[pegleg]

Today marks the 8th anniversary of 9/11 - the terrorists' bombings in New York and Washington DC.

You may be wondering why I am writing about this in a neuro forum. It's because I was here. (or the old BrainTalk forums) I was posting something when I got a telephone call from michael1333 (I think that was his nickname).

Michael askd, "Do you have your TV on?" - I did but was in an adjacent room. I walked into the room and saw the smoking twin towers. Then my phone started ringing - it was three other on-line friends.

By the time the laast call came in, my legs had turned to jello. I told the two ladies on the line (one from Canada - he other from Kentucky) that I had to put the phone down. I had just realized that my son ws in the air on his way to Vegas for a conference.

By this time, all circuits were getting busy. I kept trying to call his cell hoping the plane had been delayed (he was flying out of Atlanta). I was numb - the biggest, baddest "OFF" I can remember. That's proof in itself that emotions affect PD symptoms.

After a day and a half of utter worry, we found out that they had been forced to land in Dallas. A day later he and two other guys rented a van and drove back east.

I'll never forget that day. And oddly enough, I am very connected to my community, having been a local elementary school principal. I also was a long-time president of our local support group, and most all of my family lives within a 30-mile radius.

But who called? My online friends. What does that say about the power of internet communities?

Peg

addendum: Forgot to say that the only means of communication was the internet for 2 days!

[pegleg]

I guess there are some things we would like to forget.

Peg

[Jomar]

I was working then, my friend had her radio on and said - "oh a plane flew into the one of the towers in NY"
I said Oh .... thinking it was a little plane.
then the next one hit and more info was reported...

soon after everyone turned up their radios to the same station and we all were pretty much stunned that something like that was happening in the USA.

By afternoon the management put 2 TVs in the cafeteria so we could watch on breaks and lunch - of course some sneaked up other times and reported back to the rest of us. not much work got done that day.

[reverett123]

It is just that I am convinced that there was far more going on that day than we have been told. But that is not a popular position and I choose to remain silent (or I did, I guess). 9/11 is a deep stain upon the fabric of our society but its nature is not what is thought. No, I have not forgotten.

[GregD]

My father had passed away a couple of weeks before 9-11. I was at the lawyers office signing some papers. I had come out of the office and got into the truck. as the radio came on, a reporter was describing what was taking place. I got home in time to see the second plane hit the tower.

GregD

[Momma's Kids]

I was in training in Ybor City, Fl in a federal building...we evacuated immediately...we had less than one minute to get out of the building. One of my instructor's brother was working at the Pentagon, he found out a few days later he suffered a broken ankle, three minutes sooner, he would have died with so many others.

[pegleg]

Incredible stories. That's when John Lester started disappeariing from BrainTalk. I don't know if he had a friend that didn't make it or what.

I do recall how tightly families and churches united - but it didn't last.. Good things don't ever seem to last.

I wanted to share my journal entry on 9/14/01 days after the bombings.
This is heavy with Christianity, so just skip over it if it offends you. It's what I felt 3 days after the tragedy:

Peggy

September 11. Everywhere we look ...the media won't let us forget ... the day that we watched with unbelief, repeatedly, as our country ... our innocent, our unsuspecting, our citizens, our right to life ... was snuffed out like a candle. And knowing that it was meticulously planned, and executed, and yes... even celebrated, by those with no remorse,and obviously no belief in respect, love, God, or the sanctity of life.

Some react with hatred, animosity, and the promise of retribution; others with tears, helplessness, and fear. But make no mistake about it, my reaction was nil in comparison to those people who didn't watch it on TV, or hear the screams of those in the streets, or those unsuspectingly at work in their offices; or those whose families received word of the flight numbers matching that of their loved ones. Even the gripping realization that my son was in the air, enroute to a conference flight at nearly the same time that horror occurred. After hours of not knowing... unable to do anything but hope and pray...I could empathize with those families. And when I rejoiced at finding him grounded in Dallas, I felt a tinge of guilt.

And all of this was known and carefully orchestrated by ?humans who have no understanding of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." It was flesh and blood people who know not love ... the highest "agape" love of God, or even philileo" or brotherly love. The love that we can share. Many have questioned their faith over this. That can be a good thing, and one of the reasons it was allowed to happen. Yes, if we believe in the omniscient, omnipotent God, He knew about it long ago . . . and He could have intervened.

"How can a loving God be a part of this horrendous evil?" He isn't ... He can't. He zapped people in the Old Testament covenant times - under the Mosiac Law - to get their attention. Once the new covenant was established, under the blood of Christ, there is no need to zap. And He is so pure, He can be no part of evil! Not being disrespectful, but there is so much tothis "story" that I cannot put it all here. You may email me for scripture references. And as far as religious rights, it's my right ... and MY journal! HA

Now, how can we do as commanded and "love our enemies" in this situation. We should love all of God's creation ... but you do NOT have to love their behavior! Before the corporal punishment law (LOL), I sometimes had to resort to paddling a student. I always told him/her that if I didn't care about them, I wouldn't be correcting their behavior, which was not acceptable. One little boy asked, "Do you have to love me so hard?"
- - - - - - -
I feel such sorrow for those who lives, their earthly lives, were lost in this tragedy. And seems so senseless to expend more lives in retribution (just as silly as paddling that little boy), but it will happen. There are and always will be wars and rules - otherwise what a chatic world we'd have (moreso than now)! And when rules are broken, somebody must pay. Now keep reading or I'll lose you here!

I have never lost a child; I have never been a child whose parents one day didn't come home; so I cannot share empathy and truly say, "I know how you feel." I can only imagine being informed of the tragic death of a loved one, or even worse, not even knowing where your loved ones' remains might be. Now, pretend you are God (try). Pretend you know all things, are everywhere at all times, and have the power to zap anyone or thing at any time. Now imagine watching your only child, the Son, a part of you, suffer and be mocked and ridiculed. And watching Him for a moment, have Him step outside of the Trinity - and become complete flesh and blood. Watch as He took the weight of the world's sin upon his perfect sacrificial body hanging on that cross - for you, for me, for whomever committed this hideous crime for His unconditional love - grace - so that we might overcome death. While still pretending - hear your Son cry, . . . "My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?"

[jcitron]

I was at work and someone mentioned the plane that crashed into the WTC. At first I thought it was Boston's WTC which is across the harbor from Logan Airport.

After we heard the news on the radio, someone went in to the conference room and put the TV on. I went home shortly afterwards since the company closed for the day. I watched the news for awhile; perhaps too long and started to get upset. I then went out for a walk to calm down.

I too remember how nice and compassionate people were. This lasted perhaps for what maybe two weeks. During this time I had to drive a coworker home. His car was in the shop and he lived just a bit north of me. I needed to stop for gas and the gas station was just about out of gas. This was at a local Cumberland Farms up in Southern New Hampshire. The clerk stared at me like I was a great foreigner from an unknown country. The local yokels were eyeing me as though I was going to rob the place. I only live about 6 miles from the station and had gone by them a gazillion times before, and my brother had stopped there a few times even with me in the truck.

Anyway the company had a big layoff afterwards because many companies we did work for closed as the economy tanked. This was the beginning of the end of the organization which had just celebrated it's one year anniversary for independence from Polaroid.

From a political standpoint, I see this as an excuse to "take-over" the US by Cheney and his cohorts. In fact I hate to say it, but I feel that he may have been behind this event in some way, and like Hitler used the bombing of the Reischtag as a way to implement new rules and controls on the population. I won't say anymore than this because I don't want to turn this into a political thread.

John

[Fiona]

I was getting ready to go downtown to my studio as I did most mornings then. The studio was across the street from the Towers. I got an email right before leaving from my husband with the subject line "Kaboom!" I thought, oh, here we go. Good thing I hadn't left the house yet. Many of the news photos were taken from the front door of my studio building.....I used to go in the Towers every single day, browsing at the Borders bookstore that was in there. One of my best friends was just walking into the Towers with her little baby when the first plane hit. She eventually got out ok, but I know she saw things she will never tell me, and she has been in therapy for years.

I agree that there is/was more than meets the eye. I actually read about it - albeit referred to obliquely but VERY specifically - on the internet for a month before it happened. It was on some chat thing I was on. The person kept saying "only ten days to my big surprise," counting down like that, and "If I were you, I wouldn't go to work on Tuesday..." Then 9/11 came, and from that day on, that poster disappeared never to be heard from again. It was a chat site that had nothing to do with terrorism or anything - just a pop culture hangout site. Weird.

My mother, who went throught the War in Europe, said, "now just imagine if that happened every day until there was nothing left." Gave me some perspective of what so many around the world are suffering with now.

Let us find a way to peace, can't we?

[Stitcher]

I was in northern California preparing to board a plane for Central Florida and home. Didn't get out of there until Saturday. I had to rent a car and drive to Sacramento though.

We had just come in from lunch and turned on the TV...wow!! That week left a horrible feeling of vulnerability.

My lay over was in Chicago. The airport was virtually empty, no restaurants open, but the airline was kind enough to pass out pillows and blankets for our overnight stay.

I understand from the news on Thursday or Friday of this past week that 9/11 will be come part of high school curriculum within a few years and is being piloted in New Jersey and another state, in the west I think.

I agree with Rick about not being told the whole truth. I have a very hard time understanding that 9/11 was an 'out of the blue' event, having no pre-warning of any kind.

Today I proudly display this magnet on my car...one for my son...one for my granddaughter's father, who will leave for the third or fourth time at the end of 2009 for the Middle East.

It beginning to fade with from sun-ware, but it will be there until...well I don't know when.