story5432.xml
Title
story5432.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
As time goes by and memories fade as they seem to do, a
lot of people may not understand how it could effect us way out here in California. I only have extended family that lives in New York, but if any of them had been involved it would effect the people I love out here. And of course I have many friends and co-workers with family and loved ones that were too close to let you feel relaxed. But the one that had the biggest impact on me was the sister of a teacher. He was my daughters high school biology teacher, Mr. Joe Stasen. Days went by and he still hadn't heard from her. Being so far away made it even harder on him. He agonized over not being there to help, and not hearing from her. All the kids in all of his classes were effected by this caring, loving young mans need to know his sister was alright. On the fourth day the news we were all waiting for finally came. She was alive. I write this not to minimize all the tragic stories you will hear, but to tell a story of how we all were effected in some way. Be it either direct or indirect. This morning I started watching the coverage at 5 am pacific standard time. I listened for two and a half hours to every name that was read, and looked at every picture they showed. It took me much longer to get ready for work because the flow of tears made putting on make-up impossible. I saw all the babies born after the
9-11 attack. Crying and smiling, crawling and sleeping, as they tried to take a group shot. I listened to two teenage girls read what they had written for their fathers memorials. "I wish that I had told him that I loved him that morning". "I miss him so much, I never told him that he was the best parent any kid could ask for, even if he was my stepdad".
Regret for life. If we learn nothing else from so much tragedy, we must learn not to think that there is always going to be a tomorrow. We will always hope for that, but don't put off saying the "I love you's" and the "You are so important to me's". There might not be another time to say them.
lot of people may not understand how it could effect us way out here in California. I only have extended family that lives in New York, but if any of them had been involved it would effect the people I love out here. And of course I have many friends and co-workers with family and loved ones that were too close to let you feel relaxed. But the one that had the biggest impact on me was the sister of a teacher. He was my daughters high school biology teacher, Mr. Joe Stasen. Days went by and he still hadn't heard from her. Being so far away made it even harder on him. He agonized over not being there to help, and not hearing from her. All the kids in all of his classes were effected by this caring, loving young mans need to know his sister was alright. On the fourth day the news we were all waiting for finally came. She was alive. I write this not to minimize all the tragic stories you will hear, but to tell a story of how we all were effected in some way. Be it either direct or indirect. This morning I started watching the coverage at 5 am pacific standard time. I listened for two and a half hours to every name that was read, and looked at every picture they showed. It took me much longer to get ready for work because the flow of tears made putting on make-up impossible. I saw all the babies born after the
9-11 attack. Crying and smiling, crawling and sleeping, as they tried to take a group shot. I listened to two teenage girls read what they had written for their fathers memorials. "I wish that I had told him that I loved him that morning". "I miss him so much, I never told him that he was the best parent any kid could ask for, even if he was my stepdad".
Regret for life. If we learn nothing else from so much tragedy, we must learn not to think that there is always going to be a tomorrow. We will always hope for that, but don't put off saying the "I love you's" and the "You are so important to me's". There might not be another time to say them.
Collection
Citation
“story5432.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 14, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/16782.