Where were you on 9/11/01??

I was in my car on my way to WV State College to go to my Social Economics class, as I was listening to the local radio station Super 102.7 the DJ came across the radio and said that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center....I thought to myself "'strange", and I continued onto my class.. This whole country would come to learn later in the day that this was the beginning of a very tragic day.

So where am I tonight and what made me write this post. I am in no place other than New York. It only occurred to me today that I would be flying out of New York on the anniversary date of their most tragic event. I felt a little somber today, but came to the hotel and did my usual routine, exercised, showered, and turned on my TV to watch the WVU/Marshall football game. Well my TV was not cooperating, and neither was my Mountaineer football team, so I decided to go to the hotel bar for better TV quality, and a beer (cause WVU was stressing me out). I get to the bar and the only seat that is available was between two guys that put me closest to the TV with the football game on. I later come to find out that one guys name was Ed, he was a PITT fan, from NY, and worked for the port authority. The other man was a Delta Pilot....not important.

What has humbled me tonight was actually talking to ED. He introduced himself to me, told me where he worked and just as he was about to leave the delta pilot asked him about a pin that he had on his suit jacket.. I had noticed this pin earlier and thought that it was a cross, and made a mental note to not cuss around this guy out of respect. But once I looked at the pin up close I realized his pin was two American flags standing tall to represent the Twin Towers, and then we just let ED talk. Ed was in the first tower that was hit on the 73rd floor if I am not mistaken, he talked about how his desk shook, and how everyone in the office assumed that a couple of floors up where the elevator mechanics were housed that there had been an explosion. He told me of how everyone calmly walked down the stair wells, until they got to the 20th floor and they had seen water coming out from doors, smoke in the elevators, and other things that made them believe something was wrong. Thankfully they made it out of the the Tower and Ed went straight to his sons office on the 20th floor on Wall Street only to see the second plane hit the other Tower from the window in his sons office. The look in Ed's eye was sad, I felt the pain, especially when he told me he saw three people jump from the building. Fortuantely Ed made it, many of friends did not, the memories are still deep in his eyes 9 years later. Ed says he still does not sleep well at night. I felt blessed to hear his story tonight, I felt grateful, for sometimes we forget how minor most of our problems are. I assure you I met Ed for a reason, and maybe it was God's way of giving me some Humble Pie.... So I ask you, where were you on 9/11/01? And most importantly where are you tonight? As I continue to watch WVU get beat on TV, I know there are going to be many upset fans, many facebook post about football, but in the grand scheme of things, I know tonight I am grateful that I was able to watch the game....Win or Lose.

Let's not forget the many men and women that lost their life..


I love my freedom. I love my America. ~Jessi Lane Adams