SEPTEMBER 11

 There are momentous events in our lives and one that every American ought to remember is September 11, 2001.  As I watched Fox News this morning replay the actual events, I turned to some of the other channels to see if they were also revisiting the event.  Nothing, except a bit on NBC.  Nothing!  Are you joking?  My husband and I remember clearly the events of that momentous day.  WE enjoy our morning coffee with breakfast and the news.  Back then, we usually watched ABC with Charlie Gibson and when the first plane struck, we were awestruck.  Our day was changed.  My husband went to work as he was a travel agent at the time and he was trying to help folks get back home.  It was difficult because planes were grounded and there was no rental car available anywhere.  He kept pretty busy that day.

I on the other hand, stayed home and was glued to the TV the rest of the day.  There wasn't any sense in going to my design business that day and I'm not sure what the rest of the week held.  Probably not much.  In Northwest Florida in the Panhandle, we have two major Air Force Bases and Pensacola Naval Air Station about an hour away.  Our AF bases immediately shut down.  My son was supposed to start a job at the Officer's Club that very day.  That job ended.  The club was closed for a foreseeable future.  You couldn't get onto the base for any reason except a very good one.  

In the following months, I remember our community just died.  We have been through a lot here with a heavily military community, many retirees and active duty.  I remember going to the mall on a Friday night which was usually pretty busy.  There were 3 people in the main department store, my husband and I and a sales clerk.  My business floundered and many business closed.  Without the Military shopping at our stores, we couldn't sustain being open.  Then President Bush authorized ease of getting Small Business Loans and I applied for one.  Thank goodness because that loan carried me through in a difficult time.  When I sold my building in 2008 it was paid off.  

I remember at that time how our country came together.  I'm thinking that many of these young protesters and rioters in our cities now need to be put in a locked room and made to watch the entire events of that day.  Many of them were either small children at the time or not even born.  See what a real tragedy is and how we come together.  Just my opinion.  Thank you for reading.  I'm sure you all have stories of your own.  God Bless America!