Monday, August 28
Where were you...9/11/01?
My sons and I went to see the movie World Trade Center on Saturday.
It was good. As good as that type of movie can be...the kind of movie that leaves a knot in your stomach.
It's about two men from the Port Authority Police Department who become trapped in the rubble of the towers and their families as they deal with the horror of not knowing whether the men are dead or alive.
As I watched, my thoughts continued to go back to 9/11/01 and what my life was like that day.
I remember being in my office at Purdue University and an intern, Rob Walker, rushing in to tell me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I remember all of us trying to find information on line and the internet being down. I remember students continually coming into our building to give us updates.
What I cannot figure out is why I didn't go somewhere to find a TV to watch the events as they were happening...I think I just kept working at my desk. I think I didn't know how to react...
The weirdest part of that day for me was that myself and three other guys decided to go play golf that afternoon. (I'm still not sure why) I think it was Ken, Steve, Chad and I, or maybe it was Andrew, I'm not sure... We played 18 holes and in between really bad shots by me, we talked about what all of the events of the day might mean for all of us. We tried to be really deep and philosophical, but we weren't. It was just way too surreal...to know the images that were being shown to the world, and to be walking around trying to let it soak in while hitting golf balls...
I wonder how I would react today...
Mark Nelson at 4:42 PM 6comments
6 Comments
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at 6:38 PM
said... Hey Mark...I just wanted to tell you that my friend who I just got back from India with, was in India, for the very first time on 9.11.01...she had just arrived there on 9.9.01. We talked a lot about it while we were there, what that was like for her and the place of complete trust in God she had to go to in order to keep her sanity while she was there.
We miss you here in Naperville. Say Hi to Monica and the kids. We were just talking about your great kids the other day. You are doing an excellent job with those wonderful kids....keep it up!-
at 7:43 PM
Mark Nelson said... Janet...
We miss you all in Naperville as well...
Tell you boys to get their X-Box thumbs in shape...Michael and Matthew will be itching for one of those "all-night-X-Box-til-you-die" evenings when we come up for Leadership Community in November...-
at 11:04 PM
Unknown said...
Mark,
It's weird to think back that far. I was in class. My professor didn't show up. She had a son at the Pentagon or something like that. I'm still not sure I know how to react. Maybe I'll never get over the shock. I'm leaving for Ireland in two weeks, so when there were threats on that flight from London most of my friends and family started to worry. Seemed to me that I was still in the clear. That's until there was the threat called in on that flight to Shannon the other day. Is this ever going to end? I'm still going. I don't see the point in living in fear. Where's the balance between playing 18 holes of golf and reacting to terror?-
at 3:55 PM
Mark Nelson said...
tusarebecca,
Wow...it's great to hear from you? Why the heck are you going to Ireland? Did you know that Paul Steiner, (former campus minister at IU), is in Dublin?
Hmm...the balance...maybe just playing 9 holes of golf instead of 18...on a par 3....maybe.-
at 9:16 PM
said...
I was at home with my 1st grader and baby doing homeschool and watching the Today show. At first, when they interrupted the interview to report the first plane, I thought it was just a freak accident, like engine failure or something. Then the second one hit and it became more.
We went to the TVA Fair that afternoon, which was our original plans. Sometimes, in the grip of terror and grief and helplessness, you just have to go to a fair with the family or play golf with some friends to be reassured that life will still go on and God is still in control.-
at 3:00 PM
truevyne said...
I passed by the row of televisions at Target picturing a series of smoking World Trade Centers. "Watching some kinda 'Diehard' movie?" I said to the person standing there.
The man said, "No, mam. Something just happened to one of the World Trade Center Towers." 'Bout then the other plane flew into the second tower before my eyes.
I started crying uncontrollably, not exactly my style in public, and my feet took flight to my car. Once home, my dh and I watched stunned the rest of the day unfold on our tv's till it was time to pick up kids from school.