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Deborah Carl's avatar

At fist, I was glued to the news, but when I got home from picking my son up from kindergarten, they were now showing people jumping to their deaths. I had explained in the car what was happening, but I turned the TV off. I wasn't hiding what was going on from my children, but they didn't need to see it.

Still, when they weren't around, the TV or the radio were constantly going. I wanted to hear about survivors. And my hopes were raised -- they heard noises, there was a pocket they were working to reach. But then it would turn out to be nothing again and again. After day three, I couldn't take the up and down anymore and I turned off the constant news.

A small comfort was the American flag. It was everywhere and most people were flying it on their cars. The stories from New York of people sleeping on the street together, aiding strangers, and walking miles together to get home brought me comfort. Instead of the disaster bringing out the worst of people and anarchy ruling, good people worked together like they are doing now with the hurricane relief.

As long as I can still get the stories about good people, I have hope for my country no matter how dark the media makes it look.

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pomeropd@yahoo.com's avatar

Lori,

As I was reviewing my Facebook memories for this day, I came across a memory from a friend whom we met in Saudi Arabia and was at the time in Ankara, Turkey.

I was in The house that we had settled down in Ankara - Turkey that day. It was two years since we had retired from Aramco.

I was sitting at the kitchen table checking my e-mails on my lap top. My husband Shevket called from upstairs saying that something strange is happening in the USA and that I should turn on the TV news. But just then the yahoo screen started to give the news. I watched the second airplane hitting the tower live. We were both tongue tied. I still turn rigid upon remembering the event.

Later that night, I remembered that the taxi driver who was taking us from the airport to our hotel on our first trip to NY had told us to visit the twin towers. Erol was only 5 years old and was busy throwing up into the small bag that I had picked up from the airplane because his stomach was upset. Aaaand I regret not having toured the twin towers on that trip.

A few hours later our son called from the USA. He was a boarding student in Boston at the time. I thought he had remembered that trip and would tell me that he wished we had entered inside the twin towers. But noooo. He spoke in a low voice and said “Maaam what is happening. Why this. Why a moslem did this. My school friends have started to look at me with suspicion. Are we that baaad”. I felt a huge disappointment and fear in his voice.

I called a friend of mine. They took my son from his dorm and let him stay in their house that day. They took him to a fancy breakfast the next morning to build some morale.

I guess his friends got back with him because he never complained again.

But his grades were the lowest that term. He recovered later and graduated with an average above 3.5. It effected religions of all kinds. Mostly the humans.

Sorry I am late writing this comment but I saw it just now. I have been busy lately taking care of my sister who got the c- disease. So not much time to spare on the internet.

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