September 11, 2001

I’ve been reading and watching everything I can on 9-11 today. I do every year. I share my thoughts and my remembrances with my kids and try to get them to understand just how that day changed the world forever.

Of course, the most asked question today has been: Do you remember what you were doing?

I do.

At the time, I worked at Virgin Megastore in New Orleans, LA as a Shift Manager. I might have been off that day….either way, I was at home, watching HBO. I got a call from Dereck asking me if I saw what was going on. Since I was watching cable, I had no idea. I turned on a local channel and was riveted. I immediately called my Mom. I then got a call from my manager at work, letting me know that the store was closing down and everyone was going home. My friend and coworker Nealy called me, asking if I wanted to go with her and another coworker to give blood. So we did. We spent the entire day at the blood bank. It was packed! They had the TV on and we sat and watched footage and worried and cried with 100 or so other people.

I can remember watching everything I could….what was happening and what they were finding out.

While I didn’t personally know anyone who was involved with any of the 3 sites…I knew people who were close. Friends in NY, friends in D.C. At that time, we didn’t know what was going to be next. Would they come after a mega tourist place like New Orleans? Were there going to be more planes crashing? No one knew.

Life as we knew it changed in an instant.

Americans came together, quit fighting each other, and stood united. The flag flew everywhere and people were proud of this country once again.

We will never forgot those who perished unnecessarily. We will always be thankful for the military who take risks everyday to protect our freedoms and for the police, firefighters, EMTs and everyone else who unselfishly gave their all to save and recover. And we will always hold in our hearts those who lost loved ones.

So now I ask you……do you remember what you were doing?

You can visit these websites for information and to donate to help sustain each of the memorials.