story939.xml
Title
story939.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-07-27
911DA Story: Story
911 Day
For many, like myself, especially living in Manhattan, the day was horrendous, shocking, unimaginable and I cried a lot inside (and out). It is a day to stamp onto history, in infamy, regardless of one?s politics or perspective. Personally, it was one of the hardest days emotionally I?ve had to live through?
I am not afraid to say I am traumatized.
We?re OK. Physically and health-wise, we are fine. At the time, Joanne was at work at her client?s location, and I was home sleeping- she called moments later after the first plane hit to wake me, by the time I got up, both towers of the World Trade were lit up?
Watching it unfold on CNN digital cable TV and in a real live view from our high-rise apartment. (The TV is right next to the window)- I was mesmerized, surfing the news and simultaneously using my high-powered binoculars: seeing it actually happening, burning , it was totally overwhelming, almost unbelievable, looking right at it in a real time viewpoint, in real life - sirens screaming one after another all hours, and on CNN live, animated, mediated on the screen- my urban space became the global stage- instant news from a place of the current crisis international ?
Joanne?s vendor company was located in the WTC. (It?s weird to say "was" being that it was still existing only hours ago.) If you remember, I sent out some attachments with photos of July 4th fireworks last year, taken from the 83rd floor. In the past, we have spent plenty of time around the immediate area ("ground zero"), shopping in the WTC mall and shops outside and eating at favorite restaurants there and close by. Her company, IQ Financial, the maker of the bank loan administration software that Joanne implements for their customers, is one of the hundreds of companies located there. She has known many of her friends and associates from that office, for years, even before moving to NYC.
Joanne had an office in the WTC building #2 last year, and could have gone to work for the company further as an employee, had she not signed directly with her client French bank. She still had been working on a consistent basis with many of the people there, and had been in contact socially with several, considering a few her very good friends. We have gone out together, eating, drinking with them and even have been to the Jets football games together. When Joanne got home she spent some time on the phone, trying to get word about her friends- these people are our good friends? and they have not been heard from. It is ironic and upsetting for me to think that the dedicated workers were the ones that went back up. It?s the good ones that always get the shaft. They all die young.
We?re hoping for some word tomorrow- The phone?s been ringing off the hook? The missing people?s family members are going crazy?
For myself, I was wide awake upon opening the shades and seeing the fires topping the buildings, surreal smudges of soot, distinct flames in the four mile distance- the Twin Towers were like candles, incense sticks starting to burn down. It didn?t occur to me the gravity of the situation at first- I thought, maybe they were small prop planes and they?d eventually put out the fire, with only a few injured or killed- no big deal. But this was. I took a bunch of pictures, as I watched the TV coverage zoomed in on the World Trade Center. And when the horror escalated, an explosion of TV media coverage; interviews and reportage on-the-scene; repeating the video clips over and over- I started to breath harder and my heart started feeling heavy. As the South Tower collapsed, my heart sunk, and I would have dropped to the floor if the couch were not right at my knees. All I could think of was Joanne?s former office people- our friends and 10,000 others! It was as if my aura was being depleted- swept along by the rise thousands of souls into the cloud of smoke. When the second tower fell, I was already drenched in tears- devastated by the thought of buried masses and in anguish made more terrible by familiarity making personal the place? and the faces?
Thousands of lives and deaths- several people said as they were evacuating, climbing down the stairs, the firefighters were making their way up, shortly afterwards, only minutes after the people get out- the tower collapsed?
Thousands of stories-
One of Joanne?s friends- a British co-worker of Joanne?s, called his wife on his cell phone from the stairwell saying he couldn?t get out of the building because the levels below were too hot- in effect he had a chance to say good-bye- he had three kids?
Another one of Joanne?s friends- leaving the building, she got down the many levels, continued down flights of stairs, got below the levels when and where the 2nd plane hit, and while feeling the rumbling, shaking of the building, kept going, calmly proceeding, left the building- they were walking away, when their tower collapsed, and the air became thick with dust and smoke, and everything turned pitch black - it was then that she became afraid and thought she was going to die! She was talking to Joanne on the phone this evening and said she is in shock- terrified, afraid to think about going out again and can?t leave the clutches of her husband?s arms?
So, Joanne and I hugged a lot and said, as we always do, that we are so lucky to have each other?
The sun then set on the once majestic buildings of the skyline, some now only debris and rubble, and overhead the light of day changed to black, like enough was enough, there was nothing left, our spirit was all spent? Late night, the cooler atmosphere disguised the horrible scene, the hot acrid smoke over lower Manhattan- where if ever after that dissipates; heaven will claim a part of it?
The politicians tell us we will be strong and are going to be fine. But, I have no resolve; I have no strength left- I am a dependent individual and have look to the new global media for a message; I depend on the stratosphere to filter the air I breathe and look to the world-wide state of affairs to satisfy my questioning, maybe in this way I can work out the pain and disgust, and gain a little strength to hang on-
I?m staying tuned to CNN- a division of AOL/ Time-Warner?
AOL/Time Warner Center is under construction 1 short block from our hi-rise residential building at the southwest corner of Central Park. At the moment it is at 5-6 floors high. It will be a large complex and house Jazz at Lincoln Center, restaurants, shopping mall, office space, and condos- starting at $5mil. Due to rise to 50+ levels and to be completed in 2003, it will be massive Twin Towers?
It may be a long time before people on earth will be fine.
For many, like myself, especially living in Manhattan, the day was horrendous, shocking, unimaginable and I cried a lot inside (and out). It is a day to stamp onto history, in infamy, regardless of one?s politics or perspective. Personally, it was one of the hardest days emotionally I?ve had to live through?
I am not afraid to say I am traumatized.
We?re OK. Physically and health-wise, we are fine. At the time, Joanne was at work at her client?s location, and I was home sleeping- she called moments later after the first plane hit to wake me, by the time I got up, both towers of the World Trade were lit up?
Watching it unfold on CNN digital cable TV and in a real live view from our high-rise apartment. (The TV is right next to the window)- I was mesmerized, surfing the news and simultaneously using my high-powered binoculars: seeing it actually happening, burning , it was totally overwhelming, almost unbelievable, looking right at it in a real time viewpoint, in real life - sirens screaming one after another all hours, and on CNN live, animated, mediated on the screen- my urban space became the global stage- instant news from a place of the current crisis international ?
Joanne?s vendor company was located in the WTC. (It?s weird to say "was" being that it was still existing only hours ago.) If you remember, I sent out some attachments with photos of July 4th fireworks last year, taken from the 83rd floor. In the past, we have spent plenty of time around the immediate area ("ground zero"), shopping in the WTC mall and shops outside and eating at favorite restaurants there and close by. Her company, IQ Financial, the maker of the bank loan administration software that Joanne implements for their customers, is one of the hundreds of companies located there. She has known many of her friends and associates from that office, for years, even before moving to NYC.
Joanne had an office in the WTC building #2 last year, and could have gone to work for the company further as an employee, had she not signed directly with her client French bank. She still had been working on a consistent basis with many of the people there, and had been in contact socially with several, considering a few her very good friends. We have gone out together, eating, drinking with them and even have been to the Jets football games together. When Joanne got home she spent some time on the phone, trying to get word about her friends- these people are our good friends? and they have not been heard from. It is ironic and upsetting for me to think that the dedicated workers were the ones that went back up. It?s the good ones that always get the shaft. They all die young.
We?re hoping for some word tomorrow- The phone?s been ringing off the hook? The missing people?s family members are going crazy?
For myself, I was wide awake upon opening the shades and seeing the fires topping the buildings, surreal smudges of soot, distinct flames in the four mile distance- the Twin Towers were like candles, incense sticks starting to burn down. It didn?t occur to me the gravity of the situation at first- I thought, maybe they were small prop planes and they?d eventually put out the fire, with only a few injured or killed- no big deal. But this was. I took a bunch of pictures, as I watched the TV coverage zoomed in on the World Trade Center. And when the horror escalated, an explosion of TV media coverage; interviews and reportage on-the-scene; repeating the video clips over and over- I started to breath harder and my heart started feeling heavy. As the South Tower collapsed, my heart sunk, and I would have dropped to the floor if the couch were not right at my knees. All I could think of was Joanne?s former office people- our friends and 10,000 others! It was as if my aura was being depleted- swept along by the rise thousands of souls into the cloud of smoke. When the second tower fell, I was already drenched in tears- devastated by the thought of buried masses and in anguish made more terrible by familiarity making personal the place? and the faces?
Thousands of lives and deaths- several people said as they were evacuating, climbing down the stairs, the firefighters were making their way up, shortly afterwards, only minutes after the people get out- the tower collapsed?
Thousands of stories-
One of Joanne?s friends- a British co-worker of Joanne?s, called his wife on his cell phone from the stairwell saying he couldn?t get out of the building because the levels below were too hot- in effect he had a chance to say good-bye- he had three kids?
Another one of Joanne?s friends- leaving the building, she got down the many levels, continued down flights of stairs, got below the levels when and where the 2nd plane hit, and while feeling the rumbling, shaking of the building, kept going, calmly proceeding, left the building- they were walking away, when their tower collapsed, and the air became thick with dust and smoke, and everything turned pitch black - it was then that she became afraid and thought she was going to die! She was talking to Joanne on the phone this evening and said she is in shock- terrified, afraid to think about going out again and can?t leave the clutches of her husband?s arms?
So, Joanne and I hugged a lot and said, as we always do, that we are so lucky to have each other?
The sun then set on the once majestic buildings of the skyline, some now only debris and rubble, and overhead the light of day changed to black, like enough was enough, there was nothing left, our spirit was all spent? Late night, the cooler atmosphere disguised the horrible scene, the hot acrid smoke over lower Manhattan- where if ever after that dissipates; heaven will claim a part of it?
The politicians tell us we will be strong and are going to be fine. But, I have no resolve; I have no strength left- I am a dependent individual and have look to the new global media for a message; I depend on the stratosphere to filter the air I breathe and look to the world-wide state of affairs to satisfy my questioning, maybe in this way I can work out the pain and disgust, and gain a little strength to hang on-
I?m staying tuned to CNN- a division of AOL/ Time-Warner?
AOL/Time Warner Center is under construction 1 short block from our hi-rise residential building at the southwest corner of Central Park. At the moment it is at 5-6 floors high. It will be a large complex and house Jazz at Lincoln Center, restaurants, shopping mall, office space, and condos- starting at $5mil. Due to rise to 50+ levels and to be completed in 2003, it will be massive Twin Towers?
It may be a long time before people on earth will be fine.
Collection
Citation
“story939.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 25, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/10297.