story5438.xml

story5438.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I was getting dressed in my bedroom watching the Today Show when the local NBC station broke in to say that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. I sat there in disbelief. I thought about everyone I knew and tried to think if anyone or their spouses worked there. Fortunately, I couldn't think of any. I called my husband who worked in midtown and told him what had happened. Over the next few hours the phone lines were busy and I could not get through to him. Thankfully, he was able to call me and let me know that he would leave the city as soon as they re-opened Grand Central Station. I sat and held my 5 month old daughter and waited frantically until my husband came through the door early that afternoon. I was so happy to see him and knew that so many people would not get to have that same experience. I was so grateful. Over the next day or so, I heard about some people that I knew who died in the World Trade Center. Although I didn't known any of them well and some were just friends of friends, it was still a shock to know that they were gone. In the days that followed, there was a visable difference in the attitudes and actions of most New Yorkers. People seemed more tolerant and patient. It was nice to see everyone coming together and realizing what is really important in life.