story1931.xml

story1931.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-08

I remember it was around nine-thirty. I was in my second period English class and we heard the news on in another classroom down the hall. My teacher aloud us to turn on the television. Our class just watched in awe as we kept seeing the World Trade Center fall to the ground. At this time all I could think about was my uncle who worked in the World Trade Center for an investment company. At this time I could only think about praying for God to watch over my uncle and keep him safe along with all others evolved. The next thing that I thought about was my father who had left earlier that morning on a business trip. I knew he was flying but I didn?t know where exactly. I also thought about my mother, sisters, and nephew who were in New York a few days earlier visiting family who were at the time on their way home. I just walked through the halls at school wondering if everyone was okay and worrying about being alone when I came home. When I got home I called my dad on his cell phone and asked if he, my uncle, and my mom and sisters were safe. He assured me telling me that they were and everything would be all right. A few hours after I got home from school after talking to my father my mom called me from dropping off one of my sisters on the way home and telling me for some reason while they were driving home in Pennsylvania they turned on the radio. Only a few miles from the Pennsylvania plane crash they heard about what was going on. I made it clear that I was all right alone and that I would be waiting up for them. It was around six o-clock when I was on the phone with one of my best friends and we were comforting each other. We both heard a loud boom, which made me, feel like I was having a nervous break down. All I could think about were the great men and women in The World Trade Center had no idea when they were going to die-and this could happen to anyone including me. My friends mother came and picked me up and too me to their house. We turned on the television which was saying that the Veterans Memorial had been bombed. Well, later on we found out that it was just a plane at the base breaking the sound barrier. Later that night my mom came and picked me up as we cried and prayed together. The next day my mother talked to my aunt. She said my uncle was all right he was on the thirty-second floor of the second tower and had time to save himself by running to a friends apartment three blocks away. I also have family who lives across the water from the World Trade Center who could see the cloud of smoke for days. Both families had many friends who died. I am one of the more fortunate victims of September eleventh. I am thankful that God watched over me the whole time. My dad could have been working in the World Trade Center like he does on occasional business trips. What I have found the most breath taking is just how suck a huge building falls to the ground so fast. It?s not easy to watch the World Trade Center fall to the ground, but I will pay my honors and gratitude to all those who were killed, injured, or touched by this terrible tragedy. I think that this makes us realize that we need to get together and just be thankful to have the people we share our lives with today because we never know when they could be gone-in a flash.
Rachel Thompson