"It was imprudent of us, in the first place, to become authors. We could have become something regular, but we managed not to.
We were lucky, but we were also determined." Roy Blount Jr

"I don’t change the facts to enhance the drama. I think of it the other way round, the drama has got to fit the facts,
and it’s your job as a writer to find the shape in real life."
Hilary Mantel

Friday, September 11, 2009

The Longest Morning

This is just about the only day of the year when I turn on my television before 4 p.m. Eight years ago today, here at the Lodge all alone, with husband on business trip and parents in Scotland and brother far away and no form of human support or interaction except via computer, I kept all our tv's on, plus a radio in every room.

So this morning in the kitchen I switched on the little digital tv, to pick up a network morning program. On NBC, CBS, and ABC the hosts of morning chat were yukking it up right at 8:45. I was royally pissed. I raced downstairs to the satellite tv and tuned into MSNBC in time for the White House observance of the moment of silence, and Mayor Bloomberg's opening remarks at Ground Zero.

I'm now watching the annual re-broadcast of the events of the longest morning of my life. MSNBC is showing the Today Show of 9/11/01 in real time. Commercial free.

It's a grey morning. Sometimes it's the same crystal-perfect that it was 8 years ago, when I was lying in bed and heard on NPR that "a small commuter plane" might have struck a New York landmark.

I've blogged this day before. My emotions and memories are still as strong as ever...but there's no need to repeat myself. My 9-11 experience and reflections can be found here:

Remembrances

Dividing Line


It's not hyperbole to say that my life changed 8 years ago today. At the time I understand that America would be changed. The impact upon my personal life revealed itself in the weeks and months afterwards.


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