story9852.xml
Title
story9852.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2003-09-11
911DA Story: Story
Im Kathleen Lynch. I was 38 years old and the mother of a brand-new Kindergartner on Sept 11 2001. I was also the daughter of great mother, Esther. Esther had a heart attack at 9:45 AM on Sept 11 2001.
I was happy that morning. I was enjoying the picutre perfect day, walking in the park, when a sense of dread overcame me, although I didn't know why. I went home and turned on my computer at approximately 9:20 AM to see headlines on AOL about the crashes. I thought it was a joke at first. I actually went to my normal internet haunt first, before turning on the TV, because I didn't beleive my eyes. Of course the talk of the other people in the chat room told me otherwise, and I turned on the TV in time to watch the first tower collapse.
I screamed for my husband to come down. He held me while I cried.. all those people.. all those people. We watched as the second tower fell.. then I thought of my mother, 81, living alone since my father had died almost 3 years before, and called her to break the news to her gently. The phone was answered by paramedics. She had suffered a heart attack. While she didn't die that day, she never left the hospital again, and really ceased being my strong, wise mother at that moment. All that was left was a shell, and that too left this world on Jan 4 2002.
I wanted to go get my daughter from school so badly.. at that time we had no idea what would happen next of course. She had a half day anyway, and I went to pick her up at the scheduled time. The other moms were ashen faced.." Did you hear?" "What's happening?" When I told them my mother had had a heart attack they just started at me. To this day people don't know how to treat me.. they either act like I'm a martyr or they act like I didn't say it. I can imagine how they treat those who's loved ones died in the actual buildings!
Driving home, I saw several muslim women in full purdah pushing baby carriages.. I just glared at them. Later that day, a muslim convience store worker was obviously happy with the turn of events, while a roofer behind me in the line seethed. I got out of there fast.. in this neighborhood, you don't stick around when there is a fight brewing between a two fisted Irish American and someone acting like an enemy of the state!
When we realized at some point the pentagon was involved, I really thought that this was it. I can remember thinking about supplies, how to get out of the city.
By the next day, I had taped flags all over my '85 chevy cavilier. I was angry, ready to kick the butt of whoever did this. I still am.. liberal extremists make me want to puke, my mother is dead, my daughter scarred for life by these events, yet assholes still blow up SUVs to make environmental statements. So what if I'm a urban redneck.. I'm damn proud of it!
The following weeks were marked by people in this city.. white, black, hispanic, asian.. exchanging looks through car windows on the highway and sharing tears... packed church services... so this urban redneck rejoices in the unity of ZTRUE Americans at that time, and prays we can carry that spirit through the coming elections, though of course we wont, sigh.
I was happy that morning. I was enjoying the picutre perfect day, walking in the park, when a sense of dread overcame me, although I didn't know why. I went home and turned on my computer at approximately 9:20 AM to see headlines on AOL about the crashes. I thought it was a joke at first. I actually went to my normal internet haunt first, before turning on the TV, because I didn't beleive my eyes. Of course the talk of the other people in the chat room told me otherwise, and I turned on the TV in time to watch the first tower collapse.
I screamed for my husband to come down. He held me while I cried.. all those people.. all those people. We watched as the second tower fell.. then I thought of my mother, 81, living alone since my father had died almost 3 years before, and called her to break the news to her gently. The phone was answered by paramedics. She had suffered a heart attack. While she didn't die that day, she never left the hospital again, and really ceased being my strong, wise mother at that moment. All that was left was a shell, and that too left this world on Jan 4 2002.
I wanted to go get my daughter from school so badly.. at that time we had no idea what would happen next of course. She had a half day anyway, and I went to pick her up at the scheduled time. The other moms were ashen faced.." Did you hear?" "What's happening?" When I told them my mother had had a heart attack they just started at me. To this day people don't know how to treat me.. they either act like I'm a martyr or they act like I didn't say it. I can imagine how they treat those who's loved ones died in the actual buildings!
Driving home, I saw several muslim women in full purdah pushing baby carriages.. I just glared at them. Later that day, a muslim convience store worker was obviously happy with the turn of events, while a roofer behind me in the line seethed. I got out of there fast.. in this neighborhood, you don't stick around when there is a fight brewing between a two fisted Irish American and someone acting like an enemy of the state!
When we realized at some point the pentagon was involved, I really thought that this was it. I can remember thinking about supplies, how to get out of the city.
By the next day, I had taped flags all over my '85 chevy cavilier. I was angry, ready to kick the butt of whoever did this. I still am.. liberal extremists make me want to puke, my mother is dead, my daughter scarred for life by these events, yet assholes still blow up SUVs to make environmental statements. So what if I'm a urban redneck.. I'm damn proud of it!
The following weeks were marked by people in this city.. white, black, hispanic, asian.. exchanging looks through car windows on the highway and sharing tears... packed church services... so this urban redneck rejoices in the unity of ZTRUE Americans at that time, and prays we can carry that spirit through the coming elections, though of course we wont, sigh.
Collection
Citation
“story9852.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 4, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/13769.