It's been a while...again

Well, last night I started writing a blog all about my bad day, which coincidentally was on 9/11 and really it was a stressful week. But, I started thinking about it and honestly, who cares about my bad day? When compared to the grief experienced by nearly 4000 families who lost loved ones on 9/11 and then all the families who've lost loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan...my day/week was a breeze. So instead of sharing my bad day with you, I'd like to take a few moments to reflect on 9/11 and the horrific and lifechanging events of that day.

Mike and I were living in California at the time and were just getting up for work. It must have been about 6 or 6:30 a.m. We had the radio on to our favorite morning show like we usually do, but for some reason that morning, the radio show wasn't playing. Instead it was some ABC radio news guy and he was talking about the world trade center being on fire b/c some airplane had hit it. It was really very confusing and for a few minutes I thought it was fake...like a "War of the Worlds" story...but why on Earth would they be doing that on my favorite morning radio show? Wasn't that something for am radio? I even asked Mike..."is this real?" and he too didn't know. Not long after getting up, my brother Johnny calls me and as soon as I saw his number on the caller i.d., I knew it was not fake. I think by then a second plane had hit and even the Pentagon was now on fire. When I heard about the Pentagon, that's when it really got scary for me. Not only b/c our families live there, but having grown up in NOVA, the Pentagon is one of those buildings that seems untouchable and I was shocked that it had been compromised. Plus, I'm married to a Marine so it felt even more personal and scary to me when they hit the Pentagon...and I knew then that at some point, Mike would be involved in some kind of war. When he joined the Marines in 1996, I honestly did not think he'd ever be involved in a conflict...boy was I wrong. And then the plane in Shanksville, PA...one after the other these things kept happening and it became more and more clear that we were obviously under attack...when would it end though?

I hurried up and got ready for work and watched in amazement and shock as the first WTC toppled. I thought nothing could be worse. Got into my car and made the 40 min. drive to Temecula where I was working and soon after I got there, the second WTC toppled. It was shocking and surreal and scary as hell. I remember driving to work that day and thinking it seemed so quiet here compared to NYC and the Pentagon where people were running everywhere and it was nothing but chaos...just like a big Hollywood summer blockbuster movie I'd pay $9 to see. I felt worlds away from our families...and of course I couldn't get a hold of anyone after I talked to Johnny. He called at the very beginning of it all before the lines basically froze up. I honestly can't remember when I finally talked to everyone back home.

I don't think Americans worked for a whole week after 9/11...everyday I'd go to work, but we'd do nothing. It just didn't even seem right to conduct business when so many were in pain and desperately trying to search for their loved ones who would never be found. And although they closed down all airspace in the US, Mike still flew his Cobra that week up to the Power Plant in San Clemente to make sure nobody was trying to attack it. I'm still in amazement whenever I think about the fact that all planes were grounded in the US for a week. National Airport was closed for 6 months...a ghost town I hear. So weird...

And even though we were not directly affected by the events of 9/11...meaning none of our loved ones or friends were hurt or killed that day, the events that would unfold and take place after 9/11 would directly affect us. Mike would soon fight a war in Iraq and we would lose a dear friend, Ben Sammis, to that war. I thought the first military funeral at Arlington Cemetary I'd go to would be my grandfather's. Instead I attended Ben's funeral in April 2003...it was heart wrenching, maddening, surreal, and beautiful. His wife, Stacey, is still a good friend of mine and has found new love and is remarried. I am so happy for her and hope that she and Rob are able to start a family soon.

We would be blessed with our children, Ryan and Colin, after 9/11...2003 and 2006. They of course have no idea what happened that day but when the time comes for them to know, I'll make sure the facts come from us and not w/in the pages of their history books from school. We all know how those books tend to skew history. And I'm so relieved that we've not been attacked since then...and people can say whatever they want about Bush, but it is a FACT that since 9/11, we've not had one attack against us here in the U.S...and that is comforting and reassurring. Quite frankly, if Obama is elected, fear just may creep back into our lives.

Unfortunately, we've all gone on w/our lives and America has forgotten...even myself I am ashamed to say. It's something we should remember all the time...not just on the anniversary. We seemed so united as a country for a while after 9/11, but now, we seem more divided than ever and it's really sad. It's ridiculous that the Republicans and Dems had a truce on Thursday for ONE day...and then the next day it was back to hate. What good is that...the truce is fake...just a photo op...and Americans know this and quite frankly I hope it pisses them off like it does me.

That day was the worst day of all of our lives...and so much worse for the victims. I pray for all the families that they are coping well and having success. And I pray for Americans that we actually NEVER FORGET!!!!