Have We Been Laden?

When I started this blog, I tried to decide if I would do a mix of current events, since I am a news and sports buff. I decided to sway from that because this blog is all about moi and my pursuit of happiness. Narcissism anyone?

But I cannot ignore this current frenzy sweeping through our nation. This glee over the death of Osama Bin Laden. I cannot say I share in this fervor. I am happy he was found and can no longer spread his malicious hate, but this is only the beginning. His job is already done. He has sown seeds of hatred and in time these seeds will sprout into massive terrorist attacks.

I can remember exactly where I was when the first tower was hit. I remember my gut instinct. That was not an accident. Everyone was glued to the television. I saw confusion. Then the second plane hit. Panic. Terror. Fear. Chaos. This was an attack on our soil. Against our people. The administration shut the building down and everyone had to leave. I took the bus that morning so I did not have a vehicle. In addition, the buses had shut down too. As I said, there was utter panic and chaos. I walked all the way home with a group of people who were feeling just as confused as I was. We were probably wondering, what if the terrorists struck here? I was in the outskirts of a major city, not close to the financial center, but close enough to be afraid. But nothing happened. I remember keeping watch on the sky and feeling chills as airplanes whizzed above us.

I got home safely and immediately hit the phone up trying to reach my relatives in New York. Lines were down. I was in a state of worry for much of the day and well into the night until I heard that they were all OK. My aunt and uncle worked blocks away from the WTC and got split up. They were both covered in dust from head to toe I heard, but they made it out of the city safely with the aid of kind strangers who had pickup trucks, as the subways had been shut down.

My family was OK but the news of other friends who lost loved ones came pouring in. I don't think any of us can recover from the images of people who would rather jump several stories from a burning building than burn alive. The thud alone will forever stand out in my memory. And now, with the death of Bin Laden, I don't feel safe. I feel like my radar is up, waiting for the next big attack. Believe me, one is coming. And we don't even know what these terrorists will look like, or where they will come from. But I am here, waiting, and praying that my babies and my loved ones will be safe in the midst of all this chaos.




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