story4668.xml

story4668.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

Just another warm, sunny beautiful, early September, Tuesday morning. I arrived at work about 8:15 am. It's a very busy office so hearing someone say, "a plane just hit one of the Trade Towers" struck me at first as an accident Our office windows faces the two towers and when I glanced out of our 15th floor window, I noticed smoke coming from the left tower. "Oh my goodness", I thought, "what a horrible accident". Time flashed again as I got involved with ringing telephones when suddenly I heard another of my co-workers say, "there's another plane, it's going to hit the other tower". When I looked out again, I saw a large circle of fire and smoke coming from the right tower. "It's a terrorist attack", someone said. The entire office gathered and remained staring out of those windows frozen in disbelief, some beginning to cry, others mumbling perhaps prayer but most was quiet and in shock. Then anger took shape and form for this senseless, selfish, unhuman act of premeditated murder. The radio volumn was then turned up or perhaps it was already loud and the announcer's voice shrilly told what had just transpired. The office continued frozen at those windows watching the upper portion of the two towers both surrounded by smoke. Our view of Manhattan spoiled by such a sight and the thought of innocent office workers and passengers on those planes victims of terrorism. Without a word to each other just a look, we all had the same words being played over and over in our heads, "Please, Please catch those responsible and make them pay". Those victims were as innocent and defenseless as new born babies and didn't deserve to die. Nor did the heros who raced to Manhattan either on foot or in a vehicle in an effort to save people without a second thought of their own lives and well being.