Publishing the News in Dixie County Since 1921

BY KIMBERLY WILLIAMS LANDER

Where were you 9/11/01? 

September 11, 2001 is a day that lives in the hearts of every American. We all remember exactly where we were when the news broke, and that moment will never leave us.

I was at the Old Old Town School campus, in the Early Childhood Administration office where I worked at the time. Someone rolled a television in on a cart and we stood in silence, watching the screen as the second plane struck. The world shifted in that instant. My Mama and Daddy called me as they were watching it. My youngest daughter was only two years old and at home. My oldest was at Anderson Elementary. All I wanted was to go hold my children and keep them safe. The sadness, the fear, and the disbelief were overwhelming.

The following spring, my family visited New York City. At Ground Zero, bulldozers and heavy equipment were still at work, and the recovery was far from over. Fences were lined with thousands of flowers, notes, photographs, and mementos left by grieving families and strangers alike. The sheer magnitude of the loss pressed down on me in a way that no television broadcast ever could. Years later, when I returned to visit the memorial, as I looked at all those names, knowing that was the exact site they perished ,  I felt the same solemn feeling. It is a wound that lives in all of us, and in our country’s heart.

In the years since, I have read much about the passengers of Flight 93, especially Todd Beamer. His words, “Let’s roll,” spoken before he and others stormed the cockpit to stop the hijackers, became a lasting symbol of courage and resilience. I’ve read about Todd’s phone call to his wife from the plane. I often think of of all of this when I am seated on a plane, staring at the cockpit door. Would I have had the courage? Would others on the plane join me? Their bravery prevented another unspeakable act and reminded us of the strength that can rise out of ordinary people when faced with impossible choices.

The positive that came from such darkness was the way everyone, our entire country rallied together. For a time, there were no sides, no divisions, only Americans united in grief, prayer, and resolve. It is sad that it often takes tragedy to bring us together, but it is also proof of the spirit that binds us  in this great country. 

Time has passed, but the images and feelings remain. The shock of that morning, the bravery of first responders, and the unity that followed are lessons that endure. September 11 is not just a date on the calendar, it is a reminder of how fragile life is, how quickly the world can change, and how deeply we are connected to one another.

As we mark another year, we will all pause, remember, and honor those we lost. Let us continue to carry their memory and the lessons of that day.