Lucky me
I am lucky for a number of reasons. On this 11th anniversary of 9/11, I'm reminded of just how lucky I am. I was thinking of this as I was writing my facebook status. What a difference between my life and my children's lives.
Why I am lucky/grateful/thankful:
1. I wasn't in the Pentagon on that day. I worked over there enough over the years but was still on maternity leave. My friends weren't there, either. Very lucky indeed.
2. I remember a pre-9/11 life. I remember being able to take my mom to NIH when she visited, walking around without a security check. I remember being able to go into the Smithsonian museums and the Post Office Pavilion without walking through metal detectors. I remember being able to drive past the White House. And, the one that really bothers me, I remember driving without the Report Suspicious Activity signs above the beltway.
3. I know a lot of people who had family and/or friends die on 9/11. I am not one of them.
4. I am no longer naive. I don't assume my world is safe. I pay attention to my world around me.
5. While I don't pretend to understand those that join the military, I am grateful for their service. They do what I wasn't willing to do myself. I respect that more now than I ever did before.
To those that died, we will never forget. To those that protect us, thank you.
Why I am lucky/grateful/thankful:
1. I wasn't in the Pentagon on that day. I worked over there enough over the years but was still on maternity leave. My friends weren't there, either. Very lucky indeed.
2. I remember a pre-9/11 life. I remember being able to take my mom to NIH when she visited, walking around without a security check. I remember being able to go into the Smithsonian museums and the Post Office Pavilion without walking through metal detectors. I remember being able to drive past the White House. And, the one that really bothers me, I remember driving without the Report Suspicious Activity signs above the beltway.
3. I know a lot of people who had family and/or friends die on 9/11. I am not one of them.
4. I am no longer naive. I don't assume my world is safe. I pay attention to my world around me.
5. While I don't pretend to understand those that join the military, I am grateful for their service. They do what I wasn't willing to do myself. I respect that more now than I ever did before.
To those that died, we will never forget. To those that protect us, thank you.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I was working at the FCC that day and a bunch of us were in my office watching TV. The FCC building is literally across the Potomac from the Pentagon, and the crash shook our building. We ran to the window to see the Pentagon, then I realized that there could be something else coming, and I yelled at everyone to get away from the windows. It was a Thursday and I told everyone on my staff to immediately go home and telecommute the rest of the day and to telecommute on Friday, too, even if they tell government employees to come in. One employee wasn't getting it and I had to yell and scream at her to go home (she thanked me later). Because we left immediately, I had no traffic coming home. All I wanted to do was hold my twin babies. The Au pair had taken them out for a walk, and I got in my car and drove around and around looking for her (she didn't bring her cell).
ReplyDeleteSince then, we've had a bug out kit (which I need to check) and shelter-in-place goods. That day changed everyone's lives forever...