. The mini version of what was a larger blended family had taken the trip back east and spent two weeks. 

Plenty of time to see the sights and sounds of New York City.

It is a rocking place. I have been there once for a few days. I went with my high school choir. We were booked to perform at St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Back to 9/11

So there I was in the home of a family that had just returned from the City. My then boss and I watched the towers fall in real time. I did not want to panic even as the information came in making it seem like no one anywhere might be safe.

Still when I heard that the hijacked planes were fully loaded and west coast bound my heart sank anew.

In a recent conversation via social media a handful of single women and I were talking. My mother always says she knows where she was when Kennedy was shot.

My generation and to some degree children like my daughter whose families were aware or involved say “We remember 9/11…”

These events mark generations. America lost her innocence eleven years ago in September. We had suffered before from within and without. December 7^th is coming. 

Still we had never seen anything like imbedded terrorists. A new normal settled in and life has gone on.

I hope we have learned a little more geography along with our new words. I hope we are more tolerant. I hope our enemies can see Americans might be a mess but we are not weak. 

Thank you, service members and volunteers. I love how support just poured out in the midst of the all the misery.