story6914.xml

story6914.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I was 7 1/2 month pregnant with my son and was working at our local Head Start Preschool. I was getting up at 4:30 a.m. at that time to make it work at 6:00 a.m. to open the center. It was right before recess when our supervisor came in and pulled me to the side. As we unpacked books, he said, "A bomb has hit the world trade center." He was always joking about everything, so I said, "You're kidding, right?" As serious as he could get, he looked me in the eyes and said, "I'm not kidding. The pentagon has been hit, too. Everyone is on a state of alert." I couldn't believe what I had just heard. It was my duty to inform everyone else of the events. He received a phone call while he was at our center. He then told me that it wasn't bombs. It was airliners with passengers on them. I could do nothing but gasp in disbelief. I was overcome by grief as well. All of the innocent lives taken and at the time, we had no clue why. I pulled our head teacher off and told her and then the other assistant. They were in shock. We had to appear as if nothing were wrong for the sake of our children. I had a doctor's appointment that day in which I had to journey to downtown Dayton. I was hearing that certain streets were closed around the city buildings and federal buildings. As soon as I started for Dayton, I called my mom on my cell phone. I asked her what had happened. That's when I heard the entire story. The Pentagon had been crashed into by a jet liner carrying passengers. A plane had crashed in Pennsylvania and was thought to have been heading for the White House. Two planes had crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York and they had both fallen to nothing. It was like the world had gone mad. Time seemed to stand still. When I arrived at the doctor's office in Dayton, they television was on in the waiting area. That's when I saw the images for the first time. Everyone in the room sat with their mouths gapping open in total astonishment. I felt my heart drop and my first thought was for all of the lives that had been lost that day. I thought, "I wonder if anyone that died was pregnant like me? I wonder how many are acutally dead? Who could do something like this? I wonder how many children have been left without loved ones? I wonder if anyone will be found alive?" So many questions that would take months to answer. Although I lost no one near and dear to me in the 9/11 tragedy, I still feel a loss for all of those that did. I can't imagine what this past year has been like for them and my prayers and sympathy will be continually with them. GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.