story6222.xml

story6222.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I, like most American's, will never forget where I was. Although, I am sure it is nothing like being in New York, Washington or Pennsylvania.

I had just dropped my son off at the Eli Lilly Daycare center and was sitting at the stop light at Madison and McCarty when Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer from ABC's Good Morning America started talking about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. I was listening to the news feed on my radio in my van. It was obvious from what I was hearing that they weren't quit sure what was going on. I listened to the news on my radio for the next 10 minutes on my way to my office. But in my heart I knew something terrible was taking place. By the time I got to my office I was feeling pure panic - like I had never felt before. I literally ran from my van into my office and starting yelling at our Property Manager (who sat in the cubical right beside me) to turn on the tv, that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I think I was babbling something about terriorists. One of the gals I work with said I was saying that, but no one really knew at that point what was happening.

We ran upstairs to the breakroom to turn on the television and watch what was happening. I knew for the next couple of hours we were watching every t.v. in the place. I sat down in the Board Room to watch the big screen television and then the second plane hit. I don't remember the details, but I watched the Towers fall on the biggest t.v. in the building. It was like actually being in New York. I was sobbing at this point.

I am sure I felt like most American's...stunned! I just couldn't believe it was happening. But there it was in color and as big as life. I knew thousands of lives had been lost. I felt very dazed and confused as our Management tried to figure out what to do.

Later in the day, I was scheduled at a conference downtown. Most of the people downtown had been told to go home, so it was very quiet. I was surprised that the conference had not been cancelled. But Former Indianapolis Mayor William Hudnut was scheduled to speak. He was actually on a plane headed to Indiana when the planes were hitting the Towers. I can't imagine how scared you would be if you were on a plane and learned what was happening on the ground, to one of America's greatest land marks. A mode of transportation had suddenly been converted into a missle.

Well, Mayor Hudnut gave one of the most moving, direct-from-the-heart speeches I have ever heard. I think he totally scaped what he had intented to present. I was so glad to hear from him that day. It was calming and reasurring at the same time.

Needless to say, I went to sleep (what sleep I got) that night wondering if my family was safe and what was going to happen to our counry. But I knew that no evil would shake the American spirit. That we would fight for our freedom and that what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. I see that so much more clearly now. It is a lesson I will teach my son.

I was so glad George W. Bush was our President at the time and that he took such swift, sure action. One year later, where are we headed? There has been a lot of military action in Afganistan and now it looks like we will be going to war with Iraq. I will be interesting to see where we end up and if our Nation will stay as great as it is today.