nmah439.xml

nmah439.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-26

On September 11, 2002 I awoke later than normal. My telephone had been ringing on and off in sporatic sequences as I tried to get out of bed and get myself going, for what I didn't know would be one of the longest days of my life. Those calling were friends and family trying to reach me with the news that two airplanes had crashed into the World Trade Center buildings in New York City. But not realizing there was any urgency to connect myself to the world so early, I lazily walked around my house trying to wake up and prepare for the day ahead, and I ignored the ringing.

Only until I grabbed the t.v. remote control and turned on the set had I made the connection as to what the true meaning was to the unusually large number of early morning phone calls to my house. I stood in front of the set peering into an odd and somewhat unbelievable scene as my brain tried to catch up to the reality that was on the set. I stood listening to the various voices as faceless reporters at NBC tag team reporting, as the events of Sept. 11 unfolded over the airwaves, and the television cameras were glued to the towering infernos of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

Then the phone rang and my mother's voice was asking me if I was watching the news. At this point, time was beginning to slow down and what I was witnessing began to feel surreal. I did not know, or rather immediately comprehend, that two jetliners full of passengers had been flown into the towers, despite the continuous babble from reporters and eyewitnesses.

My first assumption was that two smaller aircraft had somehow managed to get off course and collided into the mammoth buildings. And despite the large amounts of billowing smoke and flames coming from the upper floors of the two giants, I couldn't see how this was any more bizarre, freakish, or unusual (in comparison) to some of the tragic events of war and natural disasters that are broadcast over the airwaves seemingly everyday.
That soon changed.

As I kept listening to the reporters and watching the story unfold from cameras on the street, and cameras in the air, from every angle and every minute, I soon realized that this day would be lost to disbelief and horror. When the words "terrorist act" and "terrorist groups" began to infiltrate the conversations from the screen, I then spoke out loud softly to the room..."Oh dear God...tell me this is not happening."

Over the next hour or so I pryed myself from the t.v. and managed to clean myself up enough to go into work. I had to get out of the house, be around others. During the long 45 minute drive into work I switched from radio station to radio station to see if there was new information to be heard, that I had not heard all morning. Who put this awful event in motion? What were we (the nation) going to do now, that very minute, to stop it from happening again?

As I approached the city, I saw the traffic piling up on the expressways as hundreds of thousands of people were desparate to turn around and go home. Some, I'm sure because of shock, others out of fear that more planes were targeting major metropolitan areas, and downtown Atlanta has it's fair share of high-rise structures and Federal buildings.

I had gone into the office despite all this to check up on my colleagues and find companionship in the group, only to be told by my company's home office ( based in New York City) to shut down and go home. But we needed to be with others at that time to share in the severity of the events, so my colleagues and I lingered in the office until mid-day.

It turned out to be a smart descision it was to hang out as the roads were heavy all morning with bewildered commuters, exiting the city in waves. Eventually we closed up shop, and headed in our separate directions, all feeling disconnected from the world, and at the smae time trying to feel closer.

When I did return home, the neighborhood was quiet, but American flags , and red, white, & blue ribbons were already being displayed. Adding to the dreamlike state I was now functioning in.

From that point forward my day was filled with confusion, saddness, anger and recurring images of the collapse of the towers, the Pentagon tradgedy, and the charred field outside of Pittsburgh, where one plane ended it's flight. Those feelings slowly subsided over the next few weeks, as I fought to keep the days terrible images out of my mind.

Yes. It's created more stress thinking about the future of the civilized world.

I believe the two most important things that should be remembered about September 11 are :

1.) The efforts of all those who courageously fought to save lives in New York, Virginia, and over the skies of Pennsylvania.

2.) The blessings that God has given us to be citizens of our great country, and the freedoms that we have too often taken for granted, and were tragically reminded we need to occassionaly fight in blood to protect.

Yes. My feelings were always strong about the flag. I've always supported Old Glory and all that it stands for as a proud symbol of the United States of America.