story8571.xml
Title
story8571.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-10-23
911DA Story: Story
September 11th for me started like all the other mornings before that day. I had woken up to the kiss buy my girlfriend telling me to have a good day at work. As I showered and got ready for work, I received a call from my father (in his Coral Gables home office). ?Frank are you watching the news? I told him no why what?s wrong?? He proceeded to tell me to turn on the news the world trade center had been hit by an airplane. I answered back what? What do you mean as I turn on the television I saw the smoke and flames coming from the sides of the north tower. I ran to the bedroom door and told my live in mother and father in to turn on the TV, that something is happening in New York!
As a part of me was watching the news and the other part of me was getting dressed I started to turn my full attention to the TV screen. As I watched another aircraft from the upper right hand side of the screen come in it disappeared behind the south tower and then a large explosion came out the other side of the tower. My mouth fell and I screamed out ?Holly Mary Mother of God!? I ran out of the room and my mother in-law was weeping and my father in law watched. I sprinted to the phone and to call my girlfriend where she worked as a reservations agent for Delta Airlines. She picked up and I told her what was happening she could not believe what she was hearing I told her to find television and to turn it on. She said she would and I told her I would call her back.
After hanging up with her I called work to find out and to pray to god it was not one of our own aircraft (I worked for Spirit Airlines). My supervisor told me that it was not but to stand buy she would call me back if she need me to come in earlier. After hanging up with her I turned my focus back to the TV they were talking of another aircraft that had just crashed in Washington DC and the Pentagon was on fire. And then at that moment I some how knew that we were being attacked by some one. At about 10am local time the south tower collapsed I watched as the building fell. My girlfriend called and was crying she could not believe it and nether could I. I told her try and make her way home that I had to head to work just then I turned my attention to the north tower and she collapsed also. I grabbed my things and head out the door. As I drove down the roads in Kendall everyone had the thousand-mile stair. I drove to me coworkers home and I picked him up. As we head to work.
After getting to work we saw that everyone at work had the same expression on his or her faces. Their faces looked blank like the where staring into a face less painting with no expressions. That whole night was the slowest I ever worked. That night I did not sleep one wink, I tossed and turned about, as did my girlfriend.
The following day I spoke to my mother and she told me that my cousin Gregory was missing (Gregory was a cousin that grew up with me in my youth and he had married and gotten a job working at the towers). I did not know the day before if Greg had made it out or not. My mother was extremely worried and she called to tell me how she was feeling. I told her I was not doing to well ether. Later that day I received another phone call but at work from my mother. Gregory was working on the 103rd floor of the north tower when the American Airlines flight crashed in to his floor and exploded. I was unable to work after that and my boss sent me home.
For many months following 9/11 I thought of my cousin and about what he was doing when he died. I also replayed those aircraft slamming into the side of the building. I had many scary dreams and was unable to do work effectively. So after 8yrs of work in the aviation industry I decided to make a move out of it. The move was to put my mind at ease and to move on with my life.
One year after that fateful day that the world stood still. My girlfriend and me took the whole week of to reflect and to be with our son. And to also look back and to look forward. I cannot see myself ever going back to the airlines ever again but I guess that will change over time, as do many things in life.
As a part of me was watching the news and the other part of me was getting dressed I started to turn my full attention to the TV screen. As I watched another aircraft from the upper right hand side of the screen come in it disappeared behind the south tower and then a large explosion came out the other side of the tower. My mouth fell and I screamed out ?Holly Mary Mother of God!? I ran out of the room and my mother in-law was weeping and my father in law watched. I sprinted to the phone and to call my girlfriend where she worked as a reservations agent for Delta Airlines. She picked up and I told her what was happening she could not believe what she was hearing I told her to find television and to turn it on. She said she would and I told her I would call her back.
After hanging up with her I called work to find out and to pray to god it was not one of our own aircraft (I worked for Spirit Airlines). My supervisor told me that it was not but to stand buy she would call me back if she need me to come in earlier. After hanging up with her I turned my focus back to the TV they were talking of another aircraft that had just crashed in Washington DC and the Pentagon was on fire. And then at that moment I some how knew that we were being attacked by some one. At about 10am local time the south tower collapsed I watched as the building fell. My girlfriend called and was crying she could not believe it and nether could I. I told her try and make her way home that I had to head to work just then I turned my attention to the north tower and she collapsed also. I grabbed my things and head out the door. As I drove down the roads in Kendall everyone had the thousand-mile stair. I drove to me coworkers home and I picked him up. As we head to work.
After getting to work we saw that everyone at work had the same expression on his or her faces. Their faces looked blank like the where staring into a face less painting with no expressions. That whole night was the slowest I ever worked. That night I did not sleep one wink, I tossed and turned about, as did my girlfriend.
The following day I spoke to my mother and she told me that my cousin Gregory was missing (Gregory was a cousin that grew up with me in my youth and he had married and gotten a job working at the towers). I did not know the day before if Greg had made it out or not. My mother was extremely worried and she called to tell me how she was feeling. I told her I was not doing to well ether. Later that day I received another phone call but at work from my mother. Gregory was working on the 103rd floor of the north tower when the American Airlines flight crashed in to his floor and exploded. I was unable to work after that and my boss sent me home.
For many months following 9/11 I thought of my cousin and about what he was doing when he died. I also replayed those aircraft slamming into the side of the building. I had many scary dreams and was unable to do work effectively. So after 8yrs of work in the aviation industry I decided to make a move out of it. The move was to put my mind at ease and to move on with my life.
One year after that fateful day that the world stood still. My girlfriend and me took the whole week of to reflect and to be with our son. And to also look back and to look forward. I cannot see myself ever going back to the airlines ever again but I guess that will change over time, as do many things in life.
Collection
Citation
“story8571.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed April 7, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/10596.