I recently caught the ending of a movie I saw about a year ago. I'm not going to mention the title because that would be a spoiler for those of you who haven't seen it. It got me thinking, as those 9/11 movies do. What would you do if you were suddenly hurdled back in time to the morning of September 11, 2001? You can't bring along a newspaper, magazine, printout or notes. Which flight numbers do you remember off the top of your head? Do you remember which airports that the flights departed? (You can't cheat by Googling it!) What do you do? If you're at the airport, who would you tell? What would you say? And most important, would they believe you???
I have asked myself these questions many times. I only remember, for certain, Flight 93. I know there were numbers in the 200s. 211? I don't remember which airports they originated from. They were all on the east coast, possibly Boston? (Remember, no cheating!) I'm limited with the information that I can remember off the top of my head.
Let's say I'm at a departing airport prior to the flights taking off. What would I say to security? I'm sure I wouldn't be calm!
"There are at least seventeen hijackers of middle eastern origin carrying box cutters and explosives strapped to themselves. They are going to hijack planes that are bound for the west coast and fly them into buildings. The twin towers, the Pentagon and the White House are targets, but I'm sure there's more."
They would stare at me blankly for a second before concluding that I'm insane, until the first plane hits the World Trade Center. By now the other planes would be in flight. Now, they're listening, but they are also wondering if I was a part of it. Will I tell them who I am and from when I came from? Will I tell them where I was working that day, so they could see my twenty-something self? Remember, there are no smartphones. There are digital cameras, but photos have to be emailed. I wonder how my younger self would handle being interrogated by a cop about my whereabouts that morning?
I'm curious what you think you would do in that time travel situation? Do you think you could change the outcome, or would you only make things worse for yourself? One has to remember: There are some things that are beyond our control and are not meant to be changed.
When I first heard the news of the missing Malaysian flight, my first thought was of 9/11. I didn't think of the plane crashing, I thought of a hijacking. What bothers me the most about the missing flight is with today's technology, they still can't find that plane! In a time of GPS, tracking devices and satellites and they still can't locate it? I know that there are satellite-free zones in the world. Still, it's unbelievable! Sometimes, when technology fails us, it's time to rely on the human spirit. Someone out there knows where that plane is. My only hope is that they come forward with their information, so the victims' families can have closure. Please keep them in your prayers.
Enough with my thought-provoking musings. I hope you're enjoying spring so far. It's nice to see green in the grass again and hearing birds chirp. Life is starting to bloom once more in my neck of the woods!
Veronica
