The phone rang at home a bit after 9 AM CDT on September 11, 2001. The caller was my administrative aide from the business I was managing. "Hey Barry", she said "with everything going on, I'd like to run to school and get my son so I know he's safe. I'll either bring him here or take a sick day. Is this okay?" I couldn't imagine anything so critical in Milwaukee so I asked "What's going on?" She said, "You haven't heard that a plane flew into the World Trade Center in New York?" "No" I said, "I don't have the TV on. My son is throwing up the onion rings he ate last night". She asked again, "Can I go?". "Sure, whatever you need to do" I said. At home my wife and I had just about finished cleaning up the rug, so I got in the car and went to work. I don't even remember if my admin was at the office when I arrived.
Kids sure have a way of messing with mommy and daddy's thought process. The entire safety net of the USA was melting in the fires of the Twin Towers and all I could think was "No more onion rings for my son". All hell was breaking loose 1000 miles away and all my administrative aide could think of was taking her son out of the safest place he was going to be that day, just to personally watch over him. The funny thing is, being a parent doesn't readjust your thoughts on a crazy day, being a parent changes your thinking every day. That's good and I wouldn't have it any other way.
What are your 9/11 memories, especially those involving your kids (or nieces, nephews or neighborhood kids)?
Any other examples of how kids occupy your thoughts when other things are flying all around?
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