story7236.xml

story7236.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-13

I was sitting at work when my daughter called to tell me that the both buildings of the World Trade Center had been attacked and were burning. I can not even begin to explain the shock that I felt or the horror. I have been at the World Trade Center and I have stayed at the Marriott that was attached to the World Trade Center. I got up from my desk to look for other people to be with and to see if they heard the terrible news also. After standing around for awhile talking I went back to my desk and since I did not have a radio I borrowed my friend's radio who was off that day. When I turned it on I heard that the World Trade Centers were starting to fall and that their was a plane missing over Pittsburgh. My son flies almost every week and I did not know where he was. We were all told to go home and when I went out into the street it was obvious that everyone was being sent home. It was a mad house since the buses were still on off hours there were none around. One of my co-workers was with me and I suggested that we go down to the first stop and get the bus. She suggested that we get the first bus that comes even though we may have to walk a little distance to get home. We got the first bus that came and it was packed when it finished picking up the passangers at our stop. When I got on the bus I sat next to a young lady who had just come into town but was going back home as she had just heard the news. She told me that she had a sister that worked in New York and she wanted to be home with her family hoping to hear from her sister. My heart went out to her since I know how I felt wondering where my son was. By the time the bus got to the second stop it was to crowded to take anymore passengers but the people at the bus stop were yelling that there was an elderly woman and to please pick her up. The bus driver opened the door and let the elderly woman on the bus. As she was getting on she fell and cut herself. The young lady sitting next to me gave up her seat to the women. The women was bleeding from her fall and we tried to help her as best we could. When I got off the bus I had about a mile walk to my house. What I remember most about that walk was looking at the sky and thinking what a beautiful day it was and how could something so horrible happen on such a beautiful day. When I got home my answering machine was blinking and it was a message from my son. He had been on his way to the airport to go to Reagan National Airport when he heard the news. The trip obviously was cancelled so he was safe and sound in Pittsburgh. It turned out he was worried about me because he knew that I was supposed to be going to New Jersey on a business trip and was worried that something may have happened to me. I thanked God that my son was safe and shed tears for all those who had lost ones that they loved. After I called back my son and then my daughter to assure her that her brother was safe I spent the rest of the day the same as most Americans did sitting in my livingroom watching the horrible tradegy unfold.