Where were you.

I woke up early, I had a routine. Just married not even 3 months, I was trying to stay in some sort of shape. I was going to the gym before I had to work as a Personal Banker at a grocery store bank at 11 am. Ed was at Empress on day shift at the time. I did my routine as I did every day of the week, walking back to the locker room, there was a juice bar. At the juice bar there was a t.v.

Now I am no world traveler, and what I saw was on mute. So I was going off of visual only. The image of the place looked familiar. But maybe it was in another country. I thought the movie Entrapment had the same looking buildings... but it looks like New York... but it couldn't be... that doesn't happen to the United States... but it did.

I instantly turned to the rest of the morning gym members. Looking at them running, lifting weights. Knowing that in the next hour or so they too would find out the details of this story, and there life wouldn't ever be the same.

I rush home, and I called Ed at work. Telling him what I saw as I watched the news. I saw them replay over and over and over again. Then as I am on the phone, the second one hit. I remember telling Ed, and he didn't believe me. But there it was happening again.

I then called my parents and they were all ok. and were watching the news too. The next person I had to call was Jen. It was like an urgency for me to contact everyone close to me. Just to hear voices and to know that they were there.

I then went to the bank, we were all numb, talking and listening to a radio that we had in the store. Then as we listened, they fell. We cried. Customers of the grocery store kept coming to us, listening to the radio with us. More details of another building. And one into a field. Your mind races, "who is on those planes? Do I know anyone? Who is letting this happen? Why? Who?

Even scarier, the bank had to stop people from with drawing large amounts of money. I was at a grocery store branch and believe me we didn't have squat for cash on hand. We couldn't cash out all that people wanted. They were angry and scared. So we closed early.

That was a day I know I will never forget. A day that my children will learn about in school, and there lives will never understand the life we had before this day seven years ago.

It always reminds me of when my cousin was here with her daughter, 6 months at the time. Visiting our gramma, who was very sick. And when Ed and I went to take her to the airport, we all went to the gate, and sat and waited for there plane. That was just 6 months before.

Ed and I we were supposed to fly to Ireland for his cousins wedding. But because of the security, and the fear that we would be trapped outside of our country scared us. So we stayed home.

Directly I had no one die because of that day. But a few people I know shared these stories... A friends cousin worked there. He had the day off. It was his kids first day of kindergarten. Another friends Uncle was supposed to be on one of the flights, but he forgot his wallet and had to return to the hotel. In turn missing his flight. And on a celeb note, if you watched the Real World New Orleans, Julie was supposed to take one of the flights. But because of a fight with her boyfriend. She slept in, planning to take a later flight.

It's amazing the day to day events, that we do. That one wrong turn, could have made it all right. One more damn red light could save you in the end. Missing your alarm, not getting on that train, plane, bus. Whatever. Everything we do, it affects the rest of our life. Minor or not. I know we always say, what if... well what if happened that day. What if you slept longer, called in sick, forgot something, or just got lucky.

My thoughts to those who lost someone that day. This day seven years ago. September 11th 2001. It is now just seven years later, and that day is as clear as today is to me. I remember details and I will never forget that morning at the gym. That morning standing in my living room at the condo, on the kitchen phone watching the news, and telling Ed. That afternoon, standing at the bank as they fell.

Never forget... never forget...