Memories of Douglas Number 9

SEPTEMBER 11TH 2001 - REMEMBERED

I dug out my old diary from 2001 - just to see what was happening in my world at the time when The World Trade Centre buildings were hit.

The inscription in gold lettering on the front of the diary caught my eye -

2001
A Year to Remember

Very prophetic. A year I will certainly remember.

11/9/2001 was a very ordinary day for my family. 3 of us went to the local indoor shopping centre - Douglas, me and daughter Becky ( aged 18 and just left college.) Son Neil was aged 17 and was at school at that time. Did a bit of shopping and had a snack in a cafe there - came back home around 2pm. Up to this point we knew nothing of what was happening in New York. Switched on the TV and there it was unfolding before our eyes. The horror and devastation- just unbelievable. So we crowded round the TV for the rest of the day watching as things got even worse.

Of course what none of us knew was that about 9 days later Douglas would suffer a stroke. During the next week in hospital he would have 2 more strokes - the final one so massive that he did not survive it and he passed away on 29th September.

So 2001 was certainly a year to remember for me and my family.

My thoughts today are with everyone who lost a loved one on Sept. 11 2001.