Debbie Wheelers post made me think of my encounter I had with a World Trade Center survivor at the Gift Shop at the WTC Museum this year. I went in to ask for a book Ann Hall asked me to get for her. I asked the gentleman if they had it, and he looked what seemed like far away. I waited...quietly. He slightly got teary eyed, then said no they didnt have it but then told me of two stores that did. He wanted to talk and tell me about his moment in time. I let him. How many chances do you get to meet one of the survivors of such a devastating event on American soil. He started to talk about his mother who waited on him, and her worry. How he ran to the church in the book. (Pics of it are in my NYC WTC album). How the damage had been catastrophic and the disbelief. He stopped for a second and told me again where the stores were. He started again and told me about his clean up of the church and how deep the papers were on the cemetery there and the memorials in it were set up by people who lost loved ones but also of people who traveled there that they didnt know just to help. I listened as he talked about the chaos. Just before this encounter we walked back in time to see the tragic events take place literally from 8:15 that beautiful Sunny morning as the planes hit the buildings. We heard recordings of the phone calls made to loved ones who didnt answer. We heard the pilots last words hey, get out of here, get out of here, get out of here! as the terrorists entered the cockpit. We heard the last words of Todd Beamer as he said, Lets Roll. So many other voices as we literally walked through time as the events unfolded. No one said a word. We were not allowed to take any photos of the things we saw and heard in this area and it hurt everyone in that museum. It was a feeling I will ever forget. It actually physically took you back to that moment and knowing now what happened in the planes and cockpits was unfathomable. It gave the girls an insight to events they didnt remember because they were either babies or barely born. Katie was 2 and watched it but doesnt remember. They heard the bangs of people jumping out of windows and hitting the ground before the towers actually fell, and they were stunned. We all saw burned, mangled fire trucks with helmets displayed of fallen fire fighters and it hurt knowing they were saving people and lost their lives. We saw police cars unrecognizable. We saw papers that had been found far away. Personal items found. Brief cases and more. Plane parts recovered knowing someone was on that plane and died at the hands of evil, vile men. It was a feeling of anger but also of extreme pride for what those heroes both trained and untrained did to save everyone they could by either fighting in a plane or going up a stairwell never to come down. And if we were hurting imagine what the people there feel every day. We saw American flags flying every where and lines of people in pictures to give blood. We saw the American people come together as one to save our nation. If every one in this country walked through that, this nation wouldnt be divided as it because they would agree we are the United States of America and we can only be kept down if we allow it to happen. And when pushed to the breaking point and hit with that blow, we got back up and swung harder. So after walking through that I had the honor of speaking with this very kind man who shared his story with me and what an honor it was. If I could talk to him again I would definitely let him know that. I wanted to go back but as we came out of the subway a few minutes later we were greeted by SOA chaperones telling us to go back to our hotel because there were riots. And I was furious! Not only because it cut our night short and the girls safety as we watched NYPD helicopters fly overhead trying to keep the city (us) safe from people hoping to destroy the city because of an incident they felt was wrong. Im not debating that incident thats not what this is about. But this city of so many people had nothing to do with that and neither did 99.9% of the police force they were violently rioting against at that moment. Yelling and screaming at them. These people that keep them safe every day. I assumed these people thought they were better than the police trying to keep peace. We have lost that fear of whats still attacking us, that we were even warned would still attack us long after those events of 9/11 and they still are. These moments in time that we had just lived as we walked through the museum didnt seem to matter to these people. So many died that day. This country should be stronger and more furious as we watch Isis behead OUR citizens. So the honor of this man taking me to his 9/11 survival was a great honor and Im so privileged to have spoken to him, without a doubt will look for him when we return. Olivias father even went to touch the new One World Trade Center to touch its strength and what it means to so many who live there and across this great nation. Its a beautiful, sacred place but so very sad and solemn. Thank you God for allowing me to speak with this very kind man and hearing his story he needed to tell that evening. I am blessed. God Bless the United States of America.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 03:02:36 +0000
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