This post is really more for the kids to read when they're older, so please bear with me.
10 years ago today, Bethany and I were beginning an otherwise normal day. We tended to wake up around 6:30 or 7:00am and leisurely get ready for the day. We had an alarm clock that played a local radio station when the alarm would go off, and we'd leave it on for the duration of a normal morning to listen to the morning DJs. As we went about our normal routine, the DJs weren't joking and playing music as normal, they were talking about burning buildings and strange things going on. Bethany and I were both confused, so we turned the TV on.
CNN, at the time, was the news source of record, and that's where we turned the channel. Images of fire and smoke billowing from one of the towers of the World Trade Center were on all of the news stations, though. Not knowing at the time how NYC flight patterns worked, or the specific geography, I thought to myself how it might have been possible for a plane to accidentally crash into such tall buildings. (Two years prior I had been at the top of those buildings with a friend, and I remember being amazed at how tall the buildings were.)
We watched the TV for a little bit, with the anchors not really sure what was going on, or how/why it had all happened. As we watched, I remember one of the shots they showed us had a glimpse of the second plane, and then the screen was showing the ensuing fireball of the second aircraft colliding with the second building. Bethany and I were both flabbergasted. It was obvious at that point that the entire sequence of events was intentional, and the intention was to terrorize America.
Our TV was in our bedroom and we were both sitting on the bed when the first tower fell. What we saw on TV didn't make sense. It appeared as though the building was falling, with smoke and debris flying everything. I remarked that it couldn't be falling, that it must have been another explosion. Bethany thought the tower had fallen. As the various camera shots were moved around it became obvious that Bethany was right. A short time later, we both sat stunned as the second tower collapsed. At the time, it was assumed that the towers had been nearly full. The assumed loss of life was being calculated in the 10s of thousands. I worked at and attended BYU. It was a Tuesday and my classes were later that afternoon. I arrived at work late, and I remember the announcement that there would be a prayer meeting in the Marriott Center, and then all students and staff were released for the day.
As the following years and months unfolded, details, heroes and villains all emerged. Stories will continue to be told of those events, and hearts will continue to be touched. I didn't know anyone who was directly affected by the events of 9/11/2001. I have been touched by the collective feeling of compassion for those who were affected. And on this night, 9/11/2011, ten years later as I sit in a hotel room blocks from where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood, I'm reminded again of the collective feeling of compassion. On my way home from dinner this evening, this is what I saw:
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| FROM AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, LOOKING SOUTH. |
On the anniversary of 9/11, massive flood lights are illuminated in the place where the Twin Towers once stood. It's called the Tribute of Light. What an opportunity to see that on the 10th anniversary. Here's a better picture than my dinky little camera can take:
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| COPYRIGHT 2011 GETTY IMAGES |
From my hotel room I'm able to look north and see what is currently the tallest building in New York, the Empire State Building. It is illuminated in a Red/White/Blue color scheme to commemorate the 10th anniversary as well.
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LOOKING NORTH FROM WATTS STREET.
THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING IS LIT IN RED/WHITE/BLUE. |
If you have any memories or other comments you'd like to share (especially with our children), please do so.
