On this morning, ten years ago, I came home at 5:30 am after working the night shift at the police department and went to sleep. While I was sleeping, Sarah left our apartment at 19A Lower Weldon Street and went into work at Knights' Pharmacy. I woke up later in the morning (because I slept horribly on that schedule) and turned on the TV. The first tower had been struck, but not the second one. It was all over the wire. There was speculation at that time that this may have been a terrorist attack, but still there was the possibility that this was all just a horrible, freak accident. Then came the second plane.
The phone rang. It was Sarah. "Did you hear what's going on? Are you watching TV?"
That night as I donned my police uniform, strapped on my gun belt, and attached my radio I suddenly felt like crying. I'm still not sure why exactly. Emotions can be difficult to map. It came on suddenly and passed quickly. There was anger in it, to be sure, and sorrow at the enormity of the loss, but mostly it was the knowledge that other police officers had begun their shift that morning with the same rituals, and never came home.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
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Powerful emotions and words right there. I wondered a few days ago what it was like for you, since I knew you guys were on that coast still. And you being a cop and all at the time.
Me, I was a senior in high school. With the time difference on the west coast, we got the news before we were up and going for the day. My dad called from work and told my mom to keep us home from school. I am pretty sure they were truly concerned that anything and everyone was in danger; that another attack could happen on our side of the country that day. So we stayed home. All four kids and my mom. My dad came home early from work. The tv was on all day. I remember being in shock. Feeling like it wasn't real. And I felt a disconnect. It was so far away. People I didn't know. But when the towers fell, before our eyes. I think the nation as one screamed out.
It's for sure a day I'll never forget.
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