story979.xml

story979.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-07

I was sleeping in my aprtment in the East Village of New York City. My roomate came running in the door screaming. He worked at 99 Church across the WTC, he was there just after the first attack and watched as desperate people leaped to their death. (He never talks about it now and I can only imagine what a horrible vision that was).

I woke up and was stunned, I had just been laid off from my dot com job (which seems like a totaly differnt era in history) and had been cashing my unemplyment check at 7 WTC - the smaller bulding that fell after the towers. I couldnt believe it, I was stunned I truly believed we were under attack and truly saw the world for what it was- a dangerous place. But luckily, no one I knew was in the WTC.....Or so I thought. A buddy was on the 96th floor of the South Tower and didnt make it. I found out the next day. Terrance Aiken had three kids and a wife who loved him...THis guy was a hillarious guy always ready to party and tell some funny story about being a black dude living in Staten Island in NYC. We had been talking about a trip to Ibiza that last time we saw each other 2 weeks before the attacks...

But now due to ignorance and hate he will never walk this earth again. Life is precious, there have been trillions who have been here before and will be here after us, but human life is still precious. We are all going to die someday, whats the point of killing?

Live for the moment and keep dancing while the music plays......