nmah6590.xml

nmah6590.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-09-09

On September 11th I arrived to work 15 minutes late as I decided to vote before going into work. My building is the World Financial Center and I usually walk through the World Trade Center to get to my building. As I got off the train at 9:00 AM people were telling everyone to get back on the train and go home as a plane hit the World Trade Center. A coworker and I went to the next station where we went above ground. That is when I saw the black smoke coming from the World Trade Center. We tried to get back home. Only two stops later the trains were stopped and everyone was told to get out. I walked to the Brooklyn Bridge and started to walk over the bridge to get to Brooklyn. A third of the way up I say the World Trade Center building starting to fall. After the building fell there was a huge cloud of dust that was going out in all directions. I covered my face with my shirt so I would not breath in the dust. People coming from behind me were covered with soot from the dust. They had the dust in their hair, on their clothes and all over their faces. We were told that they were not letting people off the bridge but we kept walking. I walked home that day as the buses were packed and there were long lines waiting to get on the bus.

I don't think my life will be the same. It made me realize that there are people out there that are really sick. The country that I live in is no longer a safe place. You have to be aware of what is going on around you and not think that things like this will never happen again. It makes me glad when your luggage is checked at the airport. Even if the lines are long I'm happy that they are checking for anything that can be used to destroy lives.

That innocent lives were lost because of a fanatical belief. Many people worked tirelessly to try and help the rescue workers find anyone trapped.