We do prevail
Melody Kinser
Sep 19, 2008

“What channel?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Turn on the TV.”

To say the last two months have been a whirlwind is an understatement. But when I realized the approaching date while reviewing my calendar last Tuesday, it all came flooding back — Sept. 11, 2001.

That day still seems surreal.

I was the editor of a small daily newspaper about 30 miles from my hometown in southwestern West Virginia. There’s no “usual” day in this business, but press time was midnight — and I usually waited to check the paper as it came off the press. In other words, that schedule did not make me an early riser.

Sept. 11, 2001, started out like any other day — my mind was swirling with plans for the next edition. Little did I know how quickly those plans would change.

Unlike most mornings when I start the day with Matt Lauer and crew on the Today show, I reached for the phone to touch base with the news editor, who was my “right hand” person in the newsroom. Without hesitation, Audrey said “Turn on the TV.” “What channel?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Turn on the TV.”

In stunned silence, I held the phone as I watched the replaying of those two planes slamming into the World Trade Center. That is, without a doubt, an image I don’t think we will ever be able to erase from our minds.

And then there was the news about a plane striking the Pentagon and another going down near Shanksville, Pa.

We had to get into action. When I arrived, the newsroom was buzzing. Phones were ringing. E-mails were arriving and being sent. We were locating families and friends who had loved ones in New York City and Washington, D.C., including a local couple who worked at the Pentagon.

Thankfully, there were no fatalities from our community – although one young man from the county was in one of the Towers when it was struck. He was able to escape safely – and returned home to share his story with the newspaper and in classrooms.

Yes, even after seven years, that day still sends chills and oftentimes tears. The losses of that day cannot be measured.

Despite that moment of vulnerability, our resolve was never shaken. We are the greatest country in the world, with an indomitable strength and unwavering determination. And, with prayer, we continue.

(0) Comments • Email This Article