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In remembrance

of what took place 10 years ago.

I recall talking to my mom and my then boyfriend while having dinner together. The news channel was on. And there was a major breaking news update. News anchor shouts, “a plane hits  into the World Trade Center!

I was numbed and immediately lost an appetite for Mom’s delicious foods. We ditched our meals and sat glued to our seats, watching the horrific events unfolding. At one point, Mom thought what she’s seeing couldn’t be real. She was so convinced that it looked like a scene from a Hollywood movie or something. I don’t blame her. It looked eerie, surreal and unbelieving.

I couldn’t fathom how New Yorkers must have felt at that time. I had a few minutes to gather my thoughts and immediately heard and saw a couple of more tragedies ensued: Pentagon was hit. Followed by a plane crash at Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Images from live scenes poured in. Questions at that point, was left unanswered. Who did that? What was happening? How many died or injured? Was the planes hijacked?

Then we saw another plane crashing into the other World Trade Center tower. We were shaken and terrified. I can never forget those images. Ever.

Without question or doubt, America was under attack. Humanity was under attack.

4 attacks, separately coordinated.

Loss of innocent lives, brave men and women in uniforms.

That fateful day serves as a painful reminder till date.

Because we will never forget.

This was when America changed.

In the span of 10 years, we’ve seen numerous terrorism attacks around the globe. From London bombings in 2005 to Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. These are some of the major attacks we are witnessing in the 21st century. There are many more in between and it’s just to painful to list them all here. These messages are loud and clear. We shouldn’t take our national security, borders and immigration system for granted.

We visited New York City for the first time ever, during the summer of 2009. One of the places we had to pay our visit was Ground Zero. It was a sense of déjà vu. Every ounce of my being recalled what happened during 9-11. That unfortunate day surely united all of us as ONE.

Neither me or Tarun ever dream about making US our home. But here we are now, happily married with a home and American dream. When people question us on our choice of living in USA, it made me wonder what I love about this country. It is not only a free country with a melting pot of ethnicity and opportunities, but the heroism of each man and woman in the uniforms. Their commitment and bravery to serve its people without any prejudice is truly commendable.

Let us join our hands in prayers, in hopes that tragedies as such would be prevented. May the ones suffering huge loss of loved ones feel our strength.

Tell me, what are your 9-11 reflections? Where were you during that fateful day?

{ 16 comments }

1 Destination Infinity September 13, 2011 at 2:04 PM

On the point of who did it and why they did it, perhaps a lot of info was withheld from people. History will never forgive the ACTUAL people behind the attacks. Truth will come out eventually.

Destination Infinity
Destination Infinity recently posted..Why should we help others?

2 Saru Singhal September 13, 2011 at 2:09 PM

I think it made us ‘human’ on that day, everything was so small that day, even the mightiest USA. I think that day changed the course of world’s history.

3 Vinod September 13, 2011 at 2:16 PM

Few fanatics can ridicule the world but cant rule it !! Let us rededicate ourself to fight against humans fanatic disorders !!
Vinod recently posted..KEEP OFF TROUBLE, KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAX PLANNING & TAX AVOIDANCE / EVASION

4 Kiran September 19, 2011 at 1:30 PM

Vinod,
Welcome to Chatterbox and thanks for sharing your insights.

5 Punctuation Mark September 13, 2011 at 6:16 PM

i still can’t belive 10 yrs have gone by!!! amazing!!!

6 The British Asian Blog September 13, 2011 at 6:29 PM

Yes – everyone can recall where they were and what they were doing when this story broke out on TV. It’s the day when life got more difficult for everyone. It strikes me that 10 whole years have gone by but the story is so fresh in everyones minds.
The British Asian Blog recently posted..9/11 – 10th anniversary: Is the world a safe place now

7 Aakash Kokz September 13, 2011 at 7:24 PM

Prayers and Thoughts go out to everyone that have lost their life and who have lost loved ones due to 9/11. You are never forgotten. ♥
Aakash Kokz recently posted..Bittersweet memories of Love

8 Carolinaheartstrings September 13, 2011 at 8:13 PM

What a wonderful post. Thank you. Come over and visit. We had a wonderful post on Sunday about 9/11.
Carolinaheartstrings recently posted..JUST WING IT… BLUES HOUSE OF WINGS

9 Christy Gerald September 13, 2011 at 8:31 PM

Hi Kiran,this is my first time here.Wow!Luvly post.AWonderful tribute to the lost lives by a beautiful heart.Keep blogging.
Christy Gerald recently posted..Corn Veg Salad

10 Kiran September 19, 2011 at 3:11 PM

Christy,
Welcome to Chatterbox and thanks for commenting 🙂

11 sujatha sathya September 13, 2011 at 11:32 PM

when we read the paper that morning, it was a big shock. America Attacked. War on America.it took a few days to actually come to terms with reality. and if this is the case for people like me who were so so far away in another country,i cannot even begin to imagine what must have been the state of mind of the people who were directly affected
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12 Bikram September 14, 2011 at 4:30 AM

I was on my way to pick a friend who had come to visit me from india, when i heard about this incident ..

It was indeed an attack on humanity, One thing that makes me angry is that It was not just America that was attacked, attacks have been going on Humanity since long at a lot of places , YES the world WOKE up that day when america was attacked.
And America did the right thing it was act of war and they went to war right or wrong was not the question it was the need of the hour and I completely support that.

I just hope the rest of the world also wakes up to such atrocities and give up their own hidden selfish agendas and HELP in eradicating this menance, if that happens world would be a better place ot live in , Lets not wait for THOUSAND to be killed again to WAKE up and do something about it .. So many have been killed in other countries.

My wishes and HAts off to the people who faught back that day , got together and did everything they could to save so much so they gave their own life to save others , Hats off the Police-men, fire fighters and Every HUMAN who was there on that day helping in their own way, whatever they could ..

That was one time where they all forgot color-creed-religion Everything and Were HUMANS .. I do with each one of us is like that EACH day …

Bikram’s
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13 Kankana September 15, 2011 at 2:43 AM

I was in India when this happened and we were stuck to our TVs .. shaking and scared to death! This is beautiful post.
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14 Jayendra Sharan September 15, 2011 at 8:32 AM

I remember I was sitting in the living room, I was just changing channels I suddenly I watched the plane crashing in on AAj Tak..It was so horrible 🙁 🙁 🙁
Jayendra Sharan recently posted..the endless night – part I

15 Ameena September 15, 2011 at 11:52 AM

I remember just being shocked and in awe and in a panic because we couldn’t find my NYC dwelling brother. For hours. But then thankfully he was fine and had escaped lower Manhattan right in time.

Such a sad event…I am grateful that the 10 year anniversary is behind us now. Thinking about it too much can really overwhelm me.
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16 dinu September 19, 2011 at 4:19 PM

MAY WE NEVER FORGET!!!!
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