Arissa Viering | 9/11/2020 | Goodday Mineral Wells | The Wishing Well of Mineral Wells
On September 11, 2001, everything changed. In respect and remembrance, members of the Goodday Mineral Wells team would like to share where they were and what they were doing on that day:
“Cops were running down the halls. Teachers were sobbing in the halls. When we went home, my parents had to sit down with my sister and I to watch the news and talk about what was going on. And, we didn’t get it – we didn’t get the serious gravity of it all.”
Jonny Goodday
“I was at home when I saw it on the news. I stayed and watched for a while – stunned. Then, I went to work and had a conversation with my Father-in-Law. Then, I got a call from my daughter who had been taken home from school by one of her friend’s parents. I had to take John to football practice and it was incredibly eerie because there were no planes flying in the air and we lived close to several airports. We couldn’t recall a time when that had ever happened. It stayed that way for several days, maybe even weeks.”
John Partesius
“As for me, I was in fourth grade on 9/11. Announcements came over the intercom telling students that they would all need to return home effective immediately. My teacher had tears in her eyes, but I had no idea why. Upon my arrival home, my mom was lighting candles all over the living room. President Bush announced the acts of terrorism and all that I felt that I could do to make my mom feel better was to draw an american flag with crayons on a piece of paper. I was too young to understand the specifics of what happened that day, but just old enough to know that the people around me were heartbroken and scared.”
Arissa Viering
“For me, I guess I was too young to understand as strongly as my mom. She worked a lot and used to walk by the towers every day and spent many years in New York City. It hit her so much harder because she had friends that worked in those buildings. As an adult now, I realize how much our world has changed from that one day . . . More security in airports, people coming together and rebuilding the city, and the amazing Freedom Tower. Even on this day, we come together to pray and remember. As a nation, we came together when that devastation happened and made us stronger. So, it should teach us to come together now in dark times. We should never forget the people, the families, the heartbreak and the love, and, especially, the heroes of this day. Life is so short. Be kind and love one another.”
Grace Larocca
Never forget.
Former Co-Founder | June 2020-Nov 2020 | Graduate of Texas Christian University with a background in medical anthropology, psychology, and creative writing. Passionate about writing novels. Loved the Mineral Wells community and all that it had offered her and her family.
