nmah4283.xml

nmah4283.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I was late to work that day and caught a cab on 8th Avenue in Chelsea (about 3 miles from the Trade Center) to midtown. When I got in the cab the driver was hysterical, practically in tears. "The towers, they blew up the towers!" he kept saying. I couldn't believe it. Then we crossed 6th Avenue and I could see all the way downtown to the Trade Center -- both towers were on fire and the clouds in the sky were enormous. People were in the streets and traffic was practically stopped. Eventually we got to my office on 41st Street. By that time the Pentagon had been hit and people were really scared. We were all silent, no one knew what to say or to do. A woman I work with was listening to the radio and told us that one of the towers had fallen. It was unbelievable. At that point, we were told by security to evacuate. Since our building was 40 stories tall and right near the Chrysler building and Grand Central station we thought we might get it. I remember someone saying, "they're knocking down tall buildings." None of our managers were there that day so we spontaneously started organizing plans to get out -- the city had been sealed by that point so many could not get home. I was lucky and could walk home. We all left after the second tower fell and, by that point, there were millions of people in the streets of the city. I walked the 30 blocks home down 5th Avenue and saw hundreds of thousands of people marching uptown to get out of the city. Some were covered in ash and must've walked from Ground Zero. It was very quiet. Some people had their car radios on and groups of people would crowd around to hear what was happening. I remember I was afraid that the terrorists would bomb the power grid and shut off power in the city.

When I got home I tried to call family but long distance lines were out. I bought food because I thought there might be a panic run on the stores. Eventually, I met up with a friend and we watched the events unfold on TV. He lives closer to the Trade Center than me and, for days, he had to show ID at a police checkpoint before he could get back to his house. Fire trucks and ambulances ran up and down the street all night and there was a strong smell of smoke everywhere you went.

For days after, we would be evacuated from our office because of bomb threats. I still think twice about taking the subway in case something happened and I was trapped underground.

Life changed for me because it happened *here*. Every day I look downtown and see the gap in the sky where the towers were. I still work near the Chrysler building and see the Empire State building near by and think that they could be destroyed, too. Everything seems less permanent, now.

The bravery of everyday people. The unpredictability of life -- even here. Don't sweat the small stuff.

I didn't fly the flag, but I put a candle in the window. Others on my street did the same. A little light against the dark.

My feelings about the flag haven't changed -- it still makes me proud and gives me comfort.