The Day the World Stopped

My heart stopped beating. The world around me moved in slow motion as my mind tried to catch up with what I just heard. A co-worker had just rushed into my office to tell us that one of the Twin Towers in New York was hit by a plane.

‘It couldn’t be,’ I doubted. It had to be a practical joke or a way for the media to get more coverage. They had to be overreacting. The office began to chatter. Others were asking if we heard any other news. With our office based in Philadelphia, many of us had friends and family in NYC.

Friends. My heart still hadn’t begun beating. My dear friend was working in downtown Manhattan. Her boyfriend was working in one of the buildings that was part of the Tower complex.* I tried calling her but the phone lines were all busy and I couldn’t get through to her. Panic started to set in.

I managed to walk down to our cafeteria where a TV was set up to show news coverage as the event was unfolding. Equally mesmerized and disgusted by the image of the burning first tower, my jaw dropped as I watched the second plane hit the other tower. The only other tragedy I’d seen on live TV was the Challenger space shuttle’s explosion as a child. Like that accident, the image of the plane careening into one of the New York skyline’s most recognizable buildings was now permanently etched into my mind.

Everyone has a story from 9/11—where we were, what we were doing, who was with us at the time. One way or another, all Americans and many around the world were personally touched by the tragedy.

In the course of American history, on 9/11 our country lost a little more of its trusting innocence and idea that we were invincible. Yet, the best thing that came of this tragedy was that for a short while, we, as Americans, set aside our differences. We were one nation, one family, united to protect our ideals and our freedoms. For a brief moment, our nation remembered what it meant to be a citizen of the United States. Democrat, Republican, Independent—these were just political labels that didn’t matter anymore.

Our country was founded on protecting basic human rights and freedoms. September 11 served as a painful reminder that we often live in a bubble in the Western hemisphere and that others most definitely do not share our philosophies or rights in their part of the world.

And from unexpected tragedy, hope was born. I was pregnant during the summer of 2001. I loved my unborn child with my entire heart already and knew that I would go to the ends of the earth to keep my baby safe and happy. September 11, 2001 made me realize just how precious life is and that every second we have with our loved ones should be cherished. Life is too short.

Today we celebrate those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the midst of one of the most horrific, hate-filled attacks on our country. Inspired by their bravery, we honor them and their families and hopefully remember that ten years later we are still “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”**

* With all transportation shutdown on 9/11, my friend walked home from Manhattan to Queens that day. Her boyfriend made it home later that night. The sights, sounds, and smells are forever part of their memories from that day. They are now happily married.

** US Pledge of Allegiance – “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Top 5 Days that Changed the Course of US History

September 11th found me reminiscing about America before and after this tragedy. The top five days listed below are integral events which shaped the United States of today. Of course these selections are highly debatable, but I’m not out to write a history book. In my opinion these moments altered US culture, opinion, and history irrevocably.

#1) Declaration of Independence – July 4, 1776, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The men signing this document knew they were essentially signing their own death warrants by placing their names on his document. To challenge and revolt against King George III and England was treason. Thanks to their courage, determination, and foresight, the United States is one of the fortunate places in the world where our freedoms are protected.

• “…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness…” – excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. To read the whole passage, click here.

#2) Assassination of Abraham Lincoln – April 14, 1865, Washington, DC
A simple man from simple beginnings, Honest Abe was a president of and for the people of America. In historical retrospect it’s really no surprise that he endorsed the Emancipation Proclamation granting freedom to slaves. An unpopular decision with the southern states of the union, Lincoln’s brave move to secure freedom for all was repaid with his murder. Still, his courage in making such a difficult political decision resulted in the Civil War which emphasized the country’s factions and diverse opinions. Ultimately however, his first steps to grant all Americans freedom laid the foundation for civil rights.

#3) Woodstock – August 15 – 18, 1969, Bethel, New York
It was a time of change in America—political unrest and a clash between old thinking and new in social norms. Aside from the sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll which were taking hold, this time marked a mass movement toward questioning what was and what had to be. A decade of political events (Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuban Missile Crisis, Malcolm X/Martin Luther King/John F. Kennedy/Robert F. Kennedy assassinations, Gay Rights Movement, Vietnam War, and more) culminated in this inevitable moment. With so much political strife, it’s no wonder people were craving peace and a summer of love, which of course brought its own ramifications. (Click here to see Jimi Hendrix’s famed take on the Star Spangled Banner.)

#4) Challenger Space Shuttle – January 28, 1986, Cape Canaveral, Florida
This is a childhood memory I’ll never forget. My class was tuned into the TV ready to watch the first teacher take off into space. The excitement in the room was almost tangible. Going into outer space was an adventure of enormous proportions. As the tragedy unfolded, we sat in silence--dumbfounded, confused, and terribly aware of what just happened on live TV. Our teacher turned off the set and led us in a Hail Mary. This event marked the first realization for me that mankind is fallible. Our best intentions, the smartest people, and choices we make are still at the mercy of fate. It was a scary moment and one that will always remind me that every adventure has its costs. As a dominating, international political presence, this tragedy showed the world that even the US had vulnerabilities.

#5) September 11, 2001, New York, NY
Like the assassination of President Kennedy for the generation before us, September 11th is a day generation X-ers / Y-ers (and everyone else) will never forget. Sitting in front of my computer in my company’s Philadelphia headquarters, it was just another late summer day—sunny, warm, and uncomfortable as I was eight months pregnant. Around 8:50 am a coworker ran into my office announcing that one of the twin towers was hit. Confusion and curiosity flooded our department. About ten minutes later, I headed to the cafeteria for a drink where a TV had been set up so we could follow the news. Drink in hand and eyes transfixed on the smoking tower #1, I watched in horror as Flight 175 crashed into tower 2. At that moment it became clear this wasn’t a random accident, but America was under attack. There was work to be done that day, but everyone was preoccupied by the twin towers, then the hit on the Pentagon, and finally Flight 93’s crash near Shanksville, PA.

Many of us knew people in New York and were trying to reach them, but the phone circuits were busy or dead. My thoughts were with my best friend who was working in downtown Manhattan and her boyfriend who worked in the tower plaza. (They were a couple of the lucky ones to escape that day.)

With the horrors unfolding in New York and Washington, Philadelphia was on lockdown. It’s the birthplace of the US and a major hub for business on the east coast; we were scared that we were next. As the day’s tragedies faded into the days and weeks following, America changed. Innocence was lost in this new wave of terrorism on our home turf. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents stood united, side-by-side. Our ideological differences took a back seat to the protection of our ideals of democracy and freedom.

Terrorists can never destroy our conviction “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Our country protects these rights. Our soldiers fight to guarantee these rights for us. It’s the reason why my family, like so many others before us, wanted to come here. The US was and is a land of opportunity and freedom—two vital components of life that so many around the world lack.

Although the political-socio-economic repercussions from this day will be felt for decades, we are still united in our stance against extremist groups who will do whatever it takes to destroy our freedoms. Like their own beliefs, ours are so ingrained in us that we will fight for our rights no matter what.

Where were you on September 11th?

With a history spanning over 234 years, the United States’ rich past is filled with many significant events like the 1849 gold rush, the Wright Brothers, Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Rights Movement, invention of the atomic bomb, Apollo 11 Moonwalk, Industrial Revolution, Wall Street Crash of 1929, Attack on Pearl Harbor, the first black president, and so much more. Like all histories, it’s filled with good and bad and everything in between, but these events created the world, country, and people we are today.

Sources:

The links contained in this article are provided as a means to access additional information. They do not represent an endorsement of these sites or other contents contained therein.

• Declaration of Independence
• Lincoln History
• Lincoln Photo
• Woodstock
• Jimi Hendrix Photo
• Challenger History
• Challenger Photo
• September 11th Photo