149 20 7169 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: Before I found out I was in English class about to go to the library to check out a book. When we got to the library I saw a few men watch the t.v. I had no clue still what was happening until the men talked about it. When I found out I still realy didn't get the picture untill the next class when everyone in class was talking about it. Then I realized what happened I couldn't understand why people could do such horrible things. I went through the whole day with people talking about it. When I got home my mom and sister talked about and i did too. Later my mom and I found out one of my grandma's cousin worked in the pentagon but he didn't go to work that day so he was ok. I thanked god that none of my family was killed on that day but I felt sad for all the people who lost a relative. This day was a terrible day and I hope it will never happen again. This day will always have a spot in my heart for all the lost people including the firefighters, police men, and the civilians who did nothing but fight for our country. Also the people in the airplanes who died. I just thought what if I was on that plane that day, everybody asked that quetion to themselves. What if I was on that plane or in those buildings, would I be alive today or would I be dead? This day is a remembrance of all that has fought for our country to make us free but still today we aren't really that safe. We never will be safe untill human kind is gone. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story3520.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.193.126.63 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: My sister who lives with us was preparing to go on an all day outing with a friend. The friend is the one who alerted us to what was happening in New York. We knew my sister's daughter, Christine Snyder, had been in New York and Washington D.C. on a business trip for Outdoor Circle, Honolulu, Hawaii. She was due to fly home that day. My sister immediately called Christine's cell phone number but there was no answer. She left a message to call us soon as she could. This was 9:30 AM CST. Convinced that Christine would be leaving at noon from Newark and was alright, my sister went on her way. I worried about it all day and of course, continued to watch things on the news. I kept getting calls from family members asking if we had heard from Christine. All day long the phone rang. Around 5 PM I got a call from my nephew (Christine''s brother)in Hawaii saying that Christine had taken an earlier flight and had been on Flight 93. I refused to believe it, asking who told him and how did he know. We hung up and I sat there trying to digest what he said. 20 minutes later I called Hawaii and asked the same questions, this time talking to my other nephew. He, of course, told me the same thing...it had been confirmed by United Airlines. My husband refused to believe it so we put in a call to United ourselves to verify it. You give the information and then wait for them to call you back. Before they called us back, the counselor assigned to our family by United called for my sister. So we talked to him about it...a wonderful caring young man named Joe Hall, and a sweet lady named Sue Kment. I had the unpleasant task of calling another sister and a niece in CA, my son in MN and daughter here in WI. We are a close family and this news hit us all very hard. I also had the nerve-wracking task of waiting until my sister came home to break that awful news to her. She did not arrive home until 11 PM. That had to be the longest day of my life. I cannot end this story without telling how wonderful United Airlines treated our whole family. The flew us all to Hawaii first class, all 9 of us who attended the Celebration of Christine's Life. United provided rental cars, all the meals and expenses for us. Yet to this day, the whole horrendous day does not seem real and it seems impossible that Christine is gone. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story498.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-05-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.77.138.196 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I was working in my home office on September 11 and called my mother to see how she and my dad were doing and while we were talking my mother had the tv on and all of a sudden she screamed and said she had see a plan hit a building. I could not believe it and ran into another room and turned on the tv to see what was happening. I thought it was a movie and could not be real. It took several minutes for me to comprehend what was happening and then I saw the other plane hit the second building. Disbelief and fear for all those people in the buildings was what I felt. Fear took over because they were talking of other planes for other targets in the US. I prayed at this point getting down on my knees and asking God to be with us and protect us. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story6569.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 216.76.230.214 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: The day of the attack it was not great for people. It was not easy for the people who lost their family members. This is the day people will never forget. I was in the computer room when my teacher said ?? the World Trade Centers have been hit by planes??. After I heard that I was shocked. I wondered who could do this to the Americans. And destroy a great building at all. One thing I remember was at Social Studies on the day. When everyone mostly discussed about the attack and who did it. Even though we could not see anything on T.V. but when I got home I saw what happened and I was sad for the people who die. I was also scared that the terrorist would come here to where I live and start killing people. When I heard that Bin Laden had done this I was angry at him but after that attack we still stand united. After 9/11 it has changed my life a little. It has changed my life because I almost lost my cousin but he was in California. I was never there or near there that close to see. So I did have pain for those who died in the attack. It will be hard on 9/11/02 but people can make it through. Even for the people who lost family members. It is going to be hard ever September 11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story2408.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.158.163.14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: It was 9-11-2001 and I was preparing for a class that I and two co-workers were going to give that day. My dad called me, "turn on the television", he said. "Dad", I told him, "remember I'm at work and I don't have a television." He was out of breath and talking quickly, "terrorists have crashed planes into the World Trade Center in New York City. Get out of your building, get out of there." A co-worker was in my office and I quickly told her and another co-worker outside my office heard us and immediately turned on the radio and attempted to get news through the Internet. Soon, nearly all the 60+ employees on our floor had heard the news as we shared it over cubicles and out of office doors. My dad continued to be anxious for my welfare, since I work in a high-rise building, though only about one-third the height of the WTC towers. I asked him, "Dad, maybe two planes just crashed in mid-air over the buildings." I just couldn't believe that someone had purposefully done such a thing. But as I heard the news from my co-workers and I turned on my own radio, I learned that he was right. I assured him that I would be alright and told him that I loved him before we hung up. Later my brother called me saying the same thing, "Sis, get out of that building, get away from there." I assured him that I was okay and probably going to be okay. It was still incredulous to me that people would do such a horrible thing. Within a few minutes of this, my daughter called me from Ashtabula, Ohio in tears. She had turned on the television and see the second place hit the South Tower. Later, I was so thankful because when I looked at the flight path of United Flight 93, I realized that its flight had been changed from Cleveland, Ohio and probably flew over my daughter's home on its way to its terrible end in Pennsylvania. Today, I realize that people do such things. It is a fact that makes me more uneasy in my work place and, actually, in other familiar places as well. Now I carry my cell phone with me everywhere. I always tell my husband where I am going and when I expect to return. I am more watchful of the people around me and my surroundings, while at the same time, I try to let those close to me, including my co-workers, know that I appreciate them. A few days after the attacks a co-worker came to my office and gave me one of the lovely pewter hearts which her husband had given her. She said she wanted me to know that she values our friendship. I told her that I would carry it with me always as a remembrance of the care we should give one another. Now I know more of the story of why my parents were so worried that day. My dad and brother were talking together that morning and my mother was listening to a local radio station when she heard that a plane had crashed into the 'tower'. She immediately called for my dad and brother to be quiet because since it was a local station, she thought it was my work place. When they learned it was the WTC in New York City, though they were not as worried as before, they immediately recognized that this could happen anywhere. It bothers me that they suffered even one moment of worry and concern for my welfare. My dad passed away in April of 2002. In fact, on September 11, 2001, he was awaiting surgery that would, we hoped, give him more time to live. The surgery was postponed until November 30 and we had over four more months to have him with us. Whenever I think of 9-11-2001, it is difficult to separate my sorrow for our nation and the people who suffered such horrible losses and my own grief at losing my dad, my best friend. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story8167.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-27 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 66.144.136.32 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I was helping my grandson get some breakfast, preparing to take him to the hospital to see his mommy. I had the television on and saw the image of a large airliner crashing into a huge building in New York City. I thought that looked so unbelievable and wondered how such a mistake could happen. I shut the television off and took my grandson to the hospital. Only after we got there did I hear that there had been two crashes, and that they were deliberate acts of sabatoge. It was so unreal in the midst of a celebration of new life. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story8529.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-10-20 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.195.206.236 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: Will the one thing that realy brout home what happened that day was that when I looked up in the sky there was on air planes in the sky at all. That scraded me more than what Isaw on TV at day, because that made it real. That mite what happened really did happened. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story6539.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.15.185.55 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: On this day of September 11, 2001, I was at home asleep, when at about 7:10 I heard the phone ring. It was a cousin of mine from San Diego telling me to hurry up and turn on the televison. So I awoke up, quickly, fearing something terrible had happened, sure enough my fear had come true. The first thing that crossed my mind, was my cousin who lives in New York,was he okay, was he in the Twin Towers. The worst fear that I've ever felt had come to me. All I could think of was, if he was alright, how can we get a hold of him and thinking about my aunt, his mother. I feared the worst. When talking to my cousin, from San Diego, I was so scared that I began to cry. I had this sadness in me knowing that my cousin may not be okay. Finally after hours of waiting, my cousin finally called and said that he was okay. We had great relief knowing he was alright. He was shaky but he was alright. He told us it was very scary and that he was sad and lonely. He was deciding to come home, but since all of the USA was in high alert, he would wait until it was safe to come back. He was thinking about returning in a couple of weeks after that day, but sadly he had to fly out seven days exactly, because his brother, our cousin, had passed away. Not only is September 11, 2001 going to be a day of rememberance for our country, the month will be, a month, we as well as many families will never forget. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story5980.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 65.139.44.48 Notes Notes about this item. From Tracy, CA Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: Like any other day I had taken my 8 year old to school and had my 11 year old with me for homeschooling. I was thinking how it was my brothers birthday and what I would get for him. I had to make a stop at the store and over heard someone say a plane hit the World Trade Center. I thought no big deal someone flew a small two seater to low they would have it fixed in no time. Well was I ever surprised when I found out what really happened. I know that I was in such shock I really did not know how to act. My son asked me what happened and I explained to him what little I knew. When I got to work and saw on T. V. what was really going on I thought oh my god how could anyone do this to all these innocent people. It has been a year and I still cry for all of those people that lost there lives on that day and wonder if my heart will ever stop aching for them and their families. I know now not to take life for granted kiss and hug my husband and children everyday no matter what and to make sure that the first and last thing that they hear from me is that I love them. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story3423.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.244.229.11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: While drinking coffee on our balcony early that morning, my husband turned on his pager, and read a news alert about a plane crash. We turned on the TV and saw the Pentagon on fire, and then the newscasters switched back to NYC. My husband left to go to work, and he called me to say that the roads were empty. As we spoke, the first tower collapsed. I remember simply sobbing to him, horrified and saddened for those unfortunate souls trapped inside. I know intellectually that human tragedies of enormous, soul-sickening proportion happen all the time... I am a history instructor, after all. However, seeing it in color on TV, and hearing the trembling voices of those left behind, mourning their loved ones has made a permanent etching in me, like acid on glass. I guess that like many fellow Las Vegans, I worried-- and still do-- that our city remains an easy target, but I will never walk in Vegas or fly throughout the US in fear. Fear is a victory for terrorists. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story1982.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.120.52.171 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I recently asked my mom if she ever contemplates how another terrorist attack would happen. She replied, ?I don?t know. You should get help.? I realized that I was causing her discomfort so I decided to change the topic. We chatted about my sister and her kids, argued over my dad?s business, and discussed the new door they?ve installed out in the country. I have always been capable of talking about one thing while thinking about something else. I responded to her questions with fluidity and coherence, ?What kind of door?? ?When do the kids start school?? At the same time, I was thinking, ?Will it be a brief flash followed by a mushroom cloud?? My mother and I hung up the phone and I was grateful that I didn?t cause her despair over my morose state of mind. I felt good about disguising my usual panic and terror for once and hearing her say, ?Goodbye, Sweetheart? instead of ?Would you like me to get on a plane and meet you?? The Office of Homeland Security has once again heightened the level of terror alert to "High". Now, as I write, I?m wondering if it will happen the very moment I glance out my window. Will it occur at Yankee Stadium tonight at 8? Will a van carrying nerve gas crash into the Brooklyn Bridge? Will I be lying in bed at 4:30 in the morning when I hear a sonic boom? Will I know what hit me? Will I have time to react as a loud rumble ripples toward my apartment in Brooklyn Heights as the wave of destruction obliterates me and my entire city? John Ashcroft is asking the American people to be vigilant but to go on with their business as usual. In the weeks following last year's attacks, Tom Ridge and the director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, repeatedly asked the average citizen to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Well now, that's rich. Suspicious people are precisely why New York exists; the maniacs and shysters of the world have been flocking to this city for centuries. I often suggest to my mom that I would like to move away from here. She reassures me by telling me that I just have to live my life day by day, and if I die, well? Then I die. She seems to be just a little too at ease with the idea of her only son being blown to bits. I mean, she?s mortified, yes, but she?s also resigned to the madness of human behavior; and that?s something she can not control. She reminds me that as a child in Budapest during the war, Jews were being rounded up as bombs rained over their innocent little heads. Some comfort! What have I personally done? What has my family done? My friends? What have any of us done to deserve to live in such terror? Basically, I'm just this stupid man thingy... I've got allergies and paper cuts; I have hair on my knees; I can imitate that guy from the B-52?s; I need to replace my cordless phone (I?m sick of having to buy a new one every ten days!); I can make people laugh. I'm just a big dummy who is being forced to live under this umbrella of fear for the rest of my life. Why don't I move? Sometimes I think I'm just like the Jews of Europe refusing to leave knowing they were doomed. I tend to push it all out of my mind as I bargain with myself: I'll just stay a little longer, until I can see some small success in my measly life; I don't want to move away without feeling that I've accomplished something; I don't want to move and have to start all over again. New York fills me with self-doubt and hate. I'm fat, bald, old, grey, unemployed, sexually dysfunctional, forever single and alone... Where am I going to go? How do I start over with all this damage and meshugas? I have so much emotional baggage; I don?t need a lover, I need a porter. And, why are my parents so complacent, anyway? They seem to be as impotent as I am, but I?m the one who?s hysterical. Oh yes, I forgot? I?m the one living within spitting distance of Ground Zero while my family is way up in Canada, shopping at Costco and buying doors at Home Depot. A few years ago, I had a New Age therapist when I moved back to Montreal after my second ?vacation? (that?s what I call my nervous breakdowns. What do you call yours?). The therapist?s office was filled with the soothing sound of synthesized classical music and smelled like a hippy who had finally taken a shower. In fact, my therapist was a kind of 60's-guru type with a PhD in Psychology: a spoiled, rich, WASP male, with all the luxury and comfort to afford a life of yoga, feng shui and organic food. I hated him immediately. In my second and final session, I walked into his office and saw him waiting for me across the room; sitting in his leather executive office chair in the lotus position. He unfolded his legs as I sat down, and rolled himself over to me using his bare feet for propulsion, just like Fred Flintstone. He came within a couple of inches of my face and stared into my eyes. He whispered in a soft and caring voice, ?Ernie, where do you live?? He placed his hand firmly on my head and asked, ?Do you live here?? Then he moved his hand down to my heart and continued, ?Where do you live, Ernie? Do you live here?? Finally, he slid his hand onto my crotch, and asked, ?Do you live here?? After getting over my initial shock, I pointed to my head and replied, (long pause) ?Here.? With all his shakra nonsense and crystals, I suppose he wasn?t as bad a therapist as I thought. Ten years later, I am still trying to move all the energy from my mind into the rest of my body and live more viscerally. In this city that never sleeps, I am wide awake. It is 3:20 am. Believe me, I would prefer sleeping over ranting at this very moment, but I can?t stop the neurons from bouncing around in my head. My mind is overflowing with ideas and thoughts; I, like many people, moved here for stimulation and to become rich and famous for achieving something or other. Even before 9-11, New Yorkers have been perceived as neurotic, self-obsessed and malcontent ? overall, however, I think we are the most resilient and well-adjusted people in the Western world. Contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers have a healthy balance of self-actualization and self-doubt. This city forces people to focus on the madness around them as opposed to the madness within themselves (and today, my dear reader is the maddest time of all). With the exception of the Son of Sam, New York has never produced a disenchanted young boy locked in his parents? garage building pipe-bombs or white supremacists forming militias. At very least, New York is the perfect antidote to life in quieter places where people stand out if they?re too bright, too happy, too depressed, too gay, too creative, too horny, too independent, too ambitious. For those of us whose minds are constantly racing, New York is the Kentucky Derby. Because of September 11th, however, my thoughts are stuck at the gate. I blame everything on the 11th: my weight gain, my inability to focus on editing a film I shot two years ago, my sleeping problems, my failure to be in a relationship, my anxiety, my drifting from job to job, etc. Nobody knows that I?m referring to the 11th of March, 1973, but why should that matter? The truth is, I came to this city because I?m a dreamer. I still harbor fantasies of becoming a Broadway dancer or an actor or David Bowie or an astronaut or a fireman; constantly reinventing myself in true New York fashion (even if it is only in the shower). When it comes to who I am or what I want to be, I know less at 37 than I did at 17. Although, I?m constantly depressed and bored with myself, typically, my Jewish sense of the absurd prevails; I shrug my shoulders and sigh, ?As long as a 767 doesn?t fly through my forehead, why get upset?? Everyone advises me that I can?t live in constant fear. ?You have more of a chance to die in a car accident than getting killed by Bin Laden.? I don?t think they get it. I suppose I?ve always been conscious of my own mortality, but in the past, I?ve never given much thought to Zabar?s being vaporized. I guess my mom?s right: I?ll just have to live my life day by day, and if I die, well? Then I die. In the meantime, I?ll just pour myself a Manhattan, pray for another subway series, and enjoy the time I?ve got left. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story3501.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 152.163.188.6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: This day still makes me feel a little bit creepy. Back in those days I used to work as a Flight Attendant for a portuguese airline (AIR LUXOR). And during the Summer 2001 we were having 3 flights a week LISBON (PORTUGAL) to JFK and NEWARK. I was in the last flight crew. As the plane returned to Portugal, we stayed in Newark resting and we were returning to Lisbon (in a TAP AIR PORTUGAL flight) during the 10th September afternoon. I was with my wife, Sara, who was also my colleague, and I remember crossing a bridge towards JFK Airport as we saw Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty, and I said: "Look Sara, this is all we get this year. You know... I'm already missing those walks downtown through ChinaTown, TriBeCa, SoHo. And look the Twin Towers, the ...". Ten minutes later a car crashed into the van that was carrying us to the airport. We stayed still in a traffic jam for a long time and when we arrived at the check-in it was closing. We were the last 10 people to check-in. The next morning at home, watching those images I wondered what could have happened to me if had stayed there. As we had the car crash and were thinking about losing the flight, we were planning to climb the WTC the next day. Everyday in the Summer 2001 when I was in NY, we stayed in Newark and we used to take the train to the WTC station, where we were used to arrive about 8.30/9.00 in the morning and have breakfast near the station exit. Was it luck, was it God. I think will never know. But one thing I know. I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET THOSE TWO DAYS AND HOW THEY COULD HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE. God bless you all and that those who deceased rest in peace forever and in our hearts. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story6050.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 212.18.166.19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I woke up around 8:50 am. September 11, 2001, to get my daughter ready for her kindergarten class in the afternoon...turned on the tv. with the volume all the way down...which was set on CNN from the night before...., I called my sister and said something was on cnn that looked like a movie....only to soon after witness the second plane hitting the second tower of the trade center....I turned up the volume and realized then, that this was not a movie...it was completely real...and could not believe in my heart of hearts that someone would actually cause such chaos, hurt innocent people and ultimately end up killing so many......I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.....I now have a fiancee' who's buddy was Tommy Foley of Rescue Co. 3 NYFD, who ended up dying that day...it effects my fiancee' greatly and myself to see families, friends and aquaintances hurting so much.....May God Almighty avenge these victims and their families...and I believe He will...... Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story3264.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.60.226.30 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: On September 11th, 2001, I was an 18-year old college freshman. It was my second day of college, and I arrived at school at the exact moment the first plane hit the World Trade Center. I ran to find the nearest TV that wasn't crowded, so I went to the school bookstore, and watched in horror at 9:02 a.m. as one of the towers came down. It was so scary. The images played before my eyes over and over again. I went to class at 10:30 that morning, and the class was dismissed at 12:20, as it was supposed to. The campus cancelled all of its classes after 2:30, and all of the residents had to remain on the campus in the dorms and apartments. Commuters (like myself), faculty, and administration had to leave the campus. he next day, we discussed what happened during my Media, Culture, and Society class. I'm now 20 years old and will begin my junior year in September 2003, but I'll never forget what happened my freshman year, on that beautiful late-summer morning. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story9364.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-07-03 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.209.8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: on september,11 2001 i was lock up but it hurt me very much i wish till this day i could fight for the country i love but this country will never fell and pray that this want happen again but you never know what might happen i just thank god for letting me wake up every day thats really something we shall be pround of. GOD BLESS AMERICA FOR EVER ALWAYS Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story8633.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-11-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 216.109.8.110 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: It is a day that I will never forget. I was at home doing my housework listening to the Today show, when I heard them say that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers. Then a little while later when the second plane hit all I could think of was what in the heck was going on with the planes in New York. As the time went by, I like I'm sure everyone else was, sat there in front of the tv crying and praying to God that there would be people found alive. I watched the news coverage all day and night and into the next few days. I remember as a child the anxiety of the Bay of Pigs and all that anxiety came flooding back to me. Not concern for me, but for my grandchildren. I must say though, that when I heard the President speak I did feel a little less anxious. It it a shame that there are people that hate Americans, when in this day and age everyone should just get along. I still pray to God that these people will be stopped so no one else ever will have to worry about terrorism again. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story3608.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 12.110.173.2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: It started out like any other school day as far as I can remember. I took the bus to school went to first period and slept. At around 9:10 I traveled down the hall to my next period, which was Spanish at the time and took a seat thinking it was going to be just another normal day of Spanish class. About 10 minutes into the period Mrs. Gipe (my Spanish teacher) walked out of the room to have a quick 1-minute talk with one of the fellow teachers next door. She came back in with a look of disbelief and concern on her face. Then she told my class and I that there was something on T.V that we needed to see as she turned on the T.V. There stood tower one of the World Trade center with a smokey gaping hole a little bit above the middle of it. My whole class was shocked and speechless. We all just sat there and stared at the T.V screen in awe. We all thought that it was just an accident; some plane was just flying too low and lost control. But, about 15 minutes later a large charter plane came out of the left of the T.V screen and smashed right into tower number 2 of the World Trade Center. It was the most horrific thing I had ever seen in my life. The only thing I could think about was my whole family and if they were ok, considering my whole family lives in New York. For the rest of the day there was basically no school just a bunch of very concerned and confused people walking around the halls and the classrooms with the TV's on wondering why this had to happen. I will always remember exactly where I was and what happened on September 11th 2001, how could anyone forget..... Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story3076.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.50.139.249 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I was still in bed asleep when the first tower was hit, although I was to wake up just a few minutes later. My clock radio woke me at 5:55am PDT (8:55am EDT) that morning, just five minutes after the first tower was hit. I had it on a Phoenix news/talk station. As I was trying to wake up, the first things I remembered hearing were panicky voices and words like "fire" and "building". Then I heard "World Trade Center". I thought they were playing a tape of the first attack in 1993. Then I heard the local announcer's voice saying that we were listening to live coverage from NYC radio station WCBS Newsradio 880, then he said what happened. I then ran to the TV, put it on CBS and saw the most horrible sight I ever woke up to. There was a hole in the North Tower and it was on fire. Bryant Gumbel, then the host of "The Early Show", was interviewing a witness by phone as they were showing the live pictures. Initially, no one was sure what to make of this, was it an accident? They also considered terrorism only because of the first attack years earlier, otherwise they had no clue what caused that plane to smack into the tower. The witness who called in said the plane did not show any signs of trouble, other that it flew "very low" and "looked as if was aiming for that building". Just a few minutes later, I saw the second plane smack into the South Tower as it happened live. The person Gumbel was interviewing screamed, "oh my God, a second plane just hit the other tower!" She then concluded, "I think it's obvious, this was done on purpose." To say that I was thinking "this day is not going to be like any other" was an understatement. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story1910.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-08 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.3.79.243 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I woke up last september 11th. Just before the first tower got hit by the first plane. I remember watching it in horror. Wondering to myself how. How could someone have so much hatred in them to kill innocent people and hurt many others. I personally lost no one. But my heart goes out to all the families who did. It was a tragic day in history. hopefully it pulls us together to become a better nation than we were. It hurts every day to think of so many people that lost their lives. How they are going to miss out on their children growing up. And the children who know longer have a mother,father,sister,aunt,uncle,and brothers. It was a horrifying day No one will soon forget. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story5237.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 216.93.16.170 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: 9/15/01 The vigil On Friday night our neighborhood lit candles for the people who are missing in the World Trade Center tragedy. It started small...Kenny and I and the baby went downstairs with a little white votive candle in a glass cup. We met Daniel and Caren on the way down; we found out that Caren worked in the WTC (or was it in 5 or 7?) and was a little late to work on Tuesday; when her train reached Cortland St. instead of stopping it went on to Rector St. As she got to the street she saw the first tower in flames and then saw plane crash into the second tower. She ran down the street; I think she said that a fireman or someone pulled her into a doorway to cover her from the debris; then she ran further east and got onto a train uptown. I?ve heard so many stories now, I?m confused what happened to whom, sorry. I should knock on her door tomorrow, it seems that people are feeling even worse now that the enormity of it all, how close they came, begins to sink in. Caren said that she?d been feeling sick all week, and she looked puffy and not put together; usually she has such a great sense of style... Anyway soon two women who live in Dennis? old apartment came down, then Maggie who lives with Misia and then Karen T. We all had candles and lit them. Across the street at the musicians? building there were some people with candles; it was just beginnng to get dark so we could still see each other but the little glows of the candles across the street shone more brightly for being under those thick trees that fill with white blooms in the spring. Looking down Claremont Ave we saw people in front of the next building, one of the several our landlord is renovating and we have been comiserating with some of the tenants who are now suffering what we have gone through. Soon it became clear that people were moving up the block, beginning to walk with their candles; some who looked like students; Latina mothers and their kids; a prof kenny knows from Rutgers and his family. We followed them around the corner to Broadway. There on the corner we gathered for a while, while the mostly empty trains passed overhead, bored conductors looking on with surprise. Some people carried flags -- one young man had a big flag like someone leading a parade might carry, but with a shorter pole so it washed through the crowd at eye level. Someone started singing and then we all joined in as we could; we did God Bless America; the Star Spangled Banner, and Oh Beautiful. I don?t like these songs, usually, or their nationalist meaning (well Oh beautiful is ok, at least it?s about natural beauty of this land). But this night I could hardly get the words out thinking of all those people lost in an instant never knowing what was happening or having a chance to say goodbye to the people they love. And also thinking about this gathering, how extraordinary for this whole mixed up neighborhood to be doing something all together, any simmering resentments or prejudices or misunderstandings or blindnesses ignored, insignificant for now: students paying exhorbitant rents for crowded shares in shoddily renovated apartments; older folks who have seen waves of us come and go, some with children and grandchildren and great grandchildren on the block or even the same building by now; the family who works in the laundry and parks their lawn chairs on the corner, smoking and hanging out with their kids all the summer nights; musicians who settled in after attending the music school down the street; the guys with the african talking drums who played at the demos to fight the eviction of the roti restaurant and the old lady over on tiemann place ... Karen T and I caught up on our news and what we had heard while Kenny carried baby Leo on his shoulders and mingled with his friend the professor and others, too, I guess; lost track of Caren and Daniel, maybe it was too much for them. But there were a lot of people now, still coming down from Claremont and from Broadway and maybe even from Morningside Gardens and the Grant Projects. We started moving up Broadway again; past the Chinese and African Restaurants, the newly expanded laundry, Thrifty?s supermarket ( I still miss Angel Sr and Jr); the other remaining bodega. We stopped again in front of Toast, the new yuppie restaurant bar (yummie portobello mushroom sandwiches and strong coffee), now maybe a hundred people crowding around, on the other side too in front of the new pizza place and the Chinese takeout and African art and frame store all the way down to the Chinese drycleaner on the corner. In the middle in front of Toast a woman and two guys, one with a flag, seemed to be leading the songs: probably music students because they could sing all the hard to reach notes.We were spilling out to the street now, I walked around to see what was happening and tried to get ?all we are saying is give peace a chance? a chance itself but it didn?t catch on. The candles glimmered more now; dusk was settling in. Some people like us had little votive candles; others had big dripless candles with paper cups around them to keep the wind from blowing them out; one woman had a tray with five or six big candles well melted on and bright. Then we started moving again; I caught up to Kenny and the baby though our candles kept blowing out as we crossed Broadway and I had to ask people for their candles to light it again. We turned at the Twin Donut onto 125 St and crossed again on to ?Old Broadway? by the Community Board office. When we passed the old synagogue it was open for services; it was the first time I?d seen inside: small and somewhat plain but people were there; it looked like a church with rows of benches leading up to something like an altar in front. Around the corner the crowd filled the street; we first passed the emergency services garage to the station itself, but then the front of the crowd came back, led by a cop, I guess, but not in a regular uniform. He said, they have lost someone... We gathered around, next to a emergency truck coming out of one of the garages. A man thanked us for coming and for bringing so much support over the past week -- -- he said that three of their crew were still missing and that in the 17 years that he had been with the force, that he had always felt that they were giving something to the community, ?but in the last four days, what you?ve given to us I could never repay.? He repeated himself, he wanted to say more but couldn?t. We all applauded, and sang some more; I didn?t see but K said when the man finished speaking he turned to break down in tears. We continued on 126 st, passing several cops who had come outside to watch and possibly the commanding officer (with lots of medals and badges on his shirt). I wonder if they had ever seen a demo in support of them before in this neighborhood. West Harlem isn?t known, I don?t think, for its strong support of our cops though I know on our street there are several families with cops and firemen and other city workers. For me it was moving not only because of what happened but also because in a way, this is what it should be, we should be able to appreciate their courage and commitment (which after all, is to protect us) and not be angry at their failings. Back on 125 st we approached the fire house, picking up more people; famlies, individuals, homeboy teenagers with a couple candles each. It took a while for everyone to gather round across the front and again we spilled into the street. One of the firemen spoke; I don?t remember what he said. But people sang again; some guys looked on from the windows on the second floor and then everyone started filing past to shake all the firemen?s hands, thanking them personally, one by one. It took a long time. Then they carefully placed their candles to the side of the entrance; a woman asked the drummers to play a rhythm for ?this little light of mine, I?m going to let it shine? and we all sang that for a while (Leo fascinated by the drums, watching intently and trying to touch or shake the tamborine sometimes). Afterward Kenny and I spoke to one of the firemen, a big guy; clearly with arms of steel and a warm face. He said that this firehouse was a busy one so that people were moved through it, I got the impression that especially newer firefighters came through for a year or two to get experience. So far one guy who had just finished his first year there was missing, and someone who had spent seven years there but was now with another unit was also missing; the unit hadn?t been called up at first so no one was missing from their current staff. He said that he can deal with the two or three funerals a year of his friends, usually it?s heart attacks, young guys, but this was too much, this is different. Some units downtown have 12, 13 members missing, and some of the special units are just gone, he said. Then he asked if he could hold the ?little guy? and he picked him up and swung him in the air -- high but gently -- I felt that Leo had recieved some sort of special blessing, a laying on of hands, something that would give him a special protection for the future. We walked back and it didn?t seem as dark.... diana agosta Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story895.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-07-16 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.244.179.115