9/11 Memories

as I experienced it...

I was parking the van at my work when I heard the report on CBC radio. It was 9:00 am. I just listened long enough to know that there had been some sort of plane crash in New York city. I more or less shrugged off this bit of information, and quickly leaped out of the van; it was time to start the work day. It was a whole half hour later that my colleague, Don, walked in my office and said:

"Are you aware of what is happening in the U.S.?"

"Yeah, some sort of plane crash in New York, right?" I answered.

Don's eyes opened wide as he said:

"Oh! I think it's a whole lot more than just a plane crash, Rand. I think you better come listen to what the radio is reporting."

And that's where I went, and spent much of the day. By the time I started listening to the radio reports, both towers of the World Trade Center were burning and it was just reported that the Pentagon was hit. A short time later, we found out of a fourth hijacked plane crashing north of Camp David. At that time, it was supposed that United 93 was shot down by the U.S. Air Force.

I was shocked. There was a heaviness in the air that just crushed me. I felt terrible for the families and friends of these people who were in the hijacked planes, and the destroyed buildings. I knew, like everyone else in the world, that this terrible day would not only bring great grief to the U.S., I knew it would bring great hardship throughout all the Free World. I was also 100% positive that it was a question of time before American missiles started falling on some Arab country. It was clear that the future would be difficult, and sadly, bloody.

The Lord have mercy on our poor, totally depraved world.

(I thought about adding to this post some personal thoughts on the various events that lead to 9/11, and the aftermath of that terrible day, but I changed my mind. The fact of the matter is 9/11 has been cheapened enough by everyone injecting by exploitive movies, docu-dramas, and other forms of ignorant babbling to no profit. I think that on this day, it's best to keep it at simple: God be merciful and grant us as much peace in the world as He is willing to show.)


Rand