"Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning...

...On That September Morn"?

I remember the morning of September 11, 2001 as though it was yesterday. I remember grabbing a bowl of cereal, flipping on the tv to the Today Show, and sitting down on the couch to watch the news while I ate. The next thing I knew, they were talking about how a small plane had hit the World Trade Center, and showing footage of what was happening there. As I was watching the live footage, I saw another plane, realized it was not a "small plane" and that it also was going to hit the other tower, and watched as it did. I remember the Today anchors looking at each other in disbelief and asking each other what was going on as they realized at the same moment I did that this country was under attack. I grabbed the phone and called my kids and husband to, first of all, make sure everything was okay where they were, at college, in other states doing internships, or here in Las Vegas, and second of all to tell them what was happening. I got off the phone and was in such a state of shock and disbelief, I remember wondering, is this what it felt like to the people of this nation the day Pearl Harbor was attacked? I wanted to do something, but couldn't think of anything to do, except grab our US flag, run out front and hang it up. So, I did, the only way I could think of to make my statement to those around me, "We Will Stand Strong"! And it has flown every day since! I remember that night Ed and I going to Panda Express to grab some dinner. It was crowded, as though people didn't want to be at home, but with others from their community. Everyone there was pretty subdued, talking quietly amongst themselves about the days events, but at the same time, they smiled at the stranger next to them, let someone go in line in front of them, said hello to people they didn't know. We had a court of honor scheduled for that night. The bishop called and asked to postpone it till the next night. We had just received a huge US flag from Terrible Herbst so the next night we hung it at the court of honor, it covered an entire wall. As the scouts and their families walked into the room, there were audible gasps and tears at the sight of that flag. I remember the US Congress, who days before had been debating removing the words "In God We Trust" from US currency, now standing on the steps of the Capital Bldg singing "God Bless America:" and I thought how things can change in a moment, how they had gone from considering denying God to asking for his blessings all in the blinking of an eye. "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning That September Morn"?