Do you believe someone watches over us? Photo taken the town of Roquemaure.
le souvenir (sooveh-neer)
: memory, recollection
Audio file: listen to Jean-Marc read the example sentence below: Download mp3 or Wav file
Hier soir, nous avons regardé un film en souvenir des attentats du 11 Septembre 2001.
Last night, we watched a film in memory of September 11th, 2001.
The latest edition of Pronounce it Perfectly in French is out. Click here.
A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
Seven years ago we came to a fork in the road of our French existence. Jean-Marc was floundering at his job as an uninspired sales rep for an Italian company selling wine bottling machines. As for me, I was holding on tight to the coattails of my writing dream. But a proposition my husband was about to make threatened to put an end to both of our careers:
"Et si on déménage en Californie?" he ventured.
To this day I wonder what our life would have been like, had I not talked Jean-Marc out of the idea of moving to the States and, instead, reminded him about his own dream of wine-making. (Admittedly, the encouragement given was also a way of safeguarding my own nascent vocation–as a chronicler of French life.)
Jean-Marc soon quit looking for jobs in the California wine industry (he'd discovered the town of Healdsburg and was smitten), and happened upon a vineyard for sale in the town of Sainte Cécile-les-Vignes, where we spent the next 5 years of our lives–he picking grapes and making wine–and I chronicling a fast-paced life in the slow-poke countryside. What a ride.
Still no regrets for talking my husband into deepening our French roots, though I do sometimes wonder what life would have been like had we offered our children a chance to grow up in the States. By now one of them would be a senior in some California high school, and the other would be celebrating her upcoming Sweet 16 as a Valley Girl might.
"I know 16 is a special birthday for Americans," Jackie hints, hoping to cash in on a smart phone this year.
"Oh yah, Smartie Pants? Just how do you know so much about American culture?" But I already know the answer to the question–it's all the dubbed T.V. our daughter watches. In any case, the reality in our house is we don't do birthdays like the Kardashians!
Which reminds me, now, what it is about France that pulled me close in that decisive do we stay or do we go moment: it's something about French modesty (apart from necklines and swimwear, of course)… and history. These two things are beautifully represented in a gift my mother-in-law received, at about the same age as Jackie.
"That year I received an orange." Though my belle-mère remembers it bitterly, the flicker of gratitude is still bright in her eyes. Her father was a prisoner of war, and her mother struggled to make ends meet, hawking linens out of her truck in North Africa. Under the gritty circumstances, it was a privilege to receive a gift at all–and to this day my mother-in-law can't eat a clementine without remembering her family's struggles.
Perhaps that is what draws me to old France: more than modesty, it is remembering. Here is where the word souvenir takes on full meaning. More than a trinket brought home from a tourist trap, a souvenir is a heart-filled remembrance and a timeless honoring. It whisper "We will never forget." On ne vous oubliera jamais.
This week my own country–and people all over the world–are remembering September 11th. Last night, as I watched the film "Vol 93", I remembered the hair-raising telephone call, received twelve years ago….
A Dutch neighbor, who ran a local café in Les Arcs-sur-Argens, rang me. Her voice filled with empathy, she asked, "Have you heard the news?"
* * *
I meant to write about our parallel life, or what things would have been like had we taken the other direction at that proverbial fork in the road. Instead, things ended up here–neither in California or in Ste. Cécile, but here, with this souvenir de 11 Septembre.
Will you join in now, and share: Where were you when you heard the news?
The photos in today's post were all taken in Roquemaure, France, in 2010.
Diamonds and shutters.
The restaurant is called L'Ecole Buissonnière, and the term faire l'école buissonnière means to play hooky or skip school.
Lace curtains at the green grocer's and cageots, or crates, of produce.
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While my daughter and I were on a plane from New York to Frankfurt, we were not informed by the captain of the events that that just happened in New York until we had landed. My heart almost stopped – my other daughter and her husband living very close to the Twin Towers – were they safe… We did not continue on to our final destination, watching with disbelief, fear and horror the scenes flashing up on the airport TV screens – frantically trying to contact my daughter and her husband – finally receiving a call from my husband that our US family was safe but they had lost many friends who worked in the Twin Towers, WTC, – it was truly a most horrid event. We are thinking of all of those who lost their lives and of their family and relatives living with their loss.
While my daughter and I were on a plane from New York to Frankfurt, we were not informed by the captain of the events that that just happened in New York until we had landed. My heart almost stopped – my other daughter and her husband living very close to the Twin Towers – were they safe… We did not continue on to our final destination, watching with disbelief, fear and horror the scenes flashing up on the airport TV screens – frantically trying to contact my daughter and her husband – finally receiving a call from my husband that our US family was safe but they had lost many friends who worked in the Twin Towers, WTC, – it was truly a most horrid event. We are thinking of all of those who lost their lives and of their family and relatives living with their loss.
… and Thank You, Kristin, for remembering!
… and Thank You, Kristin, for remembering!
Hi Kristin,
We were living in Brussels, Belgium and I remember getting a call to go and pick up our kids from the Brussels American School. I was really scared and we went back home and watched the news. The kids were then riding to school with armed guards on the buses for the next few months. My husband and I visited NY and the 9.ll Memorial and it is very moving. I took a photo of one of the panels with the names of some of the people who perished. I have their names memorized and I pray for them each week when I attend Adoration.
Hi Kristin,
We were living in Brussels, Belgium and I remember getting a call to go and pick up our kids from the Brussels American School. I was really scared and we went back home and watched the news. The kids were then riding to school with armed guards on the buses for the next few months. My husband and I visited NY and the 9.ll Memorial and it is very moving. I took a photo of one of the panels with the names of some of the people who perished. I have their names memorized and I pray for them each week when I attend Adoration.
I was, at work, just north of Boston, MA when a co-worker asked me to turn on the television. We both watched with horror filling our hearts. One of the planes had left from Logan airport! We knew something was terribly wrong, then we saw another plane fly into the building. My co-worker was from Africa, and I remember her words of warning, that “you Americans need to listen and understand how other countries feel about you…”
I think this was the first time I became cognizant that there were people who hate the idea of America and its freedoms enough to create such an horrific event.
This event changed my life. I think it changed all our lives with a rude awakening to our naivete.
I was, at work, just north of Boston, MA when a co-worker asked me to turn on the television. We both watched with horror filling our hearts. One of the planes had left from Logan airport! We knew something was terribly wrong, then we saw another plane fly into the building. My co-worker was from Africa, and I remember her words of warning, that “you Americans need to listen and understand how other countries feel about you…”
I think this was the first time I became cognizant that there were people who hate the idea of America and its freedoms enough to create such an horrific event.
This event changed my life. I think it changed all our lives with a rude awakening to our naivete.
I was sitting in my manager’s office, probably talking about work, when another manager came in and said an airplane had just crashed into the Twin Towers. We went into one of the training rooms where they had the TV on and watched the second plane crash into the Towers. It was so surreal and felt that we were watching a movie, not an actual crash. However, there were images on the screen that told us this was actually happening – it’s difficult to bring back those memories.
I was sitting in my manager’s office, probably talking about work, when another manager came in and said an airplane had just crashed into the Twin Towers. We went into one of the training rooms where they had the TV on and watched the second plane crash into the Towers. It was so surreal and felt that we were watching a movie, not an actual crash. However, there were images on the screen that told us this was actually happening – it’s difficult to bring back those memories.
Who will ever forget…I was getting ready for work and was listening CNN in the background listening in horror of what turned out to be a day that changed America. I’m a Canadian and I feel sick for our neighbours to the south every year on the anniversary of this terrible event. God bless you all and the families who have lost their loved ones . Thanks Kristen for remembering in your heartfelt blog.
Who will ever forget…I was getting ready for work and was listening CNN in the background listening in horror of what turned out to be a day that changed America. I’m a Canadian and I feel sick for our neighbours to the south every year on the anniversary of this terrible event. God bless you all and the families who have lost their loved ones . Thanks Kristen for remembering in your heartfelt blog.
I was rocking my baby girl to sleep for her morning nap when my neighbor called me knowing I was a New Yorker living in North Carolina with lots of family and friends in New York. I put Olivia in her crib and turned on the news. I will never forget the bizarre experience of hearing Peter Jennings uttering words of disbelief as he reported and we both witnessed live on the screen the second plane hit the towers.
I was rocking my baby girl to sleep for her morning nap when my neighbor called me knowing I was a New Yorker living in North Carolina with lots of family and friends in New York. I put Olivia in her crib and turned on the news. I will never forget the bizarre experience of hearing Peter Jennings uttering words of disbelief as he reported and we both witnessed live on the screen the second plane hit the towers.
I was working as a school nurse in Lancaster, PA not far from the nuclear plant Three Mile Island. I was on my computer with my daughter who worked near Paris as Flight 93 was overhead in PA possibly heading for nearby TMI. Her ILOG co-workers were her support team in France. They shared our anxiety and truly acted as if “they were all Americans” that awful day. Her boss suggested she take the next day off so she could be with her family even if only online and on the phone. However, I was expected to be at work that day…
I was working as a school nurse in Lancaster, PA not far from the nuclear plant Three Mile Island. I was on my computer with my daughter who worked near Paris as Flight 93 was overhead in PA possibly heading for nearby TMI. Her ILOG co-workers were her support team in France. They shared our anxiety and truly acted as if “they were all Americans” that awful day. Her boss suggested she take the next day off so she could be with her family even if only online and on the phone. However, I was expected to be at work that day…
I am from Long Island NY but I live in Marietta Georgia. I was working on my computer when my business partner called that a plane had it a building in New York. Right after I put on the TV the second plane hit I called my sister on Long Island – my brother and my brother in law were in the city that day. As it turned out everyone I knew I was safe but everyone was touched very deeply they lost the soccer coach, the teacher’s husband, the guy that lives down the street, all the neighbors that were fireman.
The motto of Quebec is Je me souviens. NYC too, after 9 / 11
I am from Long Island NY but I live in Marietta Georgia. I was working on my computer when my business partner called that a plane had it a building in New York. Right after I put on the TV the second plane hit I called my sister on Long Island – my brother and my brother in law were in the city that day. As it turned out everyone I knew I was safe but everyone was touched very deeply they lost the soccer coach, the teacher’s husband, the guy that lives down the street, all the neighbors that were fireman.
The motto of Quebec is Je me souviens. NYC too, after 9 / 11
Thank you for this, Kristin. It is interesting to hear other’s stories–how compact they are, like well-worn worry stones.
Thank you for this, Kristin. It is interesting to hear other’s stories–how compact they are, like well-worn worry stones.
My friend Claudie was visiting me from Paris and we had gone to New York the day before. “Et si on visitait les tours du “Trade Center”. On m’a dit que c’est un beau spectacle”. And we did looking up from the Second Avenue Deli…
We could not believe our ears and sight the next day…back in Philadelphia.
She was unable to fly home for 5 days.
A very fine student of mine who worked in the Towers (after graduation) perished that day.
C’est comme si c’etait hier…
My friend Claudie was visiting me from Paris and we had gone to New York the day before. “Et si on visitait les tours du “Trade Center”. On m’a dit que c’est un beau spectacle”. And we did looking up from the Second Avenue Deli…
We could not believe our ears and sight the next day…back in Philadelphia.
She was unable to fly home for 5 days.
A very fine student of mine who worked in the Towers (after graduation) perished that day.
C’est comme si c’etait hier…
we were in St. Tropez. it would be several days before we could fly home to our children.
we were in St. Tropez. it would be several days before we could fly home to our children.
The husband of a friend of mine in NYC worked in the twin towers but on that fateful day he was taking a client to play golf. Most of his colleagues perished that day.
Another friend of ours was living in NYC near the twin towers area and was always on the subway section that was destroyed but he was running late that morning.
We were blessed to know 2 people that God spared that day.
Thank you for your post on 9-11. It is good to remember so it does not repeat. Our job is to pray that it won’t happen again.
Blessings, Sherry
The husband of a friend of mine in NYC worked in the twin towers but on that fateful day he was taking a client to play golf. Most of his colleagues perished that day.
Another friend of ours was living in NYC near the twin towers area and was always on the subway section that was destroyed but he was running late that morning.
We were blessed to know 2 people that God spared that day.
Thank you for your post on 9-11. It is good to remember so it does not repeat. Our job is to pray that it won’t happen again.
Blessings, Sherry
I was teaching Spanish at a private school in Lancaster PA. I still remember how the school librarians put a TV in the middle of the library so teachers could come and get news in between classes. The internet was down and cell phone service was down. My own kids were in their 3rd and 5th grade classrooms. Parents started arriving to take their kids out of school, but many parents could not leave work and so school continued. In an early afternoon school assembly the head of school explained to the kids what was happening. I can still feel the eyes of those kids looking at us teachers as he spoke, seeking reassurance. It was such a sense of responsibility for all those children, not just my own, that made me stand there calmly.
I was teaching Spanish at a private school in Lancaster PA. I still remember how the school librarians put a TV in the middle of the library so teachers could come and get news in between classes. The internet was down and cell phone service was down. My own kids were in their 3rd and 5th grade classrooms. Parents started arriving to take their kids out of school, but many parents could not leave work and so school continued. In an early afternoon school assembly the head of school explained to the kids what was happening. I can still feel the eyes of those kids looking at us teachers as he spoke, seeking reassurance. It was such a sense of responsibility for all those children, not just my own, that made me stand there calmly.
I was getting ready for work, when my youngest son called. He had just seen the news on CNN, and was shocked. So was I. I turned on my TV, and minutes later, saw the horror of the second plane crashing into the other tower. I remember that we talked constantly, but I can’t remember a thing we said. I called my other two children; my daughter was in the Air Force and stationed in California, and My oldest son lived in Florida. I remember that we talked of little else at work, and it was as though we were all sleep walking. That feeling persisted for days. I remember being proud to be an American, and proud of our president for his leadership, honor, and humanity. Whether people were for or a against the war that followed, they mourned the loss of life, and wept for people they never knew. The tragedy and horror of those days briefly brought us all together as a country, and a people. I will never forget that day, and the images that are seared into my memory.
I was getting ready for work, when my youngest son called. He had just seen the news on CNN, and was shocked. So was I. I turned on my TV, and minutes later, saw the horror of the second plane crashing into the other tower. I remember that we talked constantly, but I can’t remember a thing we said. I called my other two children; my daughter was in the Air Force and stationed in California, and My oldest son lived in Florida. I remember that we talked of little else at work, and it was as though we were all sleep walking. That feeling persisted for days. I remember being proud to be an American, and proud of our president for his leadership, honor, and humanity. Whether people were for or a against the war that followed, they mourned the loss of life, and wept for people they never knew. The tragedy and horror of those days briefly brought us all together as a country, and a people. I will never forget that day, and the images that are seared into my memory.
I am from Jersey City, which is just across the river from lower Manhattan. We watched the towers go up and were able to enjoy the sight of them for years. Driving up the New Jersey Turnpike that first sight of that skyline said ‘home’. On 9/11 my sister was on the last train that entered the WTC ( World Trade Center ) station. She recalls that people were running out and that there were newspapers and cups of coffee dropped on the ground. She rushed along with the crowd not knowing exactly what was happening. My husband was in the city for business and our daughter was a student at Columbia ( so far uptown that they heard nothing ).
I was driving home after dropping my sons off at high school here in Texas. I turned on the car radio just in time to hear the ( usually cheerful) announcer say ” …go to your television to see this unfolding tragedy: one of the World Trade Center towers has been hit by a plane and is on fire…”
My first thought was of the firefighters who would respond…
I am from Jersey City, which is just across the river from lower Manhattan. We watched the towers go up and were able to enjoy the sight of them for years. Driving up the New Jersey Turnpike that first sight of that skyline said ‘home’. On 9/11 my sister was on the last train that entered the WTC ( World Trade Center ) station. She recalls that people were running out and that there were newspapers and cups of coffee dropped on the ground. She rushed along with the crowd not knowing exactly what was happening. My husband was in the city for business and our daughter was a student at Columbia ( so far uptown that they heard nothing ).
I was driving home after dropping my sons off at high school here in Texas. I turned on the car radio just in time to hear the ( usually cheerful) announcer say ” …go to your television to see this unfolding tragedy: one of the World Trade Center towers has been hit by a plane and is on fire…”
My first thought was of the firefighters who would respond…
One of your best posts ever! Le souvenir of that day will remain forever. September 11, 2001 was a day that should have been filled with joy for our family. We were getting ready to drive our daughter to her new life as a freshman at Northwestern University in Chicago when we saw the planes hit the towers. Horrible!
One of your best posts ever! Le souvenir of that day will remain forever. September 11, 2001 was a day that should have been filled with joy for our family. We were getting ready to drive our daughter to her new life as a freshman at Northwestern University in Chicago when we saw the planes hit the towers. Horrible!
A lifelong New Yorker, on 9/11 we were living temporarily in Milwaukee. Given the time difference, I was in bed, laziliy listening to the news, when the first plane hit. I thought it was awful but probably an accident. When the second plane hit and it was clear it wasn’t an accident, I jumped out of bed and turned on CNN. I spent the day stunned and sickened, crying on the phone with people back in New York. My husband’s office gave up all pretense of work and gathered around the TV; if I’d had a functioning brain I’d have joined them, rather than be alone.
My father died three weeks after 9/11, and the funeral was in New York. We flew home and stayed with a friend who lives maybe a mile from Ground Zero. As we walked around the city we could smell the acrid smoke that hung in the air; every building was draped in bunting, and every shop had posters in the window with images of the firefighters and/or lost employees. My college roommate worked in Tower 2; by dumb luck she was late that morning and so survived.
When we came back for a visit maybe three weeks after the funeral, we went down to Ground Zero, which was still smoking. The vision of the wreckage is seared into my memory. But so is the memory of all the kind people in Milwaukee who, knowing I was from New York, offered condolences, as if I had suffered a personal loss through the attack. As indeed I had.
I have never been so proud of being a New Yorker.
A lifelong New Yorker, on 9/11 we were living temporarily in Milwaukee. Given the time difference, I was in bed, laziliy listening to the news, when the first plane hit. I thought it was awful but probably an accident. When the second plane hit and it was clear it wasn’t an accident, I jumped out of bed and turned on CNN. I spent the day stunned and sickened, crying on the phone with people back in New York. My husband’s office gave up all pretense of work and gathered around the TV; if I’d had a functioning brain I’d have joined them, rather than be alone.
My father died three weeks after 9/11, and the funeral was in New York. We flew home and stayed with a friend who lives maybe a mile from Ground Zero. As we walked around the city we could smell the acrid smoke that hung in the air; every building was draped in bunting, and every shop had posters in the window with images of the firefighters and/or lost employees. My college roommate worked in Tower 2; by dumb luck she was late that morning and so survived.
When we came back for a visit maybe three weeks after the funeral, we went down to Ground Zero, which was still smoking. The vision of the wreckage is seared into my memory. But so is the memory of all the kind people in Milwaukee who, knowing I was from New York, offered condolences, as if I had suffered a personal loss through the attack. As indeed I had.
I have never been so proud of being a New Yorker.
hello Kristin,
We just had return on the Island of Vinalhaven , ME , having dropped our daughter to her most wished boarding school in Concord MA , after 3 years in Paris, a sacrifice for us ! ( we were to return to Paris later at the end of Oct after parent’s week end ).We had 4 calls that day the first one from our daughter saying he school was going on lockup, and she was a bit frightened . Then from each one of the son of my husband. I just had time to pull out and old TV and after learning the incredible destruction of the Ist tower we witnessed the second exploding completely shocked, for one second I thought this is the end of the world … wen I saw people jumping out ….
Then for 3 days no phone calls at all; not one from France ..I later learned that the communications had been taken over by security. My family trying to call wondered until I could reach them if we were safe, we were the lucky ones.
In october after seeing our very happy daughter , we boarded a plane almost empty , it was very spooky and weird,but we felt confidents. I guessed a lot of people got frightened to fly then .
This is the first time that I felt the strange power of resilience in my own life after so much devastation around us as we learned day after day of casualties in our connections ….. you just keep on going …
hello Kristin,
We just had return on the Island of Vinalhaven , ME , having dropped our daughter to her most wished boarding school in Concord MA , after 3 years in Paris, a sacrifice for us ! ( we were to return to Paris later at the end of Oct after parent’s week end ).We had 4 calls that day the first one from our daughter saying he school was going on lockup, and she was a bit frightened . Then from each one of the son of my husband. I just had time to pull out and old TV and after learning the incredible destruction of the Ist tower we witnessed the second exploding completely shocked, for one second I thought this is the end of the world … wen I saw people jumping out ….
Then for 3 days no phone calls at all; not one from France ..I later learned that the communications had been taken over by security. My family trying to call wondered until I could reach them if we were safe, we were the lucky ones.
In october after seeing our very happy daughter , we boarded a plane almost empty , it was very spooky and weird,but we felt confidents. I guessed a lot of people got frightened to fly then .
This is the first time that I felt the strange power of resilience in my own life after so much devastation around us as we learned day after day of casualties in our connections ….. you just keep on going …
You need a post from a Washingtonian! I had just finished teaching the first period at my private high school. On my way downstairs, a colleague pulled me into the faculty room to watch the news. So many rumors flying and we had no working phones! The students were terrified for their parents as we started hearing that bombs had gone off at the Treasury and the CIA. I will not forget that the tv news reported all those rumors! I was unable to reach my family and was hearing that it would take hours to get home–how would I get to my daughter? Luckily, teachers are amazing people (as we’ve learned too often in tragedies recently). At my school and at hers, teachers with no children volunteered to stay into the evening until parents could get there. Many of us simply had to abandon our cars and walk for hours to get home.
You need a post from a Washingtonian! I had just finished teaching the first period at my private high school. On my way downstairs, a colleague pulled me into the faculty room to watch the news. So many rumors flying and we had no working phones! The students were terrified for their parents as we started hearing that bombs had gone off at the Treasury and the CIA. I will not forget that the tv news reported all those rumors! I was unable to reach my family and was hearing that it would take hours to get home–how would I get to my daughter? Luckily, teachers are amazing people (as we’ve learned too often in tragedies recently). At my school and at hers, teachers with no children volunteered to stay into the evening until parents could get there. Many of us simply had to abandon our cars and walk for hours to get home.
We were living on our boat in the South Pacific, having chosen our own fork in the road – this was our second two year cruise with our 3 boys. We left for our first two year cruise when the boys were 8, 6, & 3. The second time, during this event they were 14, 12 & 9. On September 11, we were sailing in the islands of Vanuatu. We had email capabilities restricted to 10 minutes per day by our provider. Two emails were downloaded, one from my mother and the other from my husbands partner telling us of the World Trade Center demise. We could not receive images so it was hard to comprehend the gravity of the situation. For some reason, our navigation system stopped working. We assumed the US government shut off all the satellites and we were now “on our own.” Fortunately, we made it to our destination, the harbor and Capitol city of Vanuatu-Port Villa. We made our way quickly to shore in seek of an Internet cafe which at that time was a rarity in a third world country. I think the deepest memory I have of the tragedy are these: we were far from anywhere but in a crowded anchorage with yachts that had sailed from different parts of the world, each flying their own country’s flag of origin. Every foreign yacht came by in their dinghy to each American flag flying yacht (which included us) to give their condolences. It was as if all barriers were dropped and we were a country of one. Secondly, the locals or natives had a different reaction. The US occupied Vanuatu during WWII. Their memories appeared to be positive for they asked when the US was coming back to protect them. As a side note, my youngest son was born on September 11 so although I don’t forget, I choose to celebrate his life instead.
We were living on our boat in the South Pacific, having chosen our own fork in the road – this was our second two year cruise with our 3 boys. We left for our first two year cruise when the boys were 8, 6, & 3. The second time, during this event they were 14, 12 & 9. On September 11, we were sailing in the islands of Vanuatu. We had email capabilities restricted to 10 minutes per day by our provider. Two emails were downloaded, one from my mother and the other from my husbands partner telling us of the World Trade Center demise. We could not receive images so it was hard to comprehend the gravity of the situation. For some reason, our navigation system stopped working. We assumed the US government shut off all the satellites and we were now “on our own.” Fortunately, we made it to our destination, the harbor and Capitol city of Vanuatu-Port Villa. We made our way quickly to shore in seek of an Internet cafe which at that time was a rarity in a third world country. I think the deepest memory I have of the tragedy are these: we were far from anywhere but in a crowded anchorage with yachts that had sailed from different parts of the world, each flying their own country’s flag of origin. Every foreign yacht came by in their dinghy to each American flag flying yacht (which included us) to give their condolences. It was as if all barriers were dropped and we were a country of one. Secondly, the locals or natives had a different reaction. The US occupied Vanuatu during WWII. Their memories appeared to be positive for they asked when the US was coming back to protect them. As a side note, my youngest son was born on September 11 so although I don’t forget, I choose to celebrate his life instead.
I love the Roquemaure statue. With two grown children, I am well acquainted with guardian angels how hard the work.
I love the Roquemaure statue. With two grown children, I am well acquainted with guardian angels how hard the work.
I live in PA and had just gotten into work, retail store, when my colleagues told me a plane flew into one of the towers. My husband commutes to NY and I could not get into contact with him. He goes first to his gym club early in the morning, that building was destroyed later. Then he took the subway to his office. When he was in the subway under the towers, first one got hit by plane. He did not know what had happened till he got to office and saw people running in the streets. He took ferry to NJ in afternoon. The city was closed off with no buses or trains, and there he got a ride from a policeman to Clinton, NJ. This was in the meantime midnight and I went to pick him up there with my youngest son sleeping on backseat. I was so glad to see him and have him back home safe!
I live in PA and had just gotten into work, retail store, when my colleagues told me a plane flew into one of the towers. My husband commutes to NY and I could not get into contact with him. He goes first to his gym club early in the morning, that building was destroyed later. Then he took the subway to his office. When he was in the subway under the towers, first one got hit by plane. He did not know what had happened till he got to office and saw people running in the streets. He took ferry to NJ in afternoon. The city was closed off with no buses or trains, and there he got a ride from a policeman to Clinton, NJ. This was in the meantime midnight and I went to pick him up there with my youngest son sleeping on backseat. I was so glad to see him and have him back home safe!
I had put my children on the bus for school, and driven to the local gym to exercise in Lafayette, IN. As I stepped up on the treadmill, I noticed everyone in the place had come to a full stop and I looked up at the TV screens and saw the first airplane hit one of the towers. That’s where I was on September 11. I’ll never forget it and I remember I cried for at least 2 weeks whenever I would think about it.
I had put my children on the bus for school, and driven to the local gym to exercise in Lafayette, IN. As I stepped up on the treadmill, I noticed everyone in the place had come to a full stop and I looked up at the TV screens and saw the first airplane hit one of the towers. That’s where I was on September 11. I’ll never forget it and I remember I cried for at least 2 weeks whenever I would think about it.
And I remember the ‘silence’ in the skies for some weeks after that. A sound not heard since before the invention of the airplane.
And I remember the ‘silence’ in the skies for some weeks after that. A sound not heard since before the invention of the airplane.