story5120.xml

story5120.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I was about to leave home to go to work. As I was leaving the television was on, as it normally is, and it was on CNN. The story being covered was the "accident" of the airplane that crashed into the first tower of the WTC. It was live coverage. The next thing I see, as it happened, was the second airplane crashing into the second tower. I was numb and immobile as I was watching this. I kept thinking how weird that two planes would have the same kind of accident. My mom finally said you are going to be late for work, so off I went. I could not help but notice that all of the cars that had their radios on kind of loud and with their windows open were all listening to the same thing. It dawned on me that this was an act of terrorism. I saw that there were several drivers that were crying and others that had this look of being "stupified"... the look of "I can't believe that this is happening". When I got to work the only thing the radios in the office were tuned in to was the news stations. Then news came of the crash in Pennsylvania of a plane that was meant for the Pentagon. For the first time in my life I felt genuine fear. It was an inexplicable fear that I hope to never feel again. It was pretty difficult to "get to work". The offices in building where I worked were letting their employees go home so that families can be together. It was a harrowing feeling and to see it in the faces of others had its effect on me, in a way sort of comforting to know that there were others that shared in my sentiment.