story3572.xml

story3572.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I WAS WATCHING THE EARLY SHOW ON TELEVISION AT 6:30 AM MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME. I WENT TO THE KITCHEN TO GET A GRAPEFRUIT TO EAT, AND WHEN I RETURNED THE TELEVISION SCREEN SHOWED FLAMES COMING OUT OF ONE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS. I THOUGHT IT WAS A HOLLYWOOD DRAMATIZATION FOR A MOVIE. I DIDN'T REALIZED THAT IT WAS LIVE UNTIL I HEARD BRYANT GUMBLE FROM THE EARLY SHOW SAYING THAT A PLANE HAD JUST CRASHED INTO ONE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS. I WAS THINKING IT WAS A SMALL ENGINE PLANE, AS THE VIEW OF THE SMOKE WAS QUITE A DISTANCE AWAY. THEN I WATCHED IN HORROR AS ANOTHER PLANE CRASHED INTO TOWER TWO. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED A FRIEND WHO WAS OUTSIDE HAVING BREAKFAST ON THE PATIO. I TOLD HER TO TURN ON HER TELEVISION. SHE STAYED ON THE LINE AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT THE WORLD WAS COMING TO. LATER, FLIGHT 93 CRASHED IN PENNSYLVANIA. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT TERRORISTS WOULD USE OUR PLANES TO DO THEIR TERRORISM. IT WAS SAD TO SEE PEOPLE JUMPING OUT OF HE UPPER FLOORS OF THE TOWERS TO THEIR DEATHS. IT WAS EITHER JUMP OR BE BURNED ALIVE. THE PENTAGON CRASH WAS SHOWN A FEW MINUTES LATER. I LISTENED TO THE NEWS ABOUT THE PLANE CRASHES ON THE WAY TO WORK. I WORK AT A HIGH SCHOOL AND I WAS GLAD TO SEE TEACHERS WITH TELEVISIONS IN THE CLASSROOMS WATCHING THE NEWS ABOUT THE 9/11 ATTACKS. IT WAS SAD WHEN THE TWIN TOWERS CAME CRASHING DOWN. I WENT HOME AND WATCHED THE NEWS FOR 3 NIGHTS TO HEAR ABOUT RESCUE ATTEMPTS TO SAVE PEOPLE IN THE RUBBLE. IT TOOK 100,000 TRUCK LOADS TO CART AWAY THE RUBBLE LEFT FROM THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN NEW YORK CITY.