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Remember Where You Were & What You Were Doing 15 Yrs Ago Today?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments 521400, 1501015, 01795582

Remember Where You Were & What

 

You Were Doing 15 Yrs Ago Today?

 

I know we'll be getting a lot of questions like this throughout the day on various media platforms and especially right here on AR. and with good cause. There are certain things that happen in our life that stop us dead in our tracks and possibly even change or influence the way we look at life from that moment forward.

 

I had just turned on the local morning weather as I do every morning to check the surf condition. At the exact moment the screen illuminated I saw what  I thought had to be an action movie........................or so I thought. 

 

Much to my surprise and dismay and very sadly I realized within a few moments it was no movie and that America was under attack and from that day forward the World I grew up in, loved and respected would be changing forever.

 

I couldn't believe my eyes. My wife was in the bathtub at the time the 2nd tower was hit and when I told her what I was seeing she told me to wake up from the bad dream I was obviously having.

 

When I told her it was not a dream and that I was witnessing two burning towers that were hit by airliners she quickly got out of the tub threw a towel around her and still dripping ran into the room to join me. 

 

We both looked on in horror as a deep sadness overcame us while we stood there together embracing and shedding tears of sorrow mixed with overwhelming emotion and rage.

 

Shortly thereafter the Pentagon was hit and we heard that the passengers of flight 93 had overtaken the terrorists in the cockpit and sacrificed their lives by forcing the aircraft down in a field far short of it's intended target...........the White House or Capital Building.

 

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday of '01 my youngest daughter was playing basketball for USD and had a tournament in NYC. Janis and I traveled to New York with she and her team as we always did. 

 

I'll never ever forget that weekend. We stayed at the downtown Flat Hotel so we could be close to the Macy's Day Parade which BTW was one of the proudest days of my life as I stood there saluting Mayor Juliani and Governor Pataki along with dozens of brave police officers and firefighters who paraded and marched saluting by in the open and unprotected waving and welcoming everyone to their proud city.

 

After the parade my daughter's coach gathered the team and their guests on the subway where we all took a trip to ground zero. Two months later it was still one of the most jarring and emotional experiences I can ever remember.

 

As we slowly circled the fence that protected the still smoldering and smell filled site and gazed at all that had happened there just a little over two months earlier a chill went down my spine and a feeling of deep sadness and emotion once again got the best of  us all as we stood there in silence arm and arm hand in hand with our heads bowed as tears ran down our cheeks.

 

As we were making our way back to the subway we passed a burned up bicycle still locked to the bike rack. We were staring at the remnants with amazement when a local stopped and shared his thoughts with us. He said that the bike had belonged to one of the victims and was still waiting for its owner to come back, unlock it and ride off to finish the day. That was about all we could take for one day.

 

As we returned back on the subway the air was filled with silence and sadness as the team, coaching staff and visitors all sat quite somberly in total silence reflecting on the experience we had all just shared while realizing that we were able to walk away from it all and go on about our lives which was not the case with 3000+ other Americans and visitors who were actually there on September 11th 2001.

 

One lasting memory I continue to reflect on many times throughout the years since, but especially on this particular day, was the sense of pride, strength and determination mixed with sorrow, anger and resolve from the many local folks who actually did experience that day first hand.

 

There's definitely something about America and the Americans who live in and share this beautiful Country with one another that is truly unique.

 

We're a free, hard working and fun loving society for the most part. We believe in living and letting other folks live their lives the way they wish as long as they're not offending or hurting others. 

 

But do hear this to all who wish to bring harm to us hence forth. If you try to back us into a corner we will come out swinging, kicking, scratching and biting our way back every inch of the way with every ounce of strength that we have. 

 

 

GOD BLESS AMERICA

and all those brave SOULS who continue

to pay the ultimate price to be an

AMERICAN.

 

Posted by

Why To Choose Us?

John DL Arendsen, Broker, General & Manufactured Home Contractor and Dealer 

TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments

TAG (The Arendsen Group) Real Estate Sales & Investments is a full service, one-stop, turnkey, family owned and operated real estate brokerage, General Contractor, Manufactured Home Contractor, Developer, Investor, Property Manager, Interior Design, Engineering, architectural, Landscape design, Expert Witness, Consulting, Curative Title and Troubleshooting company with over 100 years of combined experience in the San Diego real estate sales, construction, design & development arena.

 

 

 

 

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Comments (23)

Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

I do not remember exactly what I was doing when I got the news that day. I do remember exactly what I was doing when the 1989 earthquake hit the bay area. 

Enjoy this blessed and beautiful day ... in Memory of 9-11 we have so much to be grateful for.  

Sep 11, 2016 02:30 AM
Belinda Spillman
Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO
Colorado Living!

I too had the news on the TV for some strange reason.  I never watched the morning news but that day I had.  It was a very tragic sight.

Sep 11, 2016 03:20 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

I was just dragging myself out of bed when my husband called and told me what had happened, then told me in real time that a second plane hit.  He said, maybe it was a visibility issue since the first plane accident was said to be smoking.  

I turned on the TV and informed him that it was no visibility.  He had  been hearing radio reports while driving to work.  When you see that second plane hit, it was unlike any other emotion I could imagine.  

 

Sep 11, 2016 04:03 AM
Diana Zaccaro Broker Associate
ZOOM Realty Group - Cocoa Beach, FL
"The Accidental Blogger" Cocoa Beach, Florida

I wrote about this also but from a slightly different perspective.

I was getting ready to leave for work when the news of the first strike came on the radio. While I was waiting for the elevator to my office on the 6th floor, one of the TV reporters and cameraman who were based in our building told me of the second attack. The rest of that day (and the aftermath) is etched in my memory and I remember it as distinctly today as the day it happened.

Never forget...

 

Sep 11, 2016 04:09 AM
Diana White-Pettis
Bennett Realty Solutions - Upper Marlboro, MD
GRI, CDPE, CNE, WHC Upper Marlboro Homes for Sale

I was stopped at a traffic light - 3 minutes from my office when I got the call from a relative about it.  I see that moment in time every Sept 11th.  How heartbreaking and I will never forget it.

Sep 11, 2016 04:41 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

John- you have written a poignant post of your memories of that day, and your trip with your wife and daughter to NYC.  I remember watching it on Good Morning America as they reported what happened.  I think I was in shock and it took me a bit to realize what had happened.  I went from crying to feeling numb for the rest of the day. 

Sep 11, 2016 05:21 AM
Allie Angeloni
Long Realty - Oro Valley, AZ

Excellent Blog - well said John DL Arendsen.  Thank you for sharing, as YOU WERE THERE . . .  ok, it does bring tears to my eyes what you saw and experienced . . . 

Sep 11, 2016 05:34 AM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

Can't imagine being stuck in a foreign country with all airlines cancelled and no way out Hella M. Rothwell, Broker/Realtor® Good thing they were in such a nice place. Imagine being stuck at LAX for several days?

Sep 11, 2016 06:30 AM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

Funny you should bring up the '90 Loma Perita earthquake Kathleen Daniels I too remember exactly what I was doing albeit I was in San Diego. A bunch of my buddies and i were playing bocce ball waiting for the 1st game of the World Series between Oakland and San Fran. So wierd that both of those teams ended up in the series and had such a devastating disaster to boot. 

Sep 11, 2016 06:33 AM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

Couldn't agree more Chris Ann Cleland . I saw a big hole in tower 1 and smoke billowing out. At first I thought a small private aircraft had accidentlay slammed into it. Then all of a sudden from out of the blue the second airliner showed up to do its evil deed and then I knew.

Sep 11, 2016 06:37 AM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

There are certain things our minds and memories will never let us forget Diana Zaccaro . 

Sep 11, 2016 06:39 AM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

Thanks for your warm and sincere comment Kathy Streib 

Sep 11, 2016 06:46 AM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

Even after 2 and a half months it still struck a chord when we actually visited ground zero Allie Angeloni 

Sep 11, 2016 06:48 AM
Allie Angeloni
Long Realty - Oro Valley, AZ

I hear you John DL Arendsen - even after 15 years, the enormity of 9/11 still moves me to tears . . .  lives changed in so many ways . . .  for those that died and for those that lived.

Sep 11, 2016 09:27 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

I was getting ready for work on 9/11, when the phone rang.  It was my friend, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Those bastards." Because of her excitement, I could barely understand what she was saying.  Moments before, I had seen an airliner had flown through the first tower.  I had no idea it was a terrorist attack at that point.  Shortly thereafter, I had turned off the television, and was headed out the door, when my friend called. . .The second tower had just been hit.  That changed everything!

Sep 11, 2016 12:37 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

I decided to work in Westchester that day instead of Manhattan. In the morning, I received a sametime message from one of the people in my office that said he had just seen a plane hit one of the towers from the window near his desk (I think we were on the 19th floor of our building). A short while later he sent me a message that another plane hit the other tower. I called him immediately to hear his horrifying account. Shortly thereafter, I told my team to go home and I left work to pick up my young children from school. I raced home, turned on the TV and saw the towers collapse. Such an awful time.

Sep 12, 2016 11:38 PM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

Changed our lives from that moment forward Myrl Jeffcoat 

Sep 12, 2016 11:46 PM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

Wow! That had to be one of the most horrific experiences of your life Kat Palmiotti I can't imagine the anxiety of thinking a war might be breaking out and here I am right in the middle of it.

Sep 12, 2016 11:48 PM
Wayne Zuhl
Remax First Realty II - Cranford, NJ
The Last Name You'll Ever Need in Real Estate

Hi John,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.  Even today it's still difficult and brings up the same emotions.

Sep 16, 2016 06:48 AM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

And it will continue to resonate within our hearts forever more Wayne and Jean Marie Zuhl 

Sep 16, 2016 08:19 AM