story6577.xml

story6577.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I was working at a homeless shelter in Racine, WI at the time the tragical events. My shift started at 7:00 a.m. that morning of 9/11/01. Working at a homeless shelter was tough as it was but it does have its upside to it. Some of the people that were in our care at the time, were already bummed out. We, as a provider, tried to help these people in need. Of course everyone has their own differences, so thats what makes it hard. I was sitting in the office and listening to the radio. The executive director of the shelter had just came in at about 7:30 a.m. that morning. We were conversating, then the phone rang. It was my fiance. He told me to turn on the T.V. I told him that I couldn't at the present momment and asked why. He said there is something on T.V. that shows the World Trade Center. He stated in was on fire. He stated he thought someone intentially hit the building. At this point of time, no one really knew what was going on. I, on the other hand, kept telling him to quit playing around. I told him that it wasn't funny. He kept trying to convince me that something really did happen. He is still talking to me on the phone and was watching the news at our house, as I was sitting in my office at work. He stated, turn it on now, I think this is a terrorist attack. I said not in the United States, that is impossible. Little did I know.
I guess that is where I take my Freedom for granted. At this point, he is now telling me he just saw a second airplane hit into the other World Trade Center Tower (he was still watching the news broadcast). I started to get teary eyed. I told him, I'll call you back. That is when I finally turned on the T.V. in the living room of the shelter. I gathered everyone up and said something is going on in New York, we got to watch the news. All of the staff at the shelter, and all the people that lived there at the time, all gathered together by the television. We watched the horrific news bullentin about the attacks on the World Trade Center. I looked around the room and most of us had tears in our eyes. I could not believe what I was watching! I couldn't believe that I did not believe my fiance about what he told me on the phone. I thought "What is happening to our beautiful country. Why was this hatred from terrorists aiming on our land? What did we do?" As we all watched the horror of the WTC Towers and of all the innocent lives that was contained in the buildings, we also watched those who choose to be Heros in our country. By this time, I am crying. And as if you feel it couldn't have gotten any worse, then there was the airplane that hit the Pentagon. What devistation. How can someone do this? How can you take responsibility of all those innocent lives into one's hands? Why our country? Then, you feel your heart drop. There it goes, it's sinking. The WTC Towers fell straight down. They collapsed! We watched as we saw those Towers just crumble in total mass distruction. ALL THOSE LIVES!!! As you try to keep yourself together, which of course was hard, then a fourth airplane hits the ground in Sauksville, PA. At my job, we are all still gathered together by the T.V. Watching the horrors on T.V., I turned and looked around the room. I thought to myself, look at how we all just came together as one. We were all united together. On the T.V. everyone was united together as one. As if we were all just one person. It was a time of need for everyone. I prayed, we all prayed that day, when we found out how many people lost their lives. To this day I still pray. I pray for all those who lost their lives, their loved ones, the Heros, the lost Heros, the innocent lives that were on the hijacked planes, and I pray for all others. I thank God that he saved some lives, and tried to save the others. I thanked God that I was able to be with my family in Wisconsin that day. I have never traveled by plane before, but I was still happy to be alive. God bless to all those who grieve. God bless to all those who have lost loved ones. May God always be with you and your families. I know it is still hard to this day, though I cannot imagine the grief. I still get very emotional about 9/11/01.