This week Jenny has given us an evocative prompt which, given the date, can only really be linked to one event – do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? When events changed the modern world forever? When time almost stood still? They say that there are certain events in history that will stay with you forever – Kennedy’s assassination is one of them. The events of 9/11/01 another. Please visit Jenny to see what other people remember.
The prompt is in bold.
John had phoned me at work to see if I’d seen the internet news. I hadn’t. He told me what had happened. This was late afternoon in the UK and I was due to finish work soon. As I walked home I remember wondering what had happened. As I got home the second plane hit the building. I stood frozen in front of the flickering images on my TV and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My abiding memory is the horrific footage of people fleeing the huge debris ball that rolled down a New York side street.
We visited ground zero in 2003, the atmosphere was surreal – and very moving.
As much as I love this city, I still can't bring myself to return.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the shock and pain was not America's alone....
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming all that way to pay respect to our loved ones. Good use of the prompt.~Ames
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the things that stays with me the most that debris rolling down the street. Almost seemed like it was a movie and not real.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, it heartens me to know that we did and do not grieve alone.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
I have not been able to visit there yet. We've been to NYC but haven't visited Ground Zero yet. I'm afraid it won't feel "right" if you know what I mean. Well done on a difficult prompt.
ReplyDeleteI found this compelling and emotional to realize that this emotion was felt the world over.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed to me at the time to be a horror imparted only TO the United States. It took me some time to realize that it was a horror perpetrated upon the entire world.
Thank you for sharing the community of memory this week on Saturday Centus.
I appreciate you linking.
It was a difficult prompt for thos eof us in the UK but you have done brilliantly here.
ReplyDeleteI am just an hour away in time from you in the UK, so it was already in the late afternoon in Sweden when it happened. There are people here who don't feel, that what happened in New York has anything to do with them. The ship that sank in the Baltic, the Estonia, or the Tsunami in Asia that killed many European tourists on holiday, seem to mean more to them because the higher number of Swedish casualties.
ReplyDeleteI went through CNN's list of victims and found two Swedes and possiblily twenty Americans of Swedish or Scandinavian descent (judging/guessing by their surnames). So I don't agree with them. New York City is a place where people from all over the world come just to visit or to realise their career dreams. This is why it was chosen as a target.
Great post.
Best wishes,
Anna
Anna's SC-Remembering 9/11