story6331.xml
Title
story6331.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-12
911DA Story: Story
My day off... my son called to tell me to turn on the TV, A plane had hit one of the towers. I turned on the set and sat down,only to watch the second tower be hit by what I thought had been a sightseeing plane. I knew then as we all must have, that this was terrorism and radical Muslims were behind it.
When the Pentagon was hit, other landmarks.. Capitol building, White House, Liberty Bell, Sears Tower...anything that symbolized America, its spirit or status in the world,seemed targets and I prepared for further horrors. As news broke about the plane in Shanksville, I sensed instantly what must have happened and when reports filtered through news,about the cell phone calls, it was confirmed.
At the same time, there was that bizarre,selfish relief that no one I knew was involved. Within hours, I learned otherwise, though thankfully through good news. A friend's daughter, had been late to work for her job on the 94th floor of one of the towers. My daughter's sister-in-law had been sent on an out-of- town assignment from the Pentagon and her Navy fiance' had been scheduled for noon that day.
A few months later, through contact with former classmates, there was a tragic note. The youngest son of a classmate had been at the Towers for a breakfast meeeting and arriving early, he headed up to the restaurant 'on top of the world'. He called home to say where he was and that they thought they could hear their rescuers arriving, then nothing more. Then last week, in conversation, a woman spoke of her friend's only son, who had been a chef in that restaurant and we realized they had been together at the end.
The point? All of us are connected in this world, by our humanity if nothing else, and inhumane acts rupture that connection briefly. The end does not justify the means.
I don't hate Muslims or Islam as a result. As an historian and a Catholic, I can look back on history and see many horrors committed in the name of religion, including my own faith. Humans act with free will, a gift from God, and we often misuse this gift. Let us each attempt to make peace work in our own small sphere. I thought I was unconnected to the horror, but I was. I am also connected to the peace effort. Not likely that anyone will read this, but I am glad to get to express it .
When the Pentagon was hit, other landmarks.. Capitol building, White House, Liberty Bell, Sears Tower...anything that symbolized America, its spirit or status in the world,seemed targets and I prepared for further horrors. As news broke about the plane in Shanksville, I sensed instantly what must have happened and when reports filtered through news,about the cell phone calls, it was confirmed.
At the same time, there was that bizarre,selfish relief that no one I knew was involved. Within hours, I learned otherwise, though thankfully through good news. A friend's daughter, had been late to work for her job on the 94th floor of one of the towers. My daughter's sister-in-law had been sent on an out-of- town assignment from the Pentagon and her Navy fiance' had been scheduled for noon that day.
A few months later, through contact with former classmates, there was a tragic note. The youngest son of a classmate had been at the Towers for a breakfast meeeting and arriving early, he headed up to the restaurant 'on top of the world'. He called home to say where he was and that they thought they could hear their rescuers arriving, then nothing more. Then last week, in conversation, a woman spoke of her friend's only son, who had been a chef in that restaurant and we realized they had been together at the end.
The point? All of us are connected in this world, by our humanity if nothing else, and inhumane acts rupture that connection briefly. The end does not justify the means.
I don't hate Muslims or Islam as a result. As an historian and a Catholic, I can look back on history and see many horrors committed in the name of religion, including my own faith. Humans act with free will, a gift from God, and we often misuse this gift. Let us each attempt to make peace work in our own small sphere. I thought I was unconnected to the horror, but I was. I am also connected to the peace effort. Not likely that anyone will read this, but I am glad to get to express it .
Collection
Citation
“story6331.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 7, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/13771.