September 11, 2021

I remember getting the phone call as I was getting ready for work. Mark a teacher I was working with called to say NewYork was under attack.

It was an endlessly long day, helping kids frame the information, wondering about family in NewYork, calling to discover all circuits were busy. I was 5,000 miles from the nearest relative besides my husband, Shawn.

Air traffic shut down. We were on a small isolated island in the gulf of Alaska. Fortunately we had supplies. We took stock and sorted goods making sure we could make it last as long as needed. We had no idea how long the shut down would last.

We had friends in active duty, others in reserves. Family located all along the east coast. Within 24 hours we knew almost everyone was all right. It was a long couple of days. We watched more television than in the previous 5 years trying to wrap our heads around what had happened. It took a long time to process the facts, sort through the spin.

By the time we felt like we understood what had happened, the airways reopened. It was scary, but the heroism, the unity was inspiring. We need that sense of unity without the tragedy.