Remembering 9/11

I remember…

10 years ago today, I turned my computer on and it started, as usual, on the AOL home login screen.  Where I could put my id and password, was a big picture of the first tower on fire.  I woke my husband and we went to the television to CNN and saw the second tower hit.

While it seemed far removed from me way out in California, it still hit in a big way.  For one thing, we didn’t know if it was over or not.  For another, it was US.  Suddenly, for a few days, the “US” abbreviation for the United States stood for US.  All of us.  Together.  Despite republican or democrat.  We were reminded that the American flag was something to be proud of.

I remember driving to work and all the overpasses were filled with people waving the flag.  At work, we dragged out televisions and radios so we could keep up.  Around ten, our boss decided we were needed at home with our families so he dismissed us.  I remember worrying about him crossing the Bay Bridge to get home. 

I went home and watched CNN all day for that and the next few.  Slowly things went back to normal for us out here in California.  We go to work.  We come home.  We eat, sleep, play.  We laugh, cry, rejoice.  We even forget.

But each year, on 9/11, we remember.