Where were you?

In 2001, I was 21 years old and working as a bartender. I worked late nights, sometimes until 4am, and it was pretty normal for a bunch of us to go grab breakfast after work and for me to not get in bed until 6 or 7. Needless to say I did not get up very early. There were times I slept until it was time to go back to work and do it all over.

September 11^th of that year was no different. After sleeping most of the day away, I got up, got ready for work and hopped in the car. At the time my drive to work was only about 5 minutes, enough to make it through one song on the radio. It was right after a song had ended that the DJ got on air for a few seconds and made a comment about it being a sad day in American history. I had no idea what he was talking about and assumed someone famous had passed away. Another song came on and I pulled up to work.

I noticed that there were not very many cars in the parking lot, but did not think too much about it. I walked in to see one person sitting at the bar and my boss standing by him watching the tv. I STILL did not have a clue what was going on and it was not until I had spent a few minutes putting my things away and getting ready for my shift that I finally stopped to see what they were watching. Then I saw it. Over and over and over for the rest of the night. I cannot really recall my exact reaction that night and I am not sure that I had much of one. Like most people I was just shocked. There was that small amount of fear that something else terrible would happen and that it was not over, but I also knew that I was witnessing history happening. My grandparents and parents experienced things like World War II and Vietnam that I had learned about in history class. I knew that this was going to be the big event of my lifetime that my kids and grandkids will be learning about.

As the news coverage began a few days ago my boyfriend looked at me and said, “Has it really been 10 years?”  I completely understood how he felt because it does not seem like it has been that long. I think the biggest reason for that is the visual reminder on the anniversary each year that is broadcast for days on every channel.  Those images always stay fresh on our minds despite them falling farther and farther into the past. And today, as we sit on the 10^th anniversary, those images will once again become fresh and remind us of how lucky we are to be seeing them.