September 11 Digital Archive

nmah590.xml

Title

nmah590.xml

Source

born-digital

Media Type

story

Created by Author

yes

Described by Author

no

Date Entered

2002-08-29

NMAH Story: Story

I was sitting at my desk in the Chase Plaza building, two blocks away from the World Trade Center, when I felt and heard the first explosion. I remember thinking that it was too sunny out for it to have been thunder (we had a bad storm last night). A few minutes later, several people came over to my desk and said that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center, and they tried to look out my window. All we could see out of the window was smoke and loads of papers flying all over. We went to our break room/pantry, and were standing around watching the news coverage of the first crash when the second plane hit. We felt the second explosion as we watched the second plane hit the other tower. That's when we realized this was no accident.

We were told by our managers to leave the building. Once down in our office lobby, it looked like everyone else in the building had the same idea. Someone from the building's Fire Safety staff was announcing that our building was not being evacuated, that it was secure, and that they were encouraging people to return to their floors. The manager who had instructed us to leave our office said that was the dumbest announcement he ever heard. Three of us watched the smoke pouring out of the hole in the South Tower, and the full reality of it had yet to sink in. We stayed that way for a few more minutes, trying our cell phones in the hopes of calling family members to let them know we were okay, but cell phones were useless. So, I and one of our visitors from our Virginia office went down into the lower level of our building to find a pay phone, and to catch a subway train uptown. I was amazed by how orderly people were at the phone bank in our lower lobby. I was able to get my younger sister on the phone, and let her know that I was alright and on my way home. Fortunately, we were able to get a train fairly easily, and I had no problems catching a Queens-bound train at Times Square, so I was well on my way home and out of the area when the Towers collapsed.

I was on the #7 Flushing-bound train near the Courthouse Square station when I learned that the first tower had collapsed. I didn't learn that the second tower had collapsed until after reaching the Woodside Station, when they discontinued all subway service in all directions. I somehow managed to get my local car service to come pick me up to take me the rest of the way home, and to get through to my mother on my cell phone. She wanted me to come to her house instead of going back to my apartment, and it was on the television in her livingroom where I first saw the news footage of the Towers collapsing. As I watched them collapsing, I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach.

NMAH Story: Life Changed

My life has changed significantly because of September 11, 2001. I feel as if I have been thrust into an almost entirely different life from the one I had been leading prior to September 11th. While I still live and work in the same places, my life is not the same.

I was/am privileged and honored to become a part of a group of wonderful people who have since become known as "The Nuts on the Highway" at Point Thank You. Point Thank You, located at Christopher and West Streets in New York City, is where a group of dedicated volunteers gathered to show their support of Ground Zero workers, volunteers and victims' families and friends. In the midst of the tragedy, loss and destruction, it was an oasis of hope and goodness.

During the eight months I spent at Point Thank You, I met some of the most incredible people I think I will ever meet in my life. It is hard to imagine how so much good could come out of such horrible tragedies, but it did. It did, and I consider myself truly fortunate to have experienced so much of it first-hand. I'm happy to say that "The Nuts" are still very active, and I am still experiencing that goodness to this day.

I've also found myself doing things I never would have considered doing before, and re-evaluating my life. I've taken Critical Incident Stress Management debriefing training, so that I can be available as part of a Crisis Response Team should the need arise again in the future. I went rollerblading for the first time at the age of 38. I've started paying more attention to my health, and have started a diet and exercise program, in the hopes of losing a significant amount of weight. I've lost 40 pounds as of this writing. I've gained a lot of self-confidence, and have grown emotionally and spiritually. I've learned to cherish each and every day.

I also feel that we've somehow been chosen to be a part of something larger, and that the events of September 11th are a beginning, a training ground of sorts for us. Like some others I've met over the past several months, along with my experiences comes a certain amount of alienation and isolation. Those of us who have been involved with Ground Zero share a special bond, yet we are also set apart from those in our "normal" lives. As supportive as they may be, there are issues and experiences that we're dealing with that those who haven't "been there" cannot understand. Often, our friends and families don't understand our continued involvement in the Ground Zero community and related events. However, for me, this is a small price to pay for being able to witness the outpouring of goodness that I have seen and experienced. For that I am truly grateful.

NMAH Story: Remembered

I think the tragic loss of so many lives, along with the overwhelming amount of love and goodness that came out of that loss should be remembered. Those who dedicated so much of their lives to the rescue and recovery efforts should also be remembered and honored, be they firefighters, Emergency Medical Services personnel, law enforcement officers, Medical Examiners, DNA specialists, Sanitation workers, construction workers or volunteers. All have played important roles in the rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts.

NMAH Story: Flag

Yes, I flew an American flag after the events of September 11th, as soon as I was able to find one in the stores! The American flag has become more important to me since September 11th, and I display it proudly.

Citation

“nmah590.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed November 25, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/43265.