9-11-05

It's hard not to think about it, isn't it? Can't even look at the calendar without remembering the horror of that day. It's still hard to believe it really happened. I started to watch the HBO documentary "In Memoriam" the other night, and had to turn it off, because of the weeping. Mine, I mean. And I wasn't even personally affected -- I didn't lose anyone that day.

It was certainly a day like no other at work. Before I left my home, the first plane had hit, but the initial reports were that it was a commuter plane that was off course. By the time I got to work, we knew we were under attack. I spent the rest of that day immersed in every bit of wire copy and televised image from New York and D.C. It wasn't long before we started reading stories about people jumping from the towers, or about those trapped in the buildings calling their loved ones... and about the phone calls from the people aboard United Flight 93. To this day, those are the things that still shake me to my core.

I'll never forget an interview we did the day after the attacks. Deena Burnett, whose husband Tom was on Flight 93, was so calm and composed in talking about him (that's shock for ya), and said that was because he was always her hero, and she wanted everyone to know that. She moved an entire newstoom to tears.

My apologies for getting all maudlin and cliched here, but let's not ever forget that life is short.