It may seem strange to write about 9/11 on a blog about our horses, but I contribute the events of that day and the surrounding days as to why I'm back in Central PA and why I decided to pursue my dream of owning horses.
I was living in Northern Virginia, just minutes from the Dulles Airport in 2001. I was working in Herndon, VA on the morning of 9/11. I recall the moment one of my employees came in my office to say that there had been a terrible accident and a plane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers. We had a TV in our office that we immediately turned on and it began a day we'd never forget.
Not long after the first plane struck, I was to leave the office to head to Tyson's Corner for a meeting at our corporate office. Just before leaving my employee, whose wife had worked at the White House, came in and said that they were ordering an evacuation of the White House. At that time we still assumed that it was an accident and I left for my meeting, listening to news on the radio along the way. It was also strange to me that along my route, which contained numerous government and military buildings, snipers and armed guards had taken position on roof tops of buildings, keeping an eye on the sky.
By the time I arrived at my meeting location, the second tower had been struck, making it clear that the events of that day were going to be monumental. At my corporate office, a building that also contained government offices, the TV was on and business operations had ceased while everyone was glued to the news feed of NY. I remember the moment when the first tower fell, someone screamed and the rest of us gasped. I remember the pit that developed in my stomach that took months to leave. There was much talk to whether we'd be able to leave, they were talking about locking down the building. I made the decision to head back to Herndon, VA to get back to my staff and my property.
Again on the way back I was amazed by the number of snipers and the immediate change in security that was visible. From my office in Herndon, we watched the rest of the day's events play out. Being so close to the action, many rumors flew about other attacks or potential bombs, we felt as if we were in the middle. We heard many fighter planes flying over head, we knew one of the planes that was hijacked was from Dulles, we didn't know if there would be others and would they fall over us. We knew people who knew people in DC and at the pentagon, of course as heard about a plane in PA and the crash, my thoughts immediately went to my family in PA, fortunately no one on the ground was injured in the PA crash.
Late that afternoon I made the decision to leave work a bit early, I went to my house, packed an overnight bag, grabbed my dog and headed home to PA. I didn't sleep much that night, but felt much safer in the confines of my parent's house and was happy to home in Central PA. I returned to work the next day, but it made me realize that I was not the big city girl that I had tried to become and over the course of the following months took steps to find a job back in PA and made my way home.
The events of 9/11 made me very aware that our life is short and fragile, an awakening of sorts that my naive youth had not yet afforded me. It made me realize that I needed to follow my dreams and my passion and hold close to me the ones I loved as no tomorrow was guaranteed. It also made me keenly aware that there were people who wanted to do harm and take lives, life to me was a precious commodity and death had been something I always had a great fear of. Perhaps it was the unknown or perhaps it was the possibility of unfinished work or un-pursued dreams. In any case as I did a lot of soul searching in the following months and was renewed in pursuing my dreams and life passions.
In the spring of 2002, I moved back home to Central PA. Once I settled in, one of the first things I did was to purchase my first purebred Arabian. From there the rest is history and history is still being written.
While the events of 9/11 were tragic beyond words, the aftermath brought about a new hope and passion in many people and in our country. It's sad to see ten years later that our country has not held onto that renewed hope and strength that came in the days and months that followed, perhaps this anniversary will remind them again.
We will never forget the victoms who lost their lives and the brave men and women who gave theirs to try to save others. We'll also never forget the courage of those on Flight 93 who gave their lives to save others.
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