story4191.xml
Title
story4191.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
I was home on maternity leave with my one month old baby. My husband was in downtown DC at the Agriculture Department on business. Grateful to unexpectedly have a quick moment to take a morning shower, I enjoyed a cool 10 minutes while my son slept. I was horrified to see as I walked into my room drying my hair that on the television there was a picture of a smoking World Trade Center at just before 9:00 am. My brain moved so slow that I couldn't figure out how a plane could fly into the Tower on such a clear beautiful day.
Hearing the audio of the second plane fly into the second tower still plays in my mind. It was impossible to imagine. I will not ever forget that day. I spent much of it holding my tiny baby answering telephone calles from worried relatives. My daughter was home from school by 12:30 pm and there were occasional low flying military planes. It took my husband until 5:00 pm to get home as driving in the city was so chaotic.
I had called him after I saw the second explosion and he said that DC was certainly also a target. I told him that that was crazy. I told everyone that he said that crazy thing who called me until the Pentagon was hit. He told me that he could see the smoke on his way home.
I hate to be naive and say the world has changed because of this terrible event. I know that the United States has changed and I know that I have changed. There is tragedy everyday somewhere in the world, many places in the world. I feel more connected with people from outside the U.S. We are no longer a safe harbor which seemed to have been an illusion anyway.
I travel alone alot but I hate to go to airports. I hate the intrusion into my luggage and long lines, and requests for my ID even though they are usually pleasant. I see how uncomfortable the flight attendants are. There is edge there. I miss watching strangers happily meet relatives and families at the arrival gates. It was one of my few travel pleasure. There is now so much less joy on the concourses.
I appreciate my family; my husband, teen daughter and baby son, friends and blessings more. I have a deeper understanding that life and love are a gift to appreciate and never take for granted. Never.
Hearing the audio of the second plane fly into the second tower still plays in my mind. It was impossible to imagine. I will not ever forget that day. I spent much of it holding my tiny baby answering telephone calles from worried relatives. My daughter was home from school by 12:30 pm and there were occasional low flying military planes. It took my husband until 5:00 pm to get home as driving in the city was so chaotic.
I had called him after I saw the second explosion and he said that DC was certainly also a target. I told him that that was crazy. I told everyone that he said that crazy thing who called me until the Pentagon was hit. He told me that he could see the smoke on his way home.
I hate to be naive and say the world has changed because of this terrible event. I know that the United States has changed and I know that I have changed. There is tragedy everyday somewhere in the world, many places in the world. I feel more connected with people from outside the U.S. We are no longer a safe harbor which seemed to have been an illusion anyway.
I travel alone alot but I hate to go to airports. I hate the intrusion into my luggage and long lines, and requests for my ID even though they are usually pleasant. I see how uncomfortable the flight attendants are. There is edge there. I miss watching strangers happily meet relatives and families at the arrival gates. It was one of my few travel pleasure. There is now so much less joy on the concourses.
I appreciate my family; my husband, teen daughter and baby son, friends and blessings more. I have a deeper understanding that life and love are a gift to appreciate and never take for granted. Never.
Collection
Citation
“story4191.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 13, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/4403.