story1384.xml

story1384.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-21

Like the home page says, we are all a part of this time in history and here's my small part from the other side of the US.

I had gotten up late on my way to the second day of a new job and forgot to turn on the radio. Within five seconds after doing so, my favorite and most humorous radio personality Jamie White announces that a second plane has hit the second tower of the World Trade Center - I was thinking that she's joked about some weird stuff in the past - but this isn't even funny. I realized when I returned my "full" attention to the road everyone had immediatlely slowed down - almost to a complete stop on the freeway.

How could this be, I thought. I called my best friend in Burbank who anxiously answered the phone and angrily asked why I hadn't been picking up my cellular phone. As it all began to settle in and I heard that the tower's began to collasped you wanted to reach out and hug someone, be near someone - not in your car alone.

By the time I reached my new office, I found out that one person had family members that were missing (they were eventually located two days later - my silent prayers answered for people I didn't even know). An hour later the building received a threat that a plane was headed directly towards us because of broker type company being located in the building - everyone was leaving the building....turned out to be a hoax by a very sick individual that was never found.

When leaving that evening, I drove home numb - not wanting to be alone, but not knowing who to call as all my family is out of state. I eventually ended up home to begin the many night vigil of watching the news, praying for people to be found, praying for the people that had died and prayed for the families that were left behind.

I spoke with my mother often - somehow needing reassurance that she were alive and I could get to her even though I know she was no where near the affected cities. It than dawned on me one day. I had done that exact flight as the terrorists from Portland, Maine to Boston, Massachusetts heading on to Los Angeles just back in May, 2001. Thank God, my sister graduated on time from nursing school.

It took until the film taped by the two europeon brothers, was on television for me to sit and sob out of grief for our country. Up until then, I had been numbed, unable to grieve. I sat that night sobbing, grieving that I wasn't there to help, grieving for the people that died that I didn't know, grieving for the people that will never forget the horrors they say that day, and grieving that people that could do such a horrible thing live in our world.

The impact of September 11, 2001 has made me take more time to be friendly and patient to people I don't know, take more time before I hit the horn to let the person in front of me know I'm waiting, take more time to let someone with less groceries or crying kids to go ahead of me in line, etc.

I now take more time for myself - I went away on vacation this year with just me. I left the cellular phone (which has played "New York New York" since my brother moved there in February this year)and pager back where it belonged - at home. I visited another country and came home even more thankful for what I have.

I started volunteering my time at a church that provides a lunch for the homeless and downtroddened on Saturdays - not just feeding, but hugging them, getting to know them by name - who knows, people don't set out in life to be homeless, something happened to them along the way. It may not have been as nationally devestating as 9/11 but it was just as devastating to them. Unlike those who perished in the Towers, or at the Pentagon or in the planes, they are still alive and need us - so here is where I put my energy and feel a bit better every Saturday about the world.

Thank you for hearing my story.