A Commemorative: 9/11 ~Remembered~
 

If you have a notion to add anything here, please feel free to do so!


It's nearly a year gone by now and yet the mental pictures of that day are still fresh in my mind. I've gone through the mourning along with the rest of the world and to this day I am still saddened everytime a memory pops into my head.

At first, on that very day, I was scared. Soon saddness overwhelmed me. It tugged at my heart strings to think of all the people directly involved in this terroristic act. Innocent people! People with futures to look forward to. People watching the coverage with family memers in those buildings and on those airplanes. Firefighters trying to save lives as the buildings crumbled and their families watching it live on national and international television. I cried a tear for every single life lost and for every single person directly involved. I cried a lot that day and the week to follow.

President John F. Kennedy is dead. The space shuttle has exploded. Princess Diana has been killed in a car accident. John F. Kennedy Jr. has died in a plane crash. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing at the time of these news stories? I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing each of these times. And as I listened to the news reports on each of those ocassions I felt totally helpless and I cried. There was nothing more I could do than that. But September 11th was different for me.

Soon, I was angry again! Something was taken from me as well on that day. The freedom I cherished, yet I know I took for granted at times, was stripped from me. I HAD to do something. Me, a nobody, a singular person with no real skills to contribute. But I had to do SOMETHING to try and help. I started a blood drive at work. I sent money to several different funds. I wanted to go volunteer to help dig but when that finally occured to me they were asking folks to stay away till they called for more volunteers. I never got the chance to help in that respect. I needed to do more.

A week had gone by and I still hadn't found anything more I could personally do to help. I was playing around on the computer one day and I stumbled across a site that had a poetry contest on it. I hadn't written poetry since high school but I thought, "The grand prize was $10,000, and stranger things have happened", so I went to the site. A poem just spilled out of me. It took me about five minutes to write. It is short and sweet and here it is.....

The Land Of Freedom

At last, in strength, I feel revived.
The fear I felt has since subsided.
They've challenged us and we stood strong.
They know not what they do is wrong.
We've stood our ground with proven loyality.
A better America this could never be.
That lives were lost and buildings crumbled,
gave strength where fear was to have rumbled.
When told in time, in history books,
The land of freedom could not be shook.

Now, mind you, I didn't have any real hope of this ever even making a head turn. But I sent it to The International Library of Poetry on a whim. Three weeks later I was notified by mail that I was now a semi-finalist in the contest. They needed my permission to print my poem in a book called "Letters from the Soul" and they also needed me to send verification that it was indeed an original poem. This book is now in publication and has a Library of Congress ISBN #. Three weeks later I was notified that my poem was being nararated to a CD. They needed my permission to have a "special narator" read my poem to be recorded to a CD. By now, as you can imagine, I am blown away! This poem took me 5 minutes to write for crying out loud. I was also extended an invitation to The International Poets Convention. They sent me an invitation and ask me to make my reservations for myself and my spouse. I was told poets from around the world would be there. I declined. I am not a poet. I couldn't imagine trying to mingle with some famous and not so famous poets.

Well, anyway, I am still (as of this post) in contention for the grand prize to be announced in the fall of 2002. OMG...that's really soon. And there are other monetary consolation prizes I could win. All the winnings WILL be turned over to the efforts of the 9/11 cause. So keep your fingers crossed folks!

I am rambling...but I need to get this out! I thought of an appropriate song to add....

A few verses from a song done in the 70's by a group called The Brotherhood of Man.....seemed to fit. TY scotz...for finding it for me! *kisses*

United We Stand


For united we stand
Divided we fall
And if our backs should ever be against the wall
We'll be together, together, you and I


And if the world about you falls apart my love
Then I'll still be here
And if the going gets too hard along the way
Just you call, I'll hear

Oh...and one more thing........I found this jpg a while back but I want to post it here........if you all want to post anything, again, please feel free! TY for listening........*hugs*

~We Remember~

Lixy, thanks for sharing in such a beautiful and wonderful way. I've found myself thinking back to a year ago. My wife and I were at the hospital visiting a friend who'd just had surgery. We went down for coffee when I saw people gathered at the TV. The first plane had just hit and at first we thought it was a terrible, terrible accident. Then the second and word of the pentagon and the whole world seemed tipped on it's side. Same range of feelings. Shock, saddness, anger, God only knows.

God bless you, Lixy for remembering and putting those memories into such beautiful words.

Hugs!

I have a lot of these........and
 

I belong to The Literary Guild and I also have the book "One Nation" America Remembers September 11, 2001

It is a collection of photos and a documentary of the day. It starts on the morning of Sept, 11 and tells of each and every event as it unfolded. Part of the proceeds of this book went to the cause as well. If you get a chance, it's well worth the read.

db.....No TY necessary..........I had to do it! Last night I tried to do this and we had a power outage till 11:00am this morning......I was pacing to beat the band till the power was back on. I can't explain it........but I am compelled to express a remembrance! TY for adding your sweet reply! *kisses*

Just a Picture Being Posted
 

Captured this back last year and loved how it looked. Used as a background for a long time. Hope you enjoy.

Stunning! TY db!!!!!! Making it my background now! *hugs*

Remembering
 

It was unbeleivable my gram called me and told me to put tv on,my 18 yr old daughter and i sat here watched and couldn't beleive what we were seeing.It was like when she was little we watched the launching of the Challenger w/my parents.
On 9-11 i panicked went a grabbed my son out of school,just wanting us all home,and to know we were ok.
Then wanting my bf here,worring about his long drive here.......it was so unreal watching it on tv,even now its still hard to beleive.

I found some pics of tattoo's that people have gotten,some survivors of 9-11,some in memory of the ones they lost in the tragedy.

This first one,a brother got to honor the memory of his brother a firefighter.The four clovers on the tattoo represent the four children he left behind.

Another pic w/ two different tattoos

Here's another, this man was in one of the towers when hit.

Another in memory of.......

I thought this was appropriate...in the video it showed the Challenger and the astronauts.It seems right for this thread.

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have chanced it all

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance

THE DANCE

it is so hard to believe that a year has almost passed since that horrible event. Amazing how in just one moment, not only individual lives can be changed, but the spirit of this nation as a whole was forever altered as well.

I, like everyone I know, remember exactly where I was. I was at work, my cell phone rang and it was my father. He said to me that a plane hit the trade center. I am not from NY.. and never really paid much attention to the landscape in pictures, so I wasn't sure which building it was. At first I thought he was joking, but as he began explaining it to me what he was watching on the news, I knew he was serious. Suddenly.. I hear him say "Oh my god, another one just hit". I will never forget the sound of his voice. By that time, I alerted those around me at work and they were quickly turning on radios. It was easy to see that with every passing moment the seriousness was soaking in to those around me..

In the 12 months since this occurred.. the changes in this country.. some subtle... some very apparent... all very important have permanently changed this country... and to some degree this world.

My son, is in the second grade now.. and just so happened by luck of the draw.. it is his snack day on Sept. 11th. Yeah, I guess I could just go about the typical routine.. go to walmart and buy some sort of everyday snack for 25 little kids.. but instead.. beginning Monday night.. my son and I will begin the process of making 25 Red, White & Blue Jello cups. Why? Because it is a perfect opportunity to talk to my son.. not only about the events that make the day important.. but also to help mold him into the man he will someday be. Patriotic, loving, caring, and most of all kind to his fellow human beings. So on Sept. 11th.. as I take those Jello cups into his class... not only will I be proud to be a mom.. but I will be showing that I am proud to be an american :)

I was driving back & forth all day on 9/11...younger son had dental appt. first thing, when we arrived at the officethe first plane had just hit...they had the radio on, & couldn't figure out how to make the TV in the waiting room show the news instead of the tooth-whitening sales video...I kept thinking about how I had heard the towers were designed to take a hit from a 707, the largest plane in existance when they where built...then the collapse...there goes another theory...#2 son goes back to school, I'm back at work...that afternoon I had to pick up my 18 year old son from his school evaluation...and how do you explain to your children something you don't understand yourself?

BSB......TY! The tat pics are wonderful! Says it all inna nutshell, sorta. A permanent reminder of something that should never be forgotten!

Jenna......You seem like a magnificent mom. You should be proud.....your son is a lucky boy! I hope your snack day goes well! TY for remembering along with me! Very eloquent story...ty for sharing.

scotz......So true! How do you explain? I imagine you did fine. For what it's worth, does anyone even understand to this day? I think not.......but we cope! TY for sharing!

***I want to add something here...........I have had a few PM's from some concerned Pixie friends. I just want everyone to know that I do realize that the poetry contest I entered is a "part scam". What I mean to say is, yes, my poem is published and I could win a monetary prize, but I doubt I will. I never sent them any money for all the things they said I could buy that contain my poem. I just gave my permission to print it........that's all. And if I win nothing I'll still have a clear conscience as I know my heart was in the right place. But I TY for all the concern.***

I rememer the day vividly. I was on my way to work when I heard that the 2nd plane had hit. I called everyone I knew including some who were in Manhattan that day. But I was really scared when I heard that the Pentagon was hit because I had no idea then where else or what other cities would be hit.
I also remember the fighter jets taking off like crazy from the nearby Air Force base here. One even circled the city here for three days prepared to shoot anything down.
I also have some friends who are in the reserves that were called to a one-year stint soon after and they are still overseas. When we had a big party for one of them, I thought to myself how much I respect him for taking his call to duty so bravely and willingly, leaving behind his family, home and job.

I guess I might just be rambling now and getting off my cynical path but I just thought I'd vent.

CK