So today is of course September 11th. I didn't live in America back then, nor am I an American. But I am a Human Being, with thoughts and feelings, and I like many others experienced that day in 2001 with many overwhelming emotions; fear, sadness, horror, helplessness.....and many others besides. I was married to Husband Number One back then, and our two daughters were just 7 and 5 years old. I had a part time job in a shop which was owned by an American lady who had married a British man. As the UK is a few hours ahead of the US, we were all in the shop when news started breaking. Bel, the owner was terrified for her friends, family and home country while her husband got his mini tv and was trying to watch the news on it in the shop and keep us all updated. I myself was a little confused; I had heard of the World Trade Centre but didn't actually know what it was. I didn't realize it was two huge towers teeming with people. And let us not forget the other victims of the attacks; the people killed or injured in the other hijackings that day, the emergency services, the passengers on the airplanes. I remember Husband Number One coming home from work ashen faced and watching Sky News for hours. I begged him to turn the tv off; it wasn't that I didn't want to know the details; I just was very aware that there were two young children in the house who I wanted to protect from all the horrific images on the screen. I remember trying to distract them by playing with them in the other room-no tv in there. Of course they had some questions so I gently explained that some bad men had crashed a plane into a building to hurt and frighten people, I didn't know how else to explain what they were seeing. Of course, the whole world seemed to be on high alert immediately after, and when a military helicopter flew over our village later on that day my eldest daughter (who, coincidentally was due on September 11th, but put in a rather early appearance on August 15th) was afraid and thought it was more bad men coming to crash planes in our little village. How my heart hurt for her then, that her childhood innocence had been punctured with fear by the world's events.
I remember how the next day driving to work the mood of the whole world seemed numb; the radio DJs were subdued and respectful. Stopping at the traffic lights I couldn't help but cry at the horror and desperate sadness of it all; how helpless we all were, watching the terrible events unfold second by second, thanks to our modern technology and 24 hour news broadcasts. The world seems to get smaller every day with each new advancement in travel and communication, and we can see things as they happen in huge detail. I glanced across into the opposite lane of traffic, embarrassed by my extremely un-British show of public emotion, and was stunned to see the other driver crying too. This is what it takes to bring us all to the same level of emotion and understanding-over the next days and weeks many people pulled together and helped each other.
So today I wanted to acknowledge this terrible event, although I appreciate there are many, many tragedies each day throughout the world, and they are all of equal importance. I took this photo yesterday, of a beautiful rainbow as I got to work. Today however, I have edited it slightly, as I took a closer look and realized what the sign said in the picture. I call this picture "There is only One Way; Love" I hope you like it.......
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