Let Us Not Forget...

I just want to give a dedication to all those who died, those who survived, those who helped,those who fought,and those who will never forget September 11,2001. My Mom used to tell me that the day Dr.King died was one of those days she would always remember what she was doing,where she was,and how she felt. Well,9-11 has never left my mind and even though I wasn't in NY,Pennsylvania,or D.C. on that day, my heart and soul was there. I remember as child visiting my relatives in NY,how we would go to lunch at the Windows of the World Restaurant and how when I was on a plane flying into NY,thought to myself,"What wonderful buildings those are."

A short story on where I was:

I had just arrived at work,Ann Taylor Southpark in Charlotte NC. Normally a 30 minute drive,I usually listened to the Power 98 but this morning I was listening to Aaliyah's CD.I arrived at 8:00 am I was happy because I was working 9am-6pm and my boyfriend was off from working at Charlotte Douglass airport and we were going to go to dinner. I remember leaving him in that warm bed and going outside and thinking "What a nice day."

Upon arriving at the AT,my visual merch. manager, Beth and Shane, stock manager was there. They were always fun to work with and Beth would not push me to get all the dusting and vacuuming done before we opened.:) We all were standing around the second wrap desk chatting. Then the phone rang. It was our co-worker,Alveria. She said a plane had hit one the towers of the World Trade Center. We didn't have a TV in the store so went back to stock room to listen to radio. Beth,Shane, and I were disbelief. We thought,maybe it was a little plane, but the operations manager,Mary Beth arrived to say that it was not a little plane but a commercial flight. Not long after she arrived,Alveria called again and said another plane just hit the second tower. I got on the phone and called home and my boyfriend picked up and I said,"Turn on the TV". He did and replied,"Oh My God, those buildings are on fire."

Well,it was time to open the store and like any other day,there were people waiting to get in. Some, had just left home and had saw the tragedy tell us that they heard that their were two to three other hijacked planes in the air. I was completely and utterly terrified.But what I will always remember that their people coming in SHOPPING like nothing happened asking for sizes. We finally closed up when we saw that Victoria's Secret across the hall never opened. I drove home to Rock Hill and traffic was a beast.I still don't remember that drive. I was in shock. I got home and turned on the TV to see the replays of what was happening and the first building fall. I was on my knees crying for GOD to save those people in those buildings in NY and DC. My boyfriend had left, Delta Airlines had called him in to help out at the airport. My girlfriend who was a teacher called me screaming and sobbing from the school she was at. The days after were a blur of anger, sadness, anxious feelings to get somewhere and help someone. This day truly changed my life. I wanted get to closer to all of family and friends because things happen in the blink of an eye. Let us all be mindful of where we were on September 11. Let us not forget.

Love you all,
J