nmah3700.xml

nmah3700.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

Somehow, being on the other side of the country in Seattle when the planes hit did not diminish the impact on me and everyone around me. I woke up to hear the news on NPR and wondered if it was some "War of the Worlds" awful radio joke. Then I drove into work (by horrible coincidence at the World Trade Center in Seattle). One of my colleagues had a TV in his office and as I walked in to talk about what was happening, we saw the second plane hit. We felt sick and scared and slightly guilty - well, maybe that came later as we realized we were safe and no one's target.
My father and my husband called to make sure I was okay and to tell me to go home - it was time to circle the wagons. I did go home, feeling ill and shocked, and spent the day alternately trying to concentrate on my work to block out the events and diving in to gather as much information as I could stand.
At the end of the day I was worn out, like everyone around me, and not sure what I felt or what I should feel. It seemed so personal and yet it was 3000 miles away. Sadness, shock, outrage, guilt - seems there should be a good long German word for that mix of emotions - I have carried them around all year in the back of my heart.