nmah5645.xml

nmah5645.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-09-05

As a Canadian, I had visited New York City on business every Fall since '98. On September 11, I woke for the first day of an eight day trip. My friend and I had headed to attend a taping of Good Morning America, but decided to catch breakfast instead. We noticed how startlingly blue the sky was that morning as we walked to a diner on West 4th street.

We had just paid the bill and come outside, when we noticed everything had sort of stopped. People were standing around. My friend said, "I hope it's not a jumper". I was afraid to look up, and then saw the gaping whole in the Tower.

It was hard to process the image. I remembered a plane going into the Empire State Building in the 40s, and thought at first that it was amazing I was there when it happened again.

I started to realize people might have been killed, and was very sad to see the 'accident'. People on cell phones were saying that an airliner had hit the tower. When we knew it wasn't a cessna, I thought it was terrorists. We both thought it was Bin Laden.

We walked toward the Towers for about 10 minutes, and then an explosion ripped through the other Tower. It looked like an A-bomb going off. We didn't see the plane go into it.

I thought a part of the first plane had fallen through into the other building and exploded. My friend thought it was a bomb.

We kept walking toward the towers.

At Canal St. we stopped to call home and tell everyone in Newfoundland that we were ok. A man said he had come down from around the 40th floor, and not to go any further because people were jumping.

One man said "This is what happens when you don't support Israel."

A Jewish man had turned toward the towers and was praying with a book.

Another man said "Well, I've got to get a new office tomorrow. I was on the 32nd floor."

Everyone was dealing with it their own way.

Eventually we turned back and picked up the pace. When we stopped to rest, I heard the most sickening of sounds. A crowd on both sides of the streets stood and gasped while the first building collapsed. The collective sound of that crowd on that street is vivid.

It's very hard to describe sounds. I've heard that sickest of sounds described in many ways. Everyone has their own description. The best way I would describe it would be to imagine if you were on a roller coaster with 500 people and then it went off the tracks. That's the sound.

I thought the tower had crushed Canal St. We sat and every so often walked a block or two. But we couldn't really leave. We were watching and waiting for something. It was terrible, but I think we knew the other tower would fall.

There is a conflicting feeling I've heard others talk of from 9-11. On the one hand you are disgusted and don't want to gawk. On the other, you feel the need to bear witness, so that no one will ever forget what happened. We stayed and watched. I wanted that other tower to stand. I wanted something good to happen, but mostly I just wanted it to be over.

When the last tower fell, I heard that sick sound from the crowd again, turned to a gentleman beside me and said "At least it's over...no one is hurting...no one is afraid." He said the same to me.

Cabs and cars had pulled over with radios blaring and circles of people in tens and twenties piled around them listening to the news. We heard "The Pentagon is in flames", "Another Plane is missing." We went uptown trying to avoid tall buildings. It felt like World War III.

We kept walking to 63rd St. and went in our hotel to watch CNN. After a brief stop, we decided to go to Central Park, where it would be safer. By 2 p.m. we were watching squirrels climbing the trees.

It was a mix of shock and disbelief for the next couple of days. It was surreal.

In a word, yes. Having been in New York and actually being affected directly by what happened, has definitely been life-changing.

There were thousands upon thousands of people who were impacted in much more direct and painful ways then someone like me who just had to run away from downtown.

Still, if 9-11 has done anything, it has impressed upon me the strength of character that New Yorkers possess. I am not ashamed to say I am also an American (dual citizen). It has humbled me to think before I make some errant political comment or criticism. I still think for myself, but I also think of what my words mean to others. As odd as it sounds, I feel fortunate to have been there on 9-11. I have seen and heard too many people in my own generation understate the tragedy of 9-11 in trying to make some political point about mideast politics or economics.

I feel blessed to remember 9-11 for what it was. A tragedy. An attack on innocents and innocence. An attack on freedom. An act of evil.

There is no excuse, there is no reason. There is just a tragedy, which I hope we never forget. There is a challenge to stay safe, vigilant, and show the kindness to one another that I witnessed in New York that week.

Those who perished.

Yes. I still do as proudly today as on September 12th, 2001.