.. As I sit here and ponder how I wasted yesterday watching football, I'm reminded about how I spent my day exactly five years ago today.
2001 was a very stressful year for me, and I think for just about everybody. September 20th is the day I got laid off of my $90,000 a year job. September 28th is the day that Dennis and I got married. December 27th, is the day Dennis and I separated for nine months, and we all know what happened September 11, 2001.
I remember waking up that day and being so excited because I was going in for my final fitting for my wedding dress, meeting with the florist to go over final plans, and I was going to shop for the sexy underthings that brides must endure. We were 18 days from being married and there was still so many things to do. Everybody was coming in from out of town so there were flights to coordinate, hotel rooms to book. My mind was traveling at about a thousand miles a minute. Until I glanced at the TV.
At first, the news only reported that an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center. Wow, I thought, what a freaky accident. And my mind went back to stupid things - like what was I going to wear today, how do I want to do my hair for my wedding, did we do the right thing inviting so and so when they don't get along with these nitwits over at this table? I remember sitting down and starting to make a list of everything I needed to get done that week when I looked up at the TV again. This time, at that precise moment I looked up, a second airplane slammed into the second tower of the World Trade Center. I remember it being surreal, like it really wasn't happening. This has to be one of the biggest coincidences in the history of all history - two planes crashing into two buildings that closely together. But my mind knew differently. It was no coincidence.
I sat there glued to the TV, like so many of us did not believing what I was seeing. Then the other two planes, one crashing into the Pentagon building, the other crashing in a field. Dear God, who could do such a horrible thing? Then the towers toppling down one floor at a time until there was nothing left. The shock of that day is something I will never forget. We, in the United States of America, were being attacked.
I was fortunate enough to not know anybody that had suffered any losses that day. It seemed like it was almost something out of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. But it wasn't. It was real. Too real. And I can't imagine the anguish that the families and friends of all the people that died that day went through then and are going through now. I pray that it never happens again, but someplace deep inside my heart I know this isn't the end. We must continue to go after the people responsible for these total acts of cowardice and not give up until they are defeated. Because next time, I might not be so lucky. It might be somebody I know and I love....might even be me.
Where were you? What were you doing on September 11, 2001?
What a nice message you had today. I can't believe it's been five years. My heart goes out to all the loved ones left behind. I believe that wasn't the end of an attack on us. It's just a matter of when.
I arrived at work to my boss fiddling with my radio. The station I listen to is hard enough to get in and takes a precise hand to get it there. I told him to STOP! Then he told me the horrible realization. At the same time our tech man was pulling down the big screen in the conference room and linking to CNN. We saw the second plane hit. A huge lump in my throat hit and I became numb. I instantly got on the telephone to call my daughter in upstate New York. She was at work and I woke her boyfriend up. She and her co-workers were glued to the TV as a co-worker had a sister working at the Pentagon and was awaiting word that she was OK. So surreal! A good friend of mine later told me that she worked at the Pentagon a few years back right in the area the plane hit. Another surreal moment.
BTW - my wedding anniversary is September 10. I feel like it doesn't exist. Too many heavy hearted feelings.
I was in California getting ready to go get a load at Heidi's cheesecake factory. When I heard on the radio that the towers where just attacked. I remember driving on I-5 in Los Angeles. There were people crying as they were driving to work or heading back home after they heard the Los Angeles city it self was shut down and nobody could get in or out.It was trouble is see that many people so out of place. I will never forget the way that I felt when I heard that it had happened.
I was driving to work after dropping off my son at school. My favorite radio station announced a plane had crashed into the Trade Center. I ran into the office to tell others and they had no response. We all thought it was an accident. I turned my radio on my desk and then it all started to unravel. I will never forget that day, crying with my coworkers and going next door to a Holiday Inn to watch the TV broadcasts. Later that evening explaining to my 7 year old son why Mommy was crying.
Mommy is still crying today, reliving it all over again.
That is so awesome of you to post a blog for the Sept 11. I've thought about it, but there is so much other coverage that I just couldn't think of what to say. So to look back at 2001 for me is a good idea, and thanks!
I was getting ready for work when all of a sudden my neighbor came over pounding on my door. He was talking so fast I didn't understand anything he said nor did I take him seriously (he's always been a story teller.) But when I got in the car to go, my heart sunk to hear what happened. I found it odd that my coworker didn't know anything about it when I arrived to work and I still remember the look on her face.
It was like time stopped. Our whole office was so distraught and spent the whole day listening to the news that we didn't get any work done. It was terrible. I couldn't believe someone would do such a thing.
2001 was also a rough year for me. My dad had died in June of course 911 and then the good thing was my daughter was born on 11/16.
I was sure that during that day my dd would be early. No dice, thats good for her and me. I had taken dh to work that morning and had to go back to the base to get him. He told me a plane had hit in ny. I though, a cessna? Then I went on to the bible study I had planned. As I was going I continued to listen to the news and while it was being broadcast, I heard the other plane hitting the pentagon. I continued on to church. Once their the secretary said "we're under attach". All I could do was leave to get my kids from school and pray.
When I first heard about it I was aobut an hour into what promised to be a crazy day. At the time I worked for a CPA firm and there wer many tax returns to get out the door.
I answered my phone and became very annoyed when a co worker who ALWAYS had something going on called in YET AGAIN!
She said... this is so and so and I am going to be late. Ready to scream I let her give me her latest excuse... but what I heard I was not ready for.
She told me that a plane had gone through the World Trade Center. We had no TV at the office so we all turned on our radios on.
I will never forget the events of that day. I did not know anyone hurt or killed but my heart goes out to those who did.
This was a great post today Sue, thank you for it.
I live in Long Island NY. On that day I was working in a factory to make extra money for a vacation we were going on. One of my co-workers who was from India got a call from her husband. When she got back to our table she was just saying "Its the worst day, its the worst day" over and over. Finally some guys who were working in the back told us what happened. Our supervisor got annoyed and told us to just keep working. Not until I got home and turned on the tv did I really get the full impact of what happened! Then I would hear how this person and that person didn't know where their son, daughter, husband or wife were. My neighbor's husband was a firefighter who died. My children's friends in school lost parents. A woman from my church lost her husband, she is speaking this sat. at a womans breakfast - that will be a ten hanky morning! It is really tough too because it is my daughters birthday, whenever she has to tell her date of birth people just look at her and go "oh".
I was sound asleep in my dorm room in California when the phone rang. My best friend called and was babbling about the planes, WTC, and the pentagon. I remember just going numb and thinking that I couldn't be hearing her correctly, that my sleep fuddled brain wasn't understanding what she was saying. Then it finally sunk in and jumped and turned on the radio. The rest of the day was spent in front of the TV watching everything unfold and comforting friends that had family/friends in NY.
I was in college. I didn't have class until 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I was planning on sleeping in. I woke up about 9 a.m. just because I had to go to the bathroom. On my way back to bed from the bathroom, I moved the mouse on my computer to see if anyone had instant messaged me. One of my family friends from Seattle had left me a message saying, "I hope your mom isn't traveling today and that everyone you know stays safe. Hope to talk to you soon." And so I thought to myself, "what the heck? What is she talking about?" I flipped on the TV and saw the towers burning.
My suitemates and I barely moved from in front of the TV that day. They cancelled all classes starting after 11 a.m. and I remember we just weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves.
One of our friends that lived in a suite downstairs... his mom was in the pentagon, she worked there. You can imagine his distress that day. It turned out that she was severely hurt, too. She worked right in that section of the pentagon and she was the only person in her department to survive.
I was in my car, taking my 2 1/2 year old daughter to a dance class. I heard the news about the 1st plane on WPLJ Radio out of NY and at first, thought it was some kind of practical joke. Then I heard about the 2nd plane crashing. When we got to dance class and were waiting inside, someone came in with the news about the Pentagon. I still didn't understand anything as I wasn't by a TV and only hearing word of mouth. So, I got back in the car and listened to 880AM WCBS out of NY the whole way home. They kept coming on with - I'll never forget this - this music for "Breaking News." Every time I hear it now I break into a sweat.
I had one friend lost (he worked for Cantor).
I also work in Midtown Manhattan. It is a surreal day here today.
On that day I was in college and I woke up to see the smoke coming out of the first tower that had been hit and seeing a caption that a plane had hit. I woke up my roommate and we were standing in front of the T.V. and saw the second plane hit. It was horrible, and it was at that moment I realized the guy I was seeing was at the WTC doing lighting for a conference that morning. My heart sank, I couldn't get through to him. Everytime I called his cell it was busy. The next day I got a call....from HIM. Saying his conference had been cancelled and he wasn't there at all that morning. God was on his side. I am now married to him.
I was just crawling out of bed and went to my computer room to fiddle with a new TV that was bought the day before, I turned it on and finally (got rid of the stupid TV guide thingy that some TV's have) when the second plane went thru the South Tower. I continued to watch in horror when i realized this was NO accident, another report of the Pentagon being hit, I imediately called my sister who lived 35 miles south of DC and had a son working in the district that day. He was ok but very much shaken and trying to leave the district which by the way took about 5 hours to do....I thank god everyday that I did not have any family or friends who were in these terror attacks and feel awful for the ones that were and their families. Long Live America!!!
I was getting ready to take my son to preschool. I was supposed to take him then come home to get ready to go to Chicago for a buisness lunch. When I was gone taking my son to school my mom called to tell my hubby not to let me go to the city.
I was working in retail at the time and happened to have the day off. I remember watching TV early in the morning and hearing about the first plane. I don't think I thought much of it at first - of course I worried people may have been hurt, but had no idea what size catastrophe was taking place.
I had a hair appointment that morning and I remember sitting in the chair getting my hair cut when it really hit me. The TV was on and all of the workers were worrying about what it all meant and what to do. Once I got home, I think I was glued to the TV for the rest of the day. I remember feeling disbelief, shock and fear all at once.
My thoughts are with everyone who lost someone they love that day.
The minute the first plane hit is probably right around the time I was getting on the train to go to work in Chicago. It seemed just like any other ordinary day. I got into work and there was a crowd of people standing around my desk (where there was a TV). I was wondering WTH was going on.
I got up there and saw what had happened and was so shocked by what I saw. I really wasn't even thinking straight either. I was thinking that it wasn't that bad and that the plane that hit the building was still flying around in the sky or something. Then it was just a few minutes later and I saw the south tower collapse. I knew that very moment that something went very very wrong.
Then the north tower collapsed. I just couldn't believe that not one, but 2 110 story buildings managed to collapse. All that concrete and steel.... it just didn't seem possible that a plane could do that.
They let us all go home early from work around 10 or 11 Central time. My sister (who worked there too) and I walked to Union station to get on a train and the place was totally packed. We were so scared because we worked just a few blocks from the Sears Tower, another potential target.
The people at Union Station were freaking out trying to get on a train. There were trains going out that wouldn't let anymore people on because all the seats, aisles, and vestibules were packed with people. Luckily a train finally came and it had enough space for me to get a seat with my sister. I called my other sister at home who was taking care of my son and told her that we were ok and coming home.
I too, was glued to the TV the entire day and couldn't believe how emotional Dan Rather got on the Letterman show. The whole day was just so shocking. For the next few weeks, all the flags were at half staff and every time I saw one I got teary-eyed.
My story is simple..... I was sitting on my couch using my laptop and watching Good Morning America. I was in shock.... called my mom and a couple of good friends and we were all in disbelief as we watched the events unfold.
5 years later, I again watched the coverage on GMA... even though it brought back those initial feelings of shock and fear, it was good that *something* was still the same 5 years later. Familiarity provides comfort...
What a nice message you had today. I can't believe it's been five years. My heart goes out to all the loved ones left behind. I believe that wasn't the end of an attack on us. It's just a matter of when.