My Personal 9.11

It was a hair-brained idea.

Going to another country, albeit only North of here, for a long weekend.  I had only told a few people, and it was supposed to be hush, hush.  I had planned on being 'sick' on Monday and Tuesday from school (this was back in my school teacher days).

Do you remember Giligan's Island?

Just sit right back 
And you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip, 
That started from this tropic port,
 Aboard this tiny ship.


Well my trip didn't start at a tropic port, it started by boarding a plane headed to Toronto.  I went looking for things that I would never find there.  And found myself looking at a TV screen on Tuesday morning and realizing that I was miles away from home when the world changed... 

SO to sum up the weekend, well it sucked.  I wanted to get home so bad that I thought about trying to get on a flight Monday night.  We were just getting ready to head to the airport on Tuesday morning when the TV erupted.  It was just before 9am and every channel, even in Canada, was taken over with the images.

And then the live shot of the second plane.

My heart sunk. 

I was stranded in another country.  I watched as they continued to cover the news of the plane in Pennsylvania.  I heard the voices crying out.  Saw the dust and debris fill the air on the screen, and knew I couldn't do anything.  My kids were in the US, my friends were there.  My family.  And when I tried to get home, I couldn't leave.  No getting across the border.  No planes flying.

My trip to Canada became a sobering vision of what it is to be away from the things that you love and unable to reach them.  I didn't loose anyone that I knew personally.  I wept for those who did.  I also cried to realize that I did have things in my life that meant so much to me and that they were fragile, and needed to be taken care of.

So today, on a Tuesday.  September 11th, 2012.  I realize that I am proud to be an American - no matter how screwed up that seems at times.  I remember vividly the day that everything stopped as the terrorists killed so many.  So many innocents.

I am thankful to still be here.  As thankful as when I was finally able to land in Atlanta on Saturday after the attacks and kissed the soil of the USA!