story20715.xml

story20715.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2006-09-11

I was just leaving the house for work when my friend Bob called and said, "Are you watching TV?" I said no and he said, "put on the TV, any major network." It took me a few seconds to absorb what I was looking at. The second plane had already hit the second tower. They were showing that view from some steady camera further uptown and the newscasters were talking over it. My friend had to actually tell me that it was the World Trade Center, because it was such an unexpected visual, that I couldn't understand it right away.

I watched for a few minutes, then started calling other people. "Are you watching this?" They all had the same stunned reaction. We were all just staring at our TV, trying to understand what was going on.

I needed to get to work, so I packed up an spare, small TV and carried it into work. I set it up at my desk at the newspaper in Nashville, The Tennessean. I worked in the creative services dept., but the only work we did that day were ads that had to go into the paper coming out -- no creative specs were designed that day. We just kept watching my little black and white TV, with the antennae up on top, that would only get in Channel 5, I think it was CBS. When the first tower collapsed, the announcer didn't even realize it at first. Another announcer interrupted them to tell them that the tower was collapsing. Again, we all stood and stared in shock, feeling so helpless.

As they day went on, we talked about how scared we were getting. That sense of security we feel in this country, that we take for granted, was being challenged. If this could happen, what else could happen? Was this going to continue?

On the following Friday, Nashville held a patriotic rally downtown during lunch. We all walked down there, and people were holding flags, and they were passing small American flags out to people. The place was packed. At some point, during the speeches, when everything was relatively quiet because the crowd was listening to a speaker, a jet flew overhead. The President had just lifted the ban on flying and the first jet was soaring overhead, just having taken off from the Nashville airport. Everyone looked up and watched it.

It made us feel better that day, to gather in great numbers and remind ourselves how strong we can be. I wish our country wasn't so divided now, on how to solve this problem of terrorists. Before 9/11, I couldn't have told you what political party any of my friends were. Now I know what all of them are. I think this division makes us weaker as a nation. Everyone is so self-righteous about "their side." People are more concerned with being right, than doing the right thing.