nmah33.xml

nmah33.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-06-25

I was working in San Francisco and getting ready to move to New Orleans. I worked across the Bay Bridge in Emeryville at a web company called Ask Jeeves. I arrived at 6:15 PST to log on and continue a search for employment in New Orleans.
My cell phone rang as soon as I logged onto my computer. It was Atara, my girlfriend in New Orleans. "Are you near a TV? Turn on a TV. Two planes have hit the World Trade Centers in New York. It's crazy! Find a TV!"
Just then my computer's startup page came on with the news headlines, and the only story under AP Newswire was "Plane hits World Trade Center" and about two sentences of text.
Holy shit.

I ran through the office turning on every TV I could find, but none of them worked. Finally I went downstairs and found some co-workers gathering and talking. My phone rang, and it was Phil, my co-worker.
"Did you see what's happened? The World Trade Centers are hit by two planes, and..."
"Yeah, I heard. Trying to find a TV."
"Oh my god. One of the World Trade Centers just collapsed."
"What do you mean?"
"The whole thing just collapsed. Oh my god. Ohhh my god. Jon, I'm not going to come in."
"Yeah, doesn't sound like anyone will. Talk later. I'm going to find a TV. Bye. Take care."

I found a TV in the 3rd floor kitchen. Two other people were there staring at the TV, which we would all do for the next 30 or 40 minutes.

During that time, the other WTC building collapsed. At the time I thought: "Wow. I can't believe they are re-playing the other building collapsing." Just then the announcer said "You are watching live coverage..." and my mind tried to think what was happening in the building to the people. It was impossible to conceive. But I was watching it on TV. A whole huge building falling, with live people in there.

I must have cried 20 times that day. It was no time to work or lead others or do anything. The only thing was to think, grieve, listen, and hope.

I was afraid for the SF Bay Area bridges and the BART tunnel. Afraid there was some geographical plan to target each coast or each time zone or something. In the coming days we'd save clean water in our fridge in case of massive poisoning, be frightnened and develop theories about smallpox, listen to the sound of no planes in the air, and I'd have dreams of my apartment being invaded.

I quit and moved to New Orleans a couple weeks later. I believe in being more active at work and in my personal life. And I've had my first serious thoughts about politics and protecting the values of the modern world.

That any organization based on hatred and war has never lasted long. Al-Quaeda is based on an opposition to the West, and has no reason to exist on its own. That is why it will not continue in the long term.

Living in small apartments, I never had a flag pole.

The flag remains a great symbol and hope for the world, but first and foremost represents America to our own citizens.