Remembering September 11 09/11/08
I was 22 and an administrative aide to Ohio State Representative Ann Womer Benjamin — my first real job out of school — and I was working in her office in Ohio’s greatest city: Columbus.
Sitting at my desk working on constituent mail — I remember one of the pages walking around saying “a plane just hit a building.” My colleagues and I congregated around a computer of choice trying to figure out more information. Then we heard about a plane hitting the Pentagon.
It became pretty clear that it was a coordinated attack and working for the state, we were evacuated and frantically told to go home.
I remember trying to call a friend I knew in Washington, DC who worked for a Congressman to see if she was OK. No luck. All of the cellphone lines were jammed.
I remember walking outside to my car thinking what an absolutely beautiful day it was. Not a single cloud in the sky. I drove home to my place on Collins Avenue and watched TV all day. I never left that spot.
I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone this before, but that was the day I almost joined the Armed Forces. I felt an intense patriotic calling that I had never felt before. I didn’t answer that call but I imagine thousands of others did.
9/11 was one of the worst days I’ve ever lived through. The other was when we watched — during school — the Challenger blow up. Intensely sad moments that hurt Americans–yet find a way to bring them all together.
They say you should “never forget.” For me, I don’t think I could if I tried.
