story2173.xml
Title
story2173.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
I had lived for six years in the shadow of the Trade Center - there frequently to take visitors to the roof observatory or to use the Path trains underground. My apartment faced the WTC, and it was usually the first thing I saw in the morning. The sun would often turn it all manner of stunning color. I used it as a frame of reference no matter what part of the city I was in. It was the one thing you could see from everywhere to help you get your bearings in such a huge metropolis.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I drove to work as usual. As I was pulling into my office's garage in Kansas City the DJ on the radio mentioned that a plane had just struck One World Trade Center. At the time, I was visualizing a small passenger plane of some sort. But I ran up to my office and turned on the television to see the black smoke billowing high. I was watching live as the second plane hit, and then as each tower fell. The surreal scene immediately caused me to close my eyes in anguish. I called my mother and cried for all of the people I knew were there - probably many of the same people I had watched go to work over there during my years in the city, wondering if any of my friends happened to be there for some reason. I started e-mailing my best friend in Brooklyn Heights who had been watching the entire thing first hand, seeing people jump to their deaths and the horrible impact of the planes. We consoled each other via e-mail for a couple of hours, trying to make ourselves believe that things would be okay. The day was so unsure - there was no way to feel safe. Even buildings in Kansas City were being evacuated ... no one knew what was going on or what would happen next. For weeks I listened to the news constantly - wondering when and where the next strike would occur.
Having this day roll back on the calendar brings back my tears and my feelings for this time last year. This world is a mess, and I pray that God bring civility and sanity to it.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I drove to work as usual. As I was pulling into my office's garage in Kansas City the DJ on the radio mentioned that a plane had just struck One World Trade Center. At the time, I was visualizing a small passenger plane of some sort. But I ran up to my office and turned on the television to see the black smoke billowing high. I was watching live as the second plane hit, and then as each tower fell. The surreal scene immediately caused me to close my eyes in anguish. I called my mother and cried for all of the people I knew were there - probably many of the same people I had watched go to work over there during my years in the city, wondering if any of my friends happened to be there for some reason. I started e-mailing my best friend in Brooklyn Heights who had been watching the entire thing first hand, seeing people jump to their deaths and the horrible impact of the planes. We consoled each other via e-mail for a couple of hours, trying to make ourselves believe that things would be okay. The day was so unsure - there was no way to feel safe. Even buildings in Kansas City were being evacuated ... no one knew what was going on or what would happen next. For weeks I listened to the news constantly - wondering when and where the next strike would occur.
Having this day roll back on the calendar brings back my tears and my feelings for this time last year. This world is a mess, and I pray that God bring civility and sanity to it.
Collection
Citation
“story2173.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 1, 2026, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/14688.