Saturday, September 11, 2010

Where Were You?

Today I spent a bit of time reflecting on 9-11 as it was the 9 year anniversary since that terrible day. I've heard older people say that they can remember where they were when JFK was shot, or when the moon landing happened. For my generation it will definitely be 9-11. So here's my question: Where were you?

I was living in Mennville, MB at the time youth pastoring and camp directing. That morning Jobina had gone to work at the local school as an EA and I was sitting at home waiting for my friend Grant to come over. Grant and I were planning to do some mountain biking in the illustrious Howardville Pits which were a 5 minute ride from my house (ah, I miss those trails). For some reason I turned on the TV and was shocked to see a large tower smoking. I listened incredulously as the announcer talked about a plane crashing into one of the Twin Towers and then was even more shocked when the other plane hit (I saw it in real time). I remember feeling a great consternation and confusion. Was this the end of the world, some kind of sign of the end times? I found my general sense of "feeling safe" shaken as the world began to react in fear. When Grant arrived we watched for an hour and then to help calm our nerves . . . we went biking. Singletrack is almost always therapeutic.

When I think about it now I feel kind of sheepish to have felt the fear I did but I'm honest enough to admit it. Doubt creeps in pretty quickly when you are confronted with the unknown. May God bless those who lost family and friends in the attacks.

9 comments:

Marc said...

Don't feel sheepish. I felt that fear, too. I think a lot of people did. For a few moments it did feel like it might be the beginning of the end.

Tammy said...

Yup, it was scary.

I watched it all in real time. I was watching TV while nursing my firstborn and all channels instantly turned to that. I'll never forget it.

RLE said...

I was on my way to work, we had the radio on and I remember saying to Michael "What? What did they say just happened?" I couldn't believe it. I too had that fear/thought, don't be sheepish. I was working at a Christian bookstore at the time and everyone who came in that day was talking like that. It only really bugged me when someone said to me that she was so excited because it must mean that Jesus was coming back soon. I was horrified and shocked and told her that all I could think about was the incredible pain and suffering of the people who were hurt and the families who lost loved ones. She sobered up and stopped talking rather quickly. Why are Christians like that?
Anyway, 9 years later, guess she was wrong.

PBE's Mom said...

Saturday, when I read someone's question of "where you were 9 years ago", my mind instantly went back to that day and my heart began to pound and I got a little shakey.
I was at our camp 90 minutes north of NYC and had just been at the towers in August and it was all surreal. I ran home to wake up Mark. The jets were flying overhead on their way to the city from the army base north of us. We gathered as a staff to pray for our city staff and friends who lived in the city and wondered and prayed for their safety.
Then we found out they closed the borders and we felt a little trapped from "home".
Going to ground zero was horrifying afterwards and so sobering... still hits home 9 years later...

Jay Boaz said...

I was working at Gull Harbour, and as I walked past the lounge I saw the plane hit the tower. I asked the off-duty staff person who was sitting and watching what movie he was watching...

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