We Remember... We Must Never Forget

Photo © Christina Saull-All Rights Reserved

Nine years ago (how has it been nine years?), my life, as well as yours, was profoundly changed. None of us will forget where we were (sitting in a political communications class at Florida State University, having just started my sophomore year), how we felt (overwhelmed & angry), or the immediate days afterward (there was also a wild rumor that, because Jeb Bush was governor of Florida at the time, that someone would try to poison Tallahassee's water supply, so we should only drink bottled water).

Ironically, we have never been to the Pentagon memorial here in D.C. On the five year anniversary of the attacks, in 2006, we went & sat on a grassy hill overlooking the Pentagon & watched as they lit up 189 lights (64 for the people on American Airline Flight #77, 125 for the people killed in the Pentagon), shooting into the night sky. Maybe this year is finally the year to face whatever emotions will come of it & visit the Pentagon memorial.

Every time I visit New York City, I make it a point to head down to Ground Zero to check out the progress that has been made. On my last visit, I was glad to see that they were actually making real progress. Below are some photos from Ground Zero over the years:

December 2008

Photo © Christina Saull-All Rights Reserved

same view, July 2010

Photo © Christina Saull-All Rights Reserved




Photo © Christina Saull-All Rights Reserved


Photo © Christina Saull-All Rights Reserved

September 11th blog posts from years past:
2007
2008
2009

Five for Friday

1. Holy wowzers, Batman! Autumn has returned to the D.C. area in force today & I couldn't be happier about it. It was a crisp 65 degrees in the house this morning, with the windows wide open & a great breeze moving through the place. These days call for sweatshirts, jeans & mugs of coffee while watching football. Too bad it's a work day :)

2. With the return of fall can only mean one thing: the return of football season! The college games kicked off last week (very proud of OSU so far) & the NFL season kicked off last night. Brad & I are beyond excited & looking forward to a great season for all the teams we cheer for. Additionally, we (I) discovered last night that our TV does picture-in-picture, thus allowing me to watch Ohio State vs. Miami & Florida State vs. Oklahoma at the same time this weekend. All is right in the world.


Photo © Christina Saull-All Rights Reserved

3. Last weekend, we were in Minneapolis visiting my grandparents & other family that lives there. We had a heck of a good time just sitting around & talking, BBQ-ing, & taking my three cousins (ages 12, 11 & 6) to breakfast Monday morning. I'm so lucky to have grandparents that are not only still alive, but relatively young. I am thankful for every minute of quality time I get to spend with them.

4. Even though it was only a four day week, this week has seemed to drag on forever. Why is that?

5. Finally, I have a special September 11th blog post prepared for tomorrow, but I just had to share the email that Brad just forwarded me from his boss:

Subject: Have a good weekend

"All:

"Tomorrow is September 11th. Take a moment as you rush through your Saturday to think about what you are thankful for.

"For me, days like September 11th are important reminders to focus on what is important and not to sweat the small stuff."

Wow. Powerful.

& she's exactly right. Take a moment tomorrow, hang up Old Glory with pride, give the people you love a hug & remember those lost nine years ago.