Today marks the five year anniversary of a tragic event or series of events, that changed our history books forever.
As scrapbookers, most of us commemorated the events of the day by doing a scrapbook layout. In fact, I created mine during a scrapbook challenge on a message board that I belong to. It was five years ago that I created that layout, and it was simply nothing more than a “this day in history” type of page. I didn’t do much journaling besides to explain the events and what unfolded throughout the day. I included a time line and lots of pictures.
But with the five year anniversary upon us, and news footage, interviews with survivors and memorials being broadcast all over TV land, I thought it would be a good time to create different kinds of layouts reflecting on September 11, 2001.
Instead of showing the events of the day and how they unfolded, and instead of including photos of the towers and aftermath, there are opportunities to try some other layouts.
One layout idea I have, which I will create this afternoon, is to really think long and hard and remember where I was the day that the “world stopped turning”.
I do remember where I was. I had just hopped in the car after a very busy, rushed morning with a preschooler and 1st grader. I was rushing to get my son to elementary school, and I do remember many details of that time. I was also late for work, and I had just popped on the radio just before we pulled up to my son’s school. I remember hearing about an airplane crashing and decided to turn the radio off because I didn’t want my son to be thinking about a plane crash all day at school.
I never did turn that radio in my car back on, and instead opted ironically for an Alan Jackson CD instead.
By the time I got to work it was all anyone was talking about. I worked at the YMCA at the time and they put it up on our big movie screen and most employees stood back and watched everything as it was happening.
I plan to create a layout about what I was thinking, about what was going on around me, and how the whole day unfolded.
Another layout I thought I’d like to create is about the memorials and things that are going on to remember 9/11.
For instance, right by my house, they have created a rather beautiful memorial titled “The Spirit of Freedom” with pieces from the world trade center and twin towers including a huge stone explaining what the pieces mean. It’s on the side of the highway overpass and many times I have passed and seen people walking around outside of it. If you’d like to learn more about the piece, you can visit this link.
I plan to do a layout incorporating that story, pictures of the memorial and other memorial services I have either attended or dedications for other pieces around the city.
Why don’t you take the time today to reflect upon the terrifying events of that day, and remember exactly what you were doing, and think about the different memorials you’ve seen or visited regarding September 11, 2001.
To see more blogs related to September 11, 2001 and the memorials, please see the following links:
Related Articles:
Five Years Later: Let Us Take a Moment
Where were you when the world stopped turning?
Five Years Later: The Aftermath
Education: A-Z: R for Remembering 9/11 in the Classroom
Where were you on Septemeber 11, 2001?
September 11: In Honor of the Fallen and Those Who Defend Us
Fitness Thoughts & More for September