Barbie Perkins-Cooper, Author

Tag: Remembering 9-11

  • In Memory of “9-11″…


    Dearest Readers:

    When I awoke this morning, I turned the TV on to hear the early morning news of Fox. Immediately, when I saw the date of ‘9-11’ my heart paced. Yes, today is ‘9-11’. A day we shall never forget.

    No, I did not lose anyone on the day the twin towers were destroyed by terrorists. Nor did I lose anyone at the Pentagon, or in Pennsylvania; nevertheless, I remember 9-11 as if it was a movie playing in my brain. I awoke, poured a cup of coffee and went to my computer. Losing interest in the computer, I read the first page of the infamous Post and Courier newspaper. I don’t recall anything commemorative in the headlines. I confess, I read the ‘newless courier’ to find errors, poor grammatical structure and syntax, and of course the typos!

    The telephone rang. My husband said good morning then he asked me if I was watching the news. “No,” I said, “I’ve lost interest in the news so I don’t turn the TV on.”

    “Well, you might.”

    “Why?”

    My husband knows how I always pay attention to current events.

    “One of the twin towers in New York City was hit by an airplane.”

    “What?” I reached for the remote and turned on the Today Show.

    “How can this happen? Was this a pilot error?”

    Dreams/Visions

    I hung up the phone, curled my legs on the sofa and listened. I remembered the dream I had about three nights before. Those who know me realize I have visions. In that dream, I was sitting at the airport waiting my plane’s arrival. I noticed three tall Arabian men walking around wearing trench coats. Two of the men stopped to look outside at a window. One sat down behind me. The others joined him. One of the men had a thick, unkempt beard. He wore a black hat, I suppose to match his black trench coat. It was hot on that date and I wondered why they were wearing trench coats. Charleston is known for its humid heat, even in September.

    Two of the men read newspapers. “Listen to this,” the freshly shaved young guy said. “The G-O-P. What is the G O P?”

    The bearded guy said, “It’s the Government Opposed movement here in this United States.” All three laughed.

    I turned around to correct them, “No. G O P stands for the Republican party in America. Not Government Opposed.”

    They ignored me and laughed.

    My dream continued.

    One of the guys nudged the bearded guy sitting next to him.

    “Today shall be a day to remember…”

    They laughed.

    I awoke, shaken from this dream. I never shared it with anyone, but on the morning of 9-11, I wondered if it was a vision of importance to me. Was my dream really a vision of something to happen soon? I must be insane to dream such events.

    All day on 9-11, I was glued to the TV, following the news as it poured into the newsrooms like a tsunami.

    Such a horrifying day in American history. Thousands of lives lost as people fell to their deaths inside the Twin Towers, or lost their lives in Washington, DC and Pennsylvania and inside the airplanes. Today, 9-11-2020, many anniversary ceremonies will happen.

    Yes. Today is a sad day of remembrance as America recalls the thousands of tragedies on that date. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, we were at war with terrorists. Soldiers were sent to fight the wars, and many are still fighting. I call it the ‘endless war,’ since there appears to be no end to it.

    9-11 changed America in many ways. How I wish and pray the USA would unite as one. I pray the domestic terrorists attacking cities now will stop and realize we all need to join together to save our country and the lives of those who are so filled with hatred. Together, we can do amazing things to help our country and one another.

    May God bless America. President Trump. Our Armed Forces. And may God fill the hearts of all of those filled with hatred. Together, we can move mountains and build a NEW UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. We must all reach up to find and feel God’s presence within our hearts and lives.

    Remembering 9-11!

    https://www.videvo.net/video/reflecting-pool-at-new-yorks-9-september-memorial/520313/

    #9-11

  • Remembering 9-11-2001


    Remembering 9-11-2001, — I recall awakening a bit later than normal for me on 9-11-01, due to a headache. It was a beautiful day in Charleston. Bright sunshine, clear skies. The phone rang. I checked caller ID noticing it was my husband. “Now what is it he wants so early this morning?” Those of you who know us recognize that my husband would be surgically attached to me — IF he could! Answering the phone as my head pounded, his first words were, “Are you watching TV?”

    “No. I have a headache.”

    “I know how you love to stay in touch with current events. You might turn the news on. A jet has crashed into the World Trade Center.”

    My mind raced with dreadful thoughts. ‘How could this happen? How could a plane drift off course and crash into the World Trade Center?

    Turning the television on, I listened as the broadcasters speculated what was happening. The news was happening so quickly, speculations were changing every moment, every breath. No social media on that date. No Facebook. Twitter…just speculations as the broadcasters raced with bated breaths to report “the latest…” Cell phones around the locations of the World Trade Center were jammed. Communication was almost crippled.

    My mind drifted to those inside the World Trade Center. The receptionists, administrative assistants, food service workers, and others — trapped inside. What must it be like to glance outside the windows to watch an airplane approaching so closely one could almost see the color of the pilots eyes? What must it be like to see the plane crashing into the windows while recognizing you have no way to escape? Those questions would never be answered.

    Reports continued…smoke billowing out of the buildings. People rushing out of the building. Another report stated that the people inside of the World Trade Center were told to stay inside. “No way.” I said. “I would get out of that building.”

    My heart was heavy. Somehow I knew that something tragic was happening, and it was not an accident. A planned attack, to use American jets to crash into a building and kill Americans.

    Nothing was reported about that, at the moment. Speculations. Guesses…Reports unconfirmed…

    My mind drifted back to a nightmare I had a few nights prior to ‘9-11.’ In my dream there were four men dressed in black, moving across America, carrying weapons – shooting people on the beach, on the highways, and in populated areas. Never did I mention this horrific nightmare to anyone. I simply told myself I dreamed about the beach simply because I love the beach, and I love driving. I suppose I was psychoanalyzing my dreams. Weird! I have had visions such as this all of my life, just like my precious grandmother did.

    Now, I was glued to the television. Afraid to move away for fear I might miss something. I saw the plumes of smoke coming from the buildings, and I watched in horror as another plane crashed into the second World Trade Center.

    Shaking my head, I recognized this was not an accident, but a planned attack on America. In the blink of an eye, I recognized the United States of America was now at war. So frightening. So unexpected. Just how can this happen to US?

    News reports continued as the broadcasters interviewed people on the streets, family members, and a few of the people trapped inside the buildings. Rescue teams and first responders, fire fighters, and medical triages were ready to assist those who needed medical care and assistance to escape, but as the news continued, Americans watched in horror as people who could not escape found a tragic way out — jumping out of the buildings. Tiny images of bodies flying out of the building, falling…falling…falling into a horrific moment of death. Although I wanted to turn the television off, I could not. This was a day I would never forget. I kept praying that rescuers would free more of the people, but the reports were skimpy. “These people need to get out,” I prayed. “They aren’t safe…What if…may God forgive me…but what if the building crumbles to the ground?”

    I watched in horror as a horrific sound roared on the television and the building seemed to move, tumbling to the ground as smoke, debris, and the building fell to the ground.

    “How can this happen? And why — why are buildings built so tall that people cannot escape safely? Who would do this? What kind of monster would crash a jet into a building?”

    So many questions raced in my mind.

    Twelve years later, much has happened to our nation. We are at war with Iraq and Afghanistan. Many lives have been lost and America will never feel the safety we once felt. The safety we took for granted. For a brief time, Americans pulled together to help one another, never thinking or suspecting that if we reach out to others, we might be helping, in some small, caring way. Now, we have more violence in our cities. We see people talking and texting on phones, never acknowledging others, appearing to be clueless to what is happening nearby. We are so wrapped up in our own lives that we take life for granted once again.

    My wish for America is peace. Fellowship. Friendship. Trust and love for one another. We must remember 9-11, while recognizing that our lives have continued after such tragedy. I confess, it was difficult for me to awaken every morning for a while, without asking why. What would make someone such a monster that he would become so destructive, and that he and his followers would plan such an attack? Why?

    While it is true that Osama bin Laden has been killed, his death does not end the threat of terrorism. Terrorism is everywhere. Not just in other countries. Terrorism is everywhere. In our cities. Our towns. And just because one terrorist was killed, this does not end terrorism.

    Today is not a day to end this discussion with the subject of terrorism. Today, 9-11-2013, is a day of remembrance…a day to pray and give thanks for all that we, as Americans, have endured on 9-11-2001. May we move forward to embrace that we have life and freedom. Freedom comes with a cost. Sometimes a price that cannot be bought or expressed. Today is a day to embrace one another and to remember that many lives were lost, in the blink of an eye. None of us saw this coming. Today is a day to appreciate life and the loss of those we loved and lost, gone too soon.

    May we never forget — 9-11-01. Please take a moment today from your busy life to remember those we lost. The price we have paid. The threats we have experienced. On the morning of 9-11-01, our world changed dramatically. Let us never forget it, the victims, families, and freedoms so threatened. Let us pray that we never experience such a tragedy again.

    Today, my heart still breaks for those lost so unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye. Let us NEVER FORGET while we pray for our Nation, our soldiers in harms’ way, and for the freedoms we so cherish.

    Remembering 9-11.