story20644.xml

story20644.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2006-09-11

I HAVE ALREADY RECORDED MY STORY ABOUT 9/11/01 BUT I WILL RECAP. I WAS SITTING ON A PLANE AT O'HARE AIRPORT IN CHICAGO, IL, WAITING TO TAKE OFF TO NEW YORK CITY. I WAS CELEBRATING MY 60TH BIRTHDAY WITH MY HUSBAND WHO WAS CELEBRATING HIS 70TH. WE WERE MEETING OUR SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW IN NYC. WE HAD DINNER RESERVATIONS AT WINDOWS OF THE WORLD RESTAURANT FOR THAT EVENING. JUST AS WE STARETED TAXIING THE PILOT TOLD US THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO THE GATE WITH NO EXPLAINATION. WE GOT OFF THE PLANE AND FOUND ALL TVS OFF AND GUARD DOGS ALL OVER THE AIRPORT. WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD. SOMEONE THEN CALLED HOME AND HEARD ABOUT THE WTC BOMBING. WE WERE IN A STATE OF SHOCK AND BARELY MADE IT HOME. WE NEVER PLANNED ANOTHER TRIP TO NYC UNTIL 8/10/06 AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED. WE WERE ON OUR PLANE WAING TO TAKE OFF WHEN THE CAPTAIN TOLD US THAT SOME GREEN OOZE WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE OVERHEAD BINS AND THE FLIGHT WAS CANCELLED. 13 HOURS LATER WE ARRIVED IN NYC AND FOUND THAT OUR HOTEL OVERLOOKED "GROUND ZERO". PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED NEVER TO WITH US TO NYC EVER AGAIN.

5 YEARS LATER WHAT HAS THE WORLD LEARNED? AS FAR AS I CAN TELL NOT MUCH. WE ARE NOT SAFER & WE ARE HATED AROUND THE WORLD. WHAT A SAD COMMENTARY TO ALL THOSE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES IN ORDER TO PROTECT US.

HOPEFULLY THINGS WILL WILL BE BETTER IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS.