911 Photos Released

They are releasing photos of the 911 bombing and as I watch shots on Fox News, I remember clearly the events of that day. The day my faith in flying was completely destroyed. Since that day, I've only been on two plane trips. The second occurring just this Christmas and being marred by the Christmas Day Bomber or Underwear Bomber or stupid terrorist wanna be that attempted to blow up a plane. I was lucky I had flown two days earlier.

On 911 I was working an assignment across from a U.S. Air Force Base. I had gone into work early that day and was planning to leave around 3 PM. But on break, I walked into the employee lounge and froze in my tracks at what I saw on the television. An announcement was being made that a plane had hit one of the twin towers. Smoke was everywhere. It was actually the first plane, but we didn't know that yet. Stunned, I thought it was just a tragic accident of some kind. Work didn't actually stop, but everyone was talking and sneaking peaks. But then, the second plane hit, and everything came to a halt. Everyone moved to the t.v. and turned on radios as the news was announcing possible terroism. We watched in horrer and disbelief. People were shaking and crying.

We were in a high security facility anyway, always locked in. But, it wasn't a bomb shelter. Evacuation suggestions were given and sirens started going off. The airport was shut down, air traffic all over the U.S. was stopped. We were told to go home immediately and go for safety. As I drove home, it reminded of the days of my childhood in Florida, when the Cuban missile crisis kept everyone on edge. I remember that for a number of years, we learned in school about bomb shelters and how to run for cover. Scary stuff. I thought America was past all that. How arrogant we had become. My son was not with me that day, but he was with his father, and as I made the call, I knew that if I needed to go to them, I could.

Those pictures. Those people killed. The movie of what happened on the plane. The audio clips from the passengers, the emails, the text messages. All of it brings a tear to my eye every time I remember. What if it had been me? What if it had been someone I loved? I don't know if I could have handled the situation as graciously as they seem to. I panic in a big way when I lose control over what is happening with my body. I cannot imagine knowing that I was going to die at any moment. Watching the plane head right into that tower, or being on the later plane knowing it would not land.

I hope there is a heaven, and I hope those people made it there.