9/11 - Get Back to Love

9/11 - today many people weren’t alive when it happened or were too young to remember. Those of us who lived through it remember and it was much more than “some people did something” like a congresswoman was quoted as saying earlier this year.

I was on active duty in the military in New Mexico. I dropped my kids off at the youth center before school and was driving across the parking lot when I saw my coworker and good friend Sonya Byers Young who flagged me down and told me to turn on the radio and listen. She said one of the twin towers was hit.

I drove to work listening and the other one was hit by the time I arrived at work. The base was put on lockdown. All non military or essential personnel were ejected and barred from the base. My sister Carol Pullaro was living with me on base and at work. I had to go through several layers of approval just to get her on base.

My kids were at school on base and were kept inside. The entire base was like a ghost town. No one was outside, no cars other than some armored vehicles and those of us on official business were out. I was put on standby to deploy and our base was a pass thru and staging area for deployment. I didn’t sleep for months waiting for a call to deploy that finally came several months later. I experienced some horrible things on deployment and retired soon after I returned.

There are many memories and feelings that come up remembering that time. I remember being anxious and stressed because I knew I’d have to leave my kids for months and attempted to not let on about that. I’d been gone before but not like this.

We should never forget those who lost their lives that day and all the families that are still directly affected today. The thing I think we forget about is how the country pulled together and was on 1 accord. Families contemplating divorce stayed together. People pulled close to each other. They forgave, were forgiven and made amends. Love won and people drew closer. It mattered less about getting more things , a better car or better status. We need to get back to that time. Less entitlement. More connection. Less greed, more giving. Less hate, more love.

Never forget what happened on 9/11 but let’s get back to the love.