Its the 9/11/02 daily thread, one year later..MKF

[friskylez]

I saw the 9/11 memorial thread and how all the folks were posting their thoughts on where they were when this horrible tragedy happened..

I thought it would make a great daily thread if we asked that question and also said our thanks to the firemen, police officers, military, rescue workers and others who went to the aid of those that day one year ago..

i was on a bus and heard some guy talking about a plane flying into a building..I didnt listen to much more of the conversation..Then i got to work and the radio was on and everyone was huddled around it..

I was working for a mail order software company at the time and alot of our business was with folks back east..Our phone lines were silent..Eventually someone went out and bought a TV so we could see what was going on..

I was in complete shock when i saw the first scenes of the events on the news..Everyone in the office was silent, a few of us cried..Others were angry and pissed, wanted to lash out..

We decided to close for the day and i went home, feeling sad and angry and appalled at what had happened..My heart went out to the victims and their families..And my prayers were with the rescuers..

The way the country came together and supported one another..I remember American Flags being flown from everywhere, cars, homes, buses, windows..

The show of support and love for our fellow citizens in New York, those at the Pentagon and those on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania..

I sit here now tears in my eyes remembering that day, the day before my birthday..I didnt feel much like celebrating last yr..

But i did feel proud, proud that i served my country in the United States Army for 6 yrs and proud that i am an American.. Semper fi....Huyaaaaa...

[Italiangirl]

Friskylez, this is a wonderful thread.

I am a social worker, and was working at a group home at the time, as the liason between the schools and the group home. I had been at the local middle school at 8:30 that morning, and had turned off my cell phone. I headed into the office around 9am, and my office phone was ringing off the hook as soon as I walked in it. It was my mom on the phone, calling to tell me about the first plane. While we were on the phone, she saw the second plane float across the screen and hit the south tower. We both knew the implications of that. I immediately got off the phone and went to find a tv. I went to the living room of one of the group home apartments, and there were already four other people there watching. Our agency employed 40 some odd people, and by 9:30 I think ALL of them were crowded into that living room. No one talked, we all just watched, horrified, for the whole day.

I remember we were listening to a phone interview from a guy in the pentagon talking about security measures when the third plane hit the pentagon. We all heard the explosion over the phone. People were screaming in the back ground, the guy got off the phone to investigate, saying it was probably just a construction related explosion due to renovations being done in one of the wings. We soon saw what it really was.

In my life, I have never felt terror like that, sitting there, just waiting for news of more attacks, no one knowing where or what would be hit next, for a period of about five hours.

Everywhere I went that day, people were just stunned. And quiet. Everywhere I went, there were radios and tvs going, and no talk. Watching all of that horrible scene unfolding, my heart broke about 75 times. Then, that evening, I remember seeing the entire house of congress, republicans and democrats alike break into spontaneous song (God Bless America) on the steps of the white house. I cried, and felt more American than I ever have.

While I disagreed with a lot of the subsequent military action taken, I hold said military, fire, port authority, police and other rescue personell in great respect, and send my thanks out into the cosmos for the walking brave who populate this planet.

Also, to the iron and steelworkers, who bore the brunt of the immense clean up task, People who were not used to or trained in seeing dead bodies and carnage in their everyday jobs, who remained at ground zero cleaning up steel, and papers, and body parts, and office supplies, and ashes, for nine long months. To them, I take my hat off.

I think the best memorial any of us can really provide is to grab on to our lives, and live every day like we love it. I think some people would give almost anything to live out just one more day with their loved ones, and who are we to take our time, or theirs, for granted. Love ourselves, love those dear to us, and tell them so every day. Oh, and Friskylez, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you treat yourself like a queen for the whole day!

[oneyedchicklet]

Its hard to believe it been a year. I live in NJ and I am a State certified and Nationally Registered EMT. I have not been a practicing EMT for about 4 years now but I keep my certification up to date. In 1993, I was out there when the bomb went off in the parking garage. I thought that was the worst I would ever have to be a part of. Well 8 years later, I volunteered and went out to Ground Zero. Words can't describe the feelings and emotions that I have been subjected to. I have lost two very good friends in that sensless act of terrorism. I also put on my dress uniform and attended many memorial services for firefighters.

I was home from work that day and was out early running errands. I got home and turned on the television and watched the everything happen live. I remember thinking when I saw the smoke from the North tower, that it looked like a scene from the movie "The Towering Inferno". Then the second plane hit the South Tower. Both of my friends who died were in the North Tower at the time. Another friend worked on the 85th floor of the South Tower and saw the first plane hit. He decided to go down for a cup of coffee. He told us that they were making announcements that the South Tower was secure to go back to your offices. My friend decided to go outside and have a cigarette. Thank God he did. He stood outside and watched the second plane hit. He lost most of his co workers but that cigarette saved his life. Ironic isn't it?!

It was and is still truely amazing how this country came together and so many other countries showed their support to us during our time of need. I would like to thank all of the rescue workers and others who donated their time and efforts and who continue to do so selflessly.

May God Bless us all and keep us safe in the palms of his hands.

Love to All
Barb

[areslei]

I can't get it out of my head that it has been a year, because I remember it all too well. First of all, I just want to thank everyone who helped out at the scenes, sent aid, or even sent out a prayer to the victims, the firemen, police officers, military personel, emt's, rescue workers, and the victim's families. Thank you to everyone who helped out that day. And thank you to all those who are in the military or have ever been in the military to protect and serve this country.

I remember driving to work and listening to the radio. They cut off a song to announce that one of the twin towers had been hit by an airplane. I was still listening to the live broadcast when the second plane hit. I proceeded to zoom to work at 80 mph, ran inside, and darted to the tv set in the break room. People started gathering....some didn't know what happened yet...and then they flashed the picture of smoke rising from the Pentagon. I didn't know if it was the end of the world or if I was dreaming...it was all so unsuspecting. I remember crying and getting nautious...
One of the guys in the suits department had a little radio at his register, and we listened to the news until about 3 PM. We didn't close 'til 5 that day, and all I wanted to do was run out and pick Mich up from work. A co-worker and friend of mine went to school with many of the victims of the Trade Center attack, not to mention, many people from her neighborhood worked at the Towers and were reported missing or dead.

I hope the American people continue to fly their flags for years to come...it was sad that it took an event like 9/11 to make many people do so, but I want to be around 50 years from now and still see that red, white, and blue on every house.

I'm proud to be an American. I do wish that I would have gone into the Navy after NJROTC and leadership academy. That is my regret. I envy you, friskylez. And happy b-day, btw.

[xita]

Shinnen wanted to share this with the kittens today:

[img:13732c85df]http://xita.org/board/kitties/shinnen/wts11rem.jpg[/img:13732c85df]

[oneyedchicklet]

Xita and Shinnen,
Thats a beautiful tribute. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Love To All,
Barb

[AlexisMQ]

(I apologize up front for rambling.... hard to get my thoughts together right now)
Well, My boss and I started our commute to work about 6:30 Pacific time that morning and we listened to the news in silence the whole way. When we got there Andy went out and bought a TV antenna so we could hook it up to one of our display systems. We spent most of the day just watching in horror.

I am so proud of all of the firefighters, police, construction workers, and every day joes that went to help out in whatever way they could - Not only at the WTC, but at the Pentagon and Pennsylvania too.

My life changed a month later when I was finally able to go and do my three week stint in NY with the Red Cross. The people that I met in New York were fantastic. Everywhere in the city people were so supportive of each other and everyone else, I will never forget that. I worked some at ground zero and was able to meet with some of the workers. They are all truly amazing people. Another thing that was great was the people who stood outside ground zero 24/7 with signs supporting and thanking all the volunteers. They lifted so many spirits - bless them.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who lost a loved one at this the one year anniversary. Bless the tens of thousands of hard working volunteers!

Finally, God Bless the USA.

Edited to add: Shinnen - that is beautiful.

[areslei]

Very lovely, shinnen! Thanks, xita, for posting it. brought a smile to my face.

[caged heart]

I was at school when I first heard about what had happened. My first class was 9:30, Elements & History of Rock Music (very cool class), and when I got to class a few people were talking about a plane flying into the WTC. I guess I had been listening to CDs in the car on the way to school because that was the first I heard about it. At the time no one knew what was going on, some said they heard that people thought it was a terrorist attack. When the professor got there, one guy asked if he could be excused from class to call his family because his uncle worked in one of the towers. Then we continued with the class as normal - no one knew what was happening yet. My next class, 11:00, Psychology, also went on as normal.
Then at 12:30 on my way to my third class, signs were going up that school was officially closed. Everyone was to return home or to their dorms. I was supposed to work that night at 5, so I called work. They said they were closing also, the whole mall was closing. On my way to my car, someone told me the police were telling everyone to turn off their cell phones because they needed the frequencies. By the time I got to my car, traffic leaving campus was already backed up. I turned on the radio to hear what was going on. I live in Maryland, near Baltimore, so we are right in between New York & DC. Sitting in traffic on campus, I started to get nervous. It was too quiet, usually you'd hear people talking, music blasting from cars, impatient people trying to zoom around the traffic. Everyone just quietly stayed in line, slowly making their way off campus & onto the highway.
When I got home, my younger sister was already there, watching CNN. My mom was still at work, and I just wished she'd get home soon. I immediately signed online - one of my friends had just moved to NYC on 9/9. She didn't have a phone or a cell phone, so I signed on to ask other friends if they'd heard from her. No one had. She didn't live close to the WTC, but I was still worried about her. I finally called her old roomate in Denver to ask him if he'd heard from her. He said he'd gotten an e-mail from her & she was ok.
I don't really remember much else about the day. I just remember having the TV on CNN, seeing Guiliani speak, seeing them replay over & over the video of the Towers falling, and of the Pentagon.
The next day school was open, but if you were absent it was automatically excused. The mall was open again, but it was quiet. I remember the moments of silence they did everywhere. It was so scary, and kind of numbing. No one knew what to say about it. We just had to go on with our normal lives as much as possible. We have our own little World Trade Center at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, and they closed it for at least several months afterwards.
I went to New York a couple weeks later, to visit my friend. My bus was coming in at night, and before I could always see the city coming even in the dark. The WTC neatly marked off where the bottom of Manhattan was. But this time, even though I really paid attention and looked hard, I couldn't tell where the bottom of the island was.
I didn't go near Ground Zero either. I purposely avoided it until recently. I was living in New York City this summer; my girlfriend & I had gone to an afternoon baseball game at Yankee Stadium and decided on the subway back downtown to go to South Street Seaport since I hadn't been there yet. We looked at the subway map & chose a stop we thought was the closest. But we went one stop too far down, and walking back up to the Seaport we walked right past Ground Zero. We weren't expecting it, it was just all of a sudden there. The entrance to the "observation area" (I hate that), and the front of a church made into a memorial. I only looked briefly, but it was just a big hole by this time. All the debris had been cleared away. There was a crowd of people looking at the memorial, and just a few feet down the block a guy selling 9/11 T-shirts along with his other tourist junk. I hate that too. I don't understand why Americans feel we need to *buy* something in order to remember or to show support or to be patriotic. I can't understand selling souvenirs of a tragedy.
Anyway, this got way longer than I intended. I'd never really typed all of that out before, and doing it really makes me want a hug from my girlfriend. But she's in NY, so I need to go call her now. Goodnight Kittens.

[friskylez]

Wow thanks for sharing that Xita and thanks to Shinnen...I was a bouncer at the local gay bar in Oceanside (weekend job) and a friend of mine was one of the bartenders..

His partner was a flight attendant for one of the airlines that was used in the attack, out of NY..It was a bicoastal relationship....He happened to have requested that week off for vacation..

Ironically if had he not been on vacation he would have been working that day..Maybe he would have been on one of those flights maybe not, he will never know for sure..

But he did know a number of the flight attendants that were killed that day..He told me he had quit after hearing what happened..He loved his job, but would never be able to forget his friends that were on those flights..

My heart goes out to everyone effected by what happened..Friends of friends, acquaintances, families, co workers, neighbors whomever..That day touched us all..

[Coma123]

I dont have time to write a long post now, but I just want to say that I hope everyone remembers those who died in the pentagon and on the other plane that went down. It angers me so much that those victims are so often ignored by the media.
Keep safe all of you.

[oneyedchicklet]

Hey Friskylez,
My bad and very rude of me. Happy Birthday!!! I hope you have a better time this year.
Sorry I didn't say it earlier, but I was kind of caught up in the moment.
Have a great birthday.

Love To All,
Barb

[BBOvenGuy]

Less than ten hours now before we go onstage to sing the Mozart Requiem in front of City Hall. As I said in the other thread, they're expecting ten thousand people to be there - by far the largest crowd I've ever performed for. It's not going to be easy, either. I know there are passages where I'm going to have trouble keeping my focus. But that's what rehearsals are for.

Oh, our performance dress instructions are to wear black head to toe, so now I'll get to find out what I'd look like if I dressed like Angel.

The things I remember most about one year ago are having my TV wake me up just in time to see the South Tower falling down, and staying online all day as we waited for New Yorkers to check in. It was quite a day.

Stay safe, everybody.

[Elianna]

Linda, I thought your birthday was on the twelfth?

And hugs to [b:b970d9847b] caged heart[/b:b970d9847b]. I was on my way to school when I heard. My teacher tried running class, but next door they were watching CNN. Five of us joined the class next door for half an hour. When I returned to class, I couldn't stop crying, so I left.

At 12:30, they closed the university. We don't have any kind of PA system, so the department secretaries had to make flyers and post on every single clasroom door. (We're a big university, 26,000 students.)

I visited my stepsister in Brooklyn the following Christmas, but couldn't go to Ground Zero. She pointed out where the towers would have been in the skyline, and I started crying.

I'm crying now, for everyone's lives that were ruined by this.

I really wish that I could be more eloquent.

That's very touching, [b:b970d9847b] Shinnen[/b:b970d9847b].

-Elianna

[GiveMeChocolate]

Here in the UK it was the middle of the afternoon, I was at work. We first heard that a plane had hit one of the WTC towers from the police radio we have. I didn't think it was an attack at that time, I just thought it was a small by- plane or something. It was only a couple of minutes later that we heard it was a passenger jet. I knew immediately then that this was no accident. I went over to the nearest store with a TV and was stood watching it with the store's staff, I'd only been watching for what seemed like a couple of minutes when the second plane hit. None of us could believe what we were seeing, we were all just so shocked and horrified. When I went back outside, the entire town centre had become a ghost town, I've never seen it like that.
When I got home all I could do was watch the TV, it was horrifying and just incredibly sad, I hope I never again have to witness anything like that. I had a couple of friends in New York on holiday at the time of the attacks, it was a while until we heard from them. They're travelling tomorrow to New York to pay they're respects.

Sorry if I rambled, it's just nice to be able to read other peoples experiences as well as share your own.

[Scout]

I work about seven miles from the Pentagon, and not long after getting to work on the morning of 9/11 someone in our office jumped up and ran out the door screaming, Theyre bombing the Pentagon! We didnt know what in the heck she was talking about, but the person in the cubicle next to me said that earlier she had heard what sounded like an explosion (I had my headphones on and didnt hear it). Then a guy from Marketing came up and said something had exploded and rattled the windows in his department.

I got on the Internet and went to the Washington Post site where the headline read that a plane had crashed into one of the towers at the World Trade Center. I said to my friend, Why havent we heard anyone talking about the fact that a plane has hit the World Trade Center?

Employees who had family and friends in the Pentagon were trying to call out but all the phone lines were jammed, so some of them just left work and drove down to the Pentagon. We later learned that they had to abandon their cars and go on foot to search for their loved ones.

A few minutes later, I got back on the Post site and they said a second plane had hit the other tower. I realized in that instant that it was a coordinated attack. Almost immediately after that, we heard that it was a hijacked plane, not a bomb, that ripped through the Pentagon (coming from Dulles Airport the airport I use almost monthly), and that a fourth plane was missing and they thought it was headed for a DC target.

Not long after that, our Internet connection slowed so much that we couldnt get any information, so we pulled out our radios and started listening to the broadcasts. The rock station I normally listen to had abandoned their normal format and the DJ was watching ABC News on his TV and just relaying to his listeners what was happening in NY and DC.

Soon the federal government told all the government workers to go home and then they closed the museums and monuments, and sent the tourists home, too. The only problem was that any time the federal government sends employees home (like for snow), DC traffic comes to a standstill. Add to that the fact that all the tourists were trying to leave the city and it created an unbelievable traffic jam. People were stuck and couldnt move, and we heard many of them were worried about their safety because we still didnt know where the fourth plane was in relation to DC. And on top of all that, a rumor got started that they planned to bomb the Metro (our subway system and the way many people exit the city).

Finally we heard that the fourth plane had crashed in Pennsylvania while in route to DC. By then most of the traffic was thinning out and people were making their way home. My company decided to have everyone stay put and that was probably a good thing because by the time I left work the Beltway was like a ghost town. You could tell something horrible had happened because our normally jammed highways were practically empty at rush hour and military aircraft were clearly visible in the skies. DC itself looked like it had been abandoned.

I got home and my sister had left a hysterical message on my phone. I had to call her and my folks because none of them had been able to get through after the phone lines jammed. I remember getting home and watching the images of the towers falling for the first time. We had heard Peter Jennings describe it on the radio, but nothing had prepared me to see it happen. To this day, when I see a picture of the towers, I still cant believe theyre actually gone.

Looking back a year later, DC has changed in so many ways, very few of them good. We were once a very open and accessible city, considering that were the nations capital, but now everyone is paranoid and fearful about the smallest things and you feel it whenever you go into government buildings or museums on the Mall.

But along with the bad, I will also remember the amazing human stories that came out of this tragedy, in both NY and DC. I think it showed what we are made of as a nation; that even under the most horrible circumstances citizens here have the strength to come together and pull each other through. The human aspect, both from our own nation and other nations that supported us, has been very inspirational and touching. I just hope we never have to face a test like this again.

Thanks Shinnen!

[tommo]

Hmm. It was the afternoon. I had the television on and I was online at the same time. I had to keep getting offline to try to call my mum, as my brother (I later found out) had been in Manhatten that very morning. The office he'd been visiting was right next to the WTC. It's so odd, really, but he missed being involved in what happened by...god, I don't know what. Some good grace, I guess.

Last year was one of the worst experiences I've ever had; and this brings back so many residual memories of that that it sometimes gets hard to separate one event from another.

Best wishes to all who feel this deeply and who are mourning, still. Stay safe, everyone. I had horrendous nightmares last night and they're still a bit chilling so I think today calls for much sitting in the sunshine and trying to remember that it's good to be alive. Some days are harder than others; it's true.

That's about as political as I'm ever likely to get, by the way. Heh. This was a terrible thing.

[Sheridan]

I had booked a holiday in Orlando just a couple of weeks before 9/11. Afterwards I decided to go ahead anyway and so I saw some of the after effects. I've been to Orlando before and one of the things that always struck me was the relaxed attitude at places like Disneyworld. That was gone, everyone was bag searched going in, there were armed soldiers in all the airports I passed through, it was sad to see such a loss of innocence. And I agree that it's hard to believe it's really been a year.

[katlurkin]

I live in Northern Virginia and work on a contract for the DoD. Our company had people in NY and in the Pentagon, plus many we work with military personnel. I listened to stories of the first plane hitting one of the towers in NYC on my way to work. When I got to work, it was a ghost town I wondered the halls looking for people. Found lots of them all huddled around a television watching events unfold.

We were all watching the television when the reports came in about the pentagon getting hit. People were crying and trying to call coworkers and family who lived in NYC and who were supposed to be in and near the pentagon.

The news said all planes were grounded and diverted from National Airport. One thing I vividly remember were the reports on the news that another plane was inbound to DC and not answering radio call. I remember getting chills up my spine as we watched fighter jets fly overhead heading west toward where the plane was coming in. We all were waiting to see what would happen. That was . . . . Fortunately it was a government plane, but watching those fighter planes go by . . .

Everyone left work and went home. I remember watching the Prince William County Police cars flying up 66 toward DC. The rest of that day and the next few consisted of watching news, and trying to contact friends and family.

God Bless all the people who lost their lives in NY and the Pentagon and their families, and bless all the people who helped others during such tragedy

Kat

[oneinten]

Yeah I can't believe that it has been a year already. It does seem like it was yesterday sometimes. I work in a bank in Halifax and was working at my desk at the time. We have a tv on continually for our customers to watch in the line-up and I remember hearing our customers and staff talking about what was happening. CNN was on downstairs and I managed to get to the tv to see the second plane hit the towers. I couldn't believe it either. I was totally out of it and was wondering why a plane was flying so low. Then I realized it was a commercial jumbo jet and heard it was terrorists. I was shocked and thought it was like a horrible tv movie coming true. The whole branch was devastated and glued to the tv for the rest of the day. We stayed open to offer whatever support or assistance our customers needed.

There were a lot of US travelers in our city and many planes were diverted to our airport after the attacks. Halifax pulled together and offered the best it's residents could. During that time I was proud to be Canadian and in the Maritimes where we did our best to help the stranded travellers cope.

My heart goes out to all who were affected by this tragedy but hope that a stronger friendship has been forged between our countries.

Peace and love to all.

kath

[Tulipp]

I am listening to the names of just the "A" victims of the tragedies of last September 11, and they just go on and on.

It was such a beautiful day, that day, and I remember hearing a commotion outside and going on my porch to see one of my neighbors yelling about how she was going to go pick up her kids from day care because nowhere was safe. I actually had a moment--this was the first I'd heard, although it was still quite early--where I assumed she was being melodramatic.

Then I went into another neighbor's house and sat with her and her kids for hours watching it all happen. That whole day was sitting and watching; it seemed so surreal. Late that afternoon, a bunch of neighbors ended up on my porch with me and my girflriend; we didn't talk much. Mostly we drank beer and listened to the planes flying overhead (this is Pittsburgh).

I think we all felt a tremendous need to connect.

And even now, they are still reading the "A" names.

Bless everyone affected by this tragedy and all tragedies. Peace to you all.
Juli.

[friskylez]

Eli, It is the 12th, thats why i said the "day before", being 9/11 Something Ruth said struck me, about "there but for the grace"..

I think of the person in the thread who said their friend went out to have a cigarette and missed being in the building ( or something to that effect) when one of the towers got hit..

I cant imagine how many others narrowly missed being involved in the devastation because they might have been late for work that day, stuck in traffic, called in sick, the bus was late, there car wouldnt start, whatever..Much like my friend, the flight attendant who had taken that week off..

Irony is kind of ironic that way

[Killin Joke]

A year ago, I was still having holidays... (It was the very first time I finally completely passed my exams, so: 3 months off for me) I was helping my dad in his workplace and the radio was on. I heard something vaguely about a plain crashing in a building. When I told my dad and the two other guys who work for him, about it, they thought it was a joke, I must have misinterpreted it or something. I think a friend of mine called when I was having a break, telling me to turn on the tv, and what I got to see then shocked me beyond belief.
I might live in a small village in Belgium, but consciousless acts like this affect the entire world. Thanks to the internet I've mailed, chat, posted with a lot of Americans, whom I consider to be my friends. I've met a lot of them on a couple of Xena conventions. The actors, the fans: it has a huge impact on everyone.
Today: when I came down the stairs in the kitchen this noon, the tv was on during dinner (something otherwise unthinkable). It looked like my mum had been crying, watching the news. She's such a sweet sensitive soul.
The tv's on now too: the memorial service is airing... I should be studying for my last reexaminations (history of narrative film) this friday, but I need to stand still for a while. My thoughts are with all of you guys...

[Dumbsaint]

I remember waking up a year ago today and turning on the radio in my bathroom as I was standing in front of the mirror brushing my teeth. I heard something about a plane "down," but from the tone of the DJ's voice I could tell that something more than that was very, very wrong.

Went back to my room, turned on the news, and sat. I sat in front of the TV for literally eight hours that day, unable to stop watching. I called my best friend about ten minutes into the newscasts, remembering through the shock that her older sister worked in one of the towers. Her sister made it out of there somehow physically unscatched, but how do you recover from that kind of experience? How do you walk out of something like that, leaving so many friends and coworkers, fellow human beings fallen behind you and be able to look at anything the same ever again? I was two thousand miles away and I still can't.

I don't have anything particularly profound to offer anyone, reflecting on the past year, but I will say that as scared, horrified, and numbed as I was by what happened a year ago today, even beginning that very day I was rocked to my foundations on a far more positive front. I have been so deeply touched from the beginning of this, seeing people come together to support each other through the tragedy. And because I have seen the best of people come out in response to the worst imagineable situation, I feel a lot of hope about our future as a species. And considering that I owe that hope, essentially, to the spur of a terrorist act... I'll echo others in quoting Wil, "Irony is kind of ironic that way."

[WebWarlock]

I was at home. I had just got laid off the day before so the day was already strange. I dropped my son off at day care and came home to find a new job. I was listening to the radio and I had heard that a plane had hit one of the towers. At first I thought it was a joke, then I thought, better check CNN. I did. I wasn't a joke.
I sat there watching, jumping between CNN, FoxNews, MSNBC and CLTV (Chicago 24 hour news) stunned.
Then I watched the second plane hit.

I had already called my wife, so I was back on with her. I had my cell phone and my cordless phone. After the second hit my cell phone could no longer find any operators. I think I called her 8 times in 20 minutes.

I called my mother-in-law to tell her and find out about my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, they both work for airlines as a pilot and a flight attendant respectively. It took most of the day, but we found out my brother-in-law was fine and my sister-in-law was not even working that day.

I called my mom. She told me to get off the phone and call my mother-in-law and make sure they were fine!

It was all very surreal. I watched the towers fall. I remember being very upset. Then I remember being glad when the reports of the deaths came in, they were much lower than I had feared.

Tony Blair's speech got to me. For some reason the leader of another country unequivocally saying they would stand with us, even though I am sure he did not much more than I did, just really got to me.

I also found out that President Bush should fire his speech writer. When he gives a speech that he prepares it is so metered and paced you could set a metronome to it. But when he gives a speech or a talk without that, the man can be eloquent and passionate.

After a while I had had enough. I got in my car and picked my little boy from day care. We watched Blues Clues. I envied him, his world had not really changed.

Its funny. On Monday, September 11th 2000, my biggest worry was getting to the game store so I could my copy of the 3rd Edition D&D Dungeon Masters Guide.

On Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 I remember standing in my backyard looking out over to OHare airport in the south and thinking I never remembered the skies being so empty.

I am proud to be an American, I always have been.
I proudly support our true heroes, the men and women of the Fire, Police and Emergency response departments and the men and women of our military.
My heart goes out to anyone you lost someone they loved.
I proudly support our countrys leaders, George Bush, Tony Blair, and of course Ruddy Gulianni.
And I am proud of you Kittens. Because I just am.

That was beautiful Shinnen.

Warlock

[Blue Athame 1]

I have been reading these accounts of this day and am touched. I am thankful for this and this board. I have alluded to this at different moments in the past and on my thread...this 9/11 thing....my writing on the board....how they are connected, they are...ironically they are.

Last year I was at home, had to be called by my partner to turn on the TV. I was home taking care of my little girl, I put her in front of sesame street and watched in the other room as the 2nd tower was hit. The horror of it all. I am a mental health clinician...specialized in trauma...ptsd...critical incident stuff. I am registered with the red cross for disaster relief. I was called shortly after to go to work. I couldn't go to NY because of Emma...so I took the calls. Calls from people who made it out...calls from people in neighboring buildings who watched the people jump or the towers crumble. Calls from those who had loved ones in the fray....guarding...flying...trying to save. I knew right away what we were dealing with. The news media was actually very good at trying to maintain hope...that there would be survivors...but I knew, I was talking to people there who had waded out through the human ash and body parts...I knew the first day.

For months I worked with this...I can't even begin to describe the pain out there. the stories, what people had to endure and learn to live with. The images were graphic. I found that I could not sleep...bad dreams...horrible things passed on by those I was caring for. I started wandering around in the middle of the night...terrible insomnia...what those in the biz call secondary traumatization. Funny here that I stumbled one late night...early morning on a TV show...Buffy...I had never seen it. It was ironically "The Body"...I was amazed, transfixed...found my self up and watching every episode I could. I kept laughing at myself, and my growing addiction...but still somehow it was giving me something. Then I started to surf the web...found fan fic...that was interesting...then I stumbled on the Kitten...hmmm...I loved the work...the tenor of the board...how you all were with one another. I began to think, hey, I used to write, maybe I can write something. So I did. As soon as I began to write....I began to sleep again. The bad stuff was dissipating as I was moving all this pain into a creative process.

You all helped me...this has been a safe place to do something creative...and the genesis of that creativity came from the pain of 9/11. So this seems to be the right place to say thank you.

It is here again this 9/11...I am working again. I worked last night and will be working again this evening. Thank you for your unwitting support...I will continue to provide comfort to those among us who are in pain...I just wanted you all to know that just by your being you are helping me do my job and hopefully provide for those who are in need right now.

With great fondness....respect...and sincere thanks...

Athame.

[Triscuit7]

I was at work in the bookstore in the mall in downtown Philadelphia. My Asst Mgr was home that day and called to tell us what was happening. There were only three of us there. My fellow supervisor left when she got word that the schools were closing; she needed to get her children.

It was eerie having customers coming in and getting all the info thirdhand. Then I received a phone call from my best mgr friend who ran the Staten Island store. She was a wreck because the folks who ran the bagel place she frequented had just found out and they had relatives in the Towers.

Because the mall is in a business/shopping district we always have a lot of commuters; the 3 Philadelphia area mass transportation converge there and the mall was filling up as offices were evacuating. 2 other of my part-time employees showed up when the high rises they were interning in were evacuating. They figured that they'd wait a bit until the congestion on the buses and trains cleared a bit before heading home. Finally at 11 am we got word that the Mayor was closing the city. And we made our various ways home.

I was glued to the TV for the rest of the day, wondering how and why and what next.

One other thing that made an impression was the quiet. Palmyra, NJ is under the flight path into Philadelphia Intl and the other area airports. We always see and hear planes, day and night. To hear nothing ... it was if the world had taken a breath and was just holding it. I remember when the planes came back and watching them as I drove down 95 towards the city. Thinking as they flew close by east and south of the skyscrapers: what if it happens again.

It's one year later and I send good thoughts to all on this day of remembrance.

Ciao, Melissa

[Willowlicious]

Be warned, this is long and probably boring, but this is what happened to me on 9/11/01. My brother-in-law, Doug, worked on the 82nd Floor of the second tower hit. Since I'm not Joss Whedon, I'll spare you the horror and tell you that, though we thought for several hours that he had died, he survived the attack.

The morning of 9/11/01, I was actually in bed flipping through the channels of the satellite system I'd had installed the day before. I stopped on KTLA (I live near Detroit, so I was all "woo hoo" with channels from other cities on the satellite) and was listening to the anchors chatter on about some celebrity gossip when they suddenly cut to an extreme close-up of the hole where the first plane hit the WTC. I had no idea what it was. From that perspective it looked like a warehouse roof on fire. I thought it was some local LA story. I was about to turn the channel, but then they slowly panned back and said, "You'll never believe this, but a plane has hit the WTC in New York."

I sat bolt upright.

I immediately started trying to count floors (an impossible task, really) to try to reassure myself that even if that was Doug's building the plane was above him and he could get out. I knew that everyone above that plane was in terrible trouble. I starting to get sick and I was shaking. Then I thought to call my sister (my only sibling) in New Jersey. When I called, I remember that she sounded so happy and I could hear the kids in the background (then ages 5 and 3). I could tell that she didn't know what was going on and I don't really know what to say. So I ask lamely, "Is Doug at work?" She tells me yes. Then I tell her what has happened.

"I gotta go!" she says and hangs up, so she can call him. She couldn't reach him, so she calls me back. She's watching TV now and is asking me if the plane hit the north or south tower. I don't know. The way they keep changes angles of the aerial shots on TV and with our panic, we can't tell. She hangs up so she can keep trying him.

I don't hear from her again for four hours. During this time, of course, the second plane hits, so our wondering if his tower was safe is a moot point now. Then the second tower collapses. Then the first goes. Knowing that it took almost four hours for his office to fully evacuate after the '93 bombing, we fear that even if he escaped the fire, he may not have made it out in time.

I must admit that I did not take this well. At the time my mother was terminally ill (she's has since passed away) and I was an emotional wreck already. The thought of losing Doug--who is a wonderful man and father and my sister's soulmate--was really too much for me. However, I was trying to keep it together because, since my Mom was sick, my parents couldn't drive to NJ from Detroit to be with Lisa. I had to go. My Mom had always been our emotional rock and now I, the baby of the family, was being called on to try to provide comfort and strength for the worst possible circumstance. I didn't know if I had it in me.

This is where Patty comes in. Patty, the love of my life, my soulmate, my everything. She had been in class at her university, but rushed home when she heard. She arrived home to find me a mess. I was trying to pack clothes, etc., but all I was doing was sobbing. She packed my clothes and comforted me for a while, but then she finally pushed me up against the wall, kissed me soundly and told me that I had to get it together because my sister needed me. She told me that I was strong enough to do this, that WE were strong enough to do this and something in her eyes told me her words were true. It was our own private "strong like an amazon" moment. Except we hadn't even seen "The Body" yet. That scene had double the meaning for me when I finally saw it in reruns. I already knew I was going to spend forever with Patty, but something changed between us that day. There are spoken commitments and then there are proven commitments. In over six years, we've faced so much together and there has never been a question about "us," but, after this last year with 9/11 and my mother passing away, I'm quite confident now that there never will be. We are real.

Anyway, I was driving near Toledo, OH, on my way to NJ when I got a call on the cell phone telling me that Doug had survived. He was at a doctor's appointment on the 3rd Floor of the north tower when the first plane hit. He was undressed and the doctor left the room to see what that horrible noise was...and never came back!!! After a little bit, Doug got dressed and found a few other confused patients wandering the halls. Finally a nurse came running through and said get out. On the way out of the building, he helped carry out kids from a daycare center on the same floor. When he finally got outside, the second plane hit--going straight through his offices on the 82nd Floor--and a person standing next to him got hit by burning debri and was killed. He started moving away from the building, stopping to help where he could. He didn't have his cell phone because he'd left it up in his office when he took the elevator down to see the doctor. He couldn't find an available phone to call Lisa. He was about 3 blocks away when the first tower collapsed at which point he just started running. He finally found a phone in Midtown to call his poor wife. Lisa held it together until he called, but then broke down. His friend from the London office of his company had sent people over to the house to be with her. Once they found out Doug was okay, they all went to check on a neighbor woman. Her husband, sadly, never came home.

So, anyway, that was the scariest day of my life. And it's weird because we went from truly believing we had lost Doug to finding out he was alive. But getting the person back doesn't erase your body's knowledge of loss. After living a rather charmed life, I've experiened the death of a loved one to a prolonged illness and the shock--however briefly--of losing someone to sudden death. While I thankfully don't know the full reality of such a loss, I've tasted enough to feel sorrow and empathy for others who have lost in a way I never did before.

Our family is very thankful that Doug survived and we are spending today, as we have much of the last year, thinking of those who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks.

I'm so sorry.

Amy

[Kieli]

I guess I can add my story to the many others that are so touching.

Here at the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, TX, we have an entire 9-11 Tribute exhibit, replete with a multimedia kiosk tribute and list of the deceased from all points that were affected. I walked out of my house to go to work today and found our neighborhood oddly silent. It was if even the pets in the yards were remembering and mourning.


*********************************************

On September 11th at 8:30am CST, I had just walked into my office to go to work when Mary, the Museum registrar, came dashing in and said "Oh my god, turn on the radio!" I looked at her blankly and almost automatically reached for the radio that sat beside my desk.

The two data entry people who have the office in front of me walked in as the announcer had just mentioned the first plane had hit the first WTC tower. We just stared at the radio...numb and uncomprehending. Someone had brought in a portable telly by this point and hooked it up so that we could see. Nelda, the marketing secretary, came in and said, "It just happened again...oh god what is going ON?!" That is when we saw the first pictures being broadcast. Through the shocked silence in the room, the sadness and overwhelming sense of loss was palpable. By this time, the entire campus of West Texas A&M University was crowded around every available televsion, students streaming out of classes, many weeping openly and others venting their rage.
I felt bad for the foreign students on our campus because the Muslim and Thai students were the first to be targeted. The walked about the campus in groups, huddled together in fear....fear of the backlash and fear of reprisal.

What was more scary was the look of utter hatred in the eyes of some of the students as these groups of foreigners passed by. While the images of the flaming WTC were frightening to behold, the visions of uncontrolled rage that could be unleashed her on our campus was even more frightening.
I don't think I stopped crying for several hours that day. The pain that was in my chest was enormous, as if Atlas himself was sitting on my sternum. In a state where almost everyone carries a gun, I was worried about who would take to the streets. Hell, I even wanted to go buy a piece myself! I felt helpless to do anything but watch our world go up in flames.
My father is a former Philadelphia policeman, former Special Forces/82nd Airborne Ranger, my older half-brother is 82nd Airborne, my little brother is a Certified Paramedic with the Philadelphia Fire Department. They are my heroes, they are my family and I am proud of them. My only regret is that I was not still in the military in order to do the duties that the many servicewomen and men do and have done since that fateful day.

While the many tributes go on around the US today, I feel it is time we move on. I don't need anyone to help me remember, I can never forget. And nothing will haunt me all the rest of my days, than the pictures in Time magazine of those who leapt from buildings roiling with flames and melting steel only to meet their deaths hundreds of feet below. I see it when I close my eyes......and remember.

Let Freedom always ring and may we always be strong for each other. And I hope to G-D that we never forget that death knows no boundaries, no race, or sexual orientation. To it, we are all the same. Let us remember that in life as well....we are all the same. Equal. Free.

Toni

[Dave V]

I went to work and saw people gathered around the two tv's in the cafeteria, watching the horror unfold. Trying to get more info, people watched the websites for CNN and BBC go down - we got reports from an Australian news site until CNN's site came back up with just straight text. I remember Kittens in NY checking in and those, like Rocketdyke, describing what they saw. Our thoughts went out to all the victims and their families.

Many U.S. flights were re-routed to our airport here in Winnipeg, Canada. We figured that the U.S. was going to war. Much later, soldiers from the local light infantry battalion were involved in offensive operations in Afghanistan.

Today is my wedding anniversary. Jen and I have been married for 9 wonderful years. It's something nice to hold on to on a day like today.