story4351.xml

story4351.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I did not believe my husband the morning I was in the kitchen on September 11th, that NY was being attacked. He pulled me into the living room and put me in front of the TV. Not 1 minute after that, the second tower got hit. We sat there in silence, we were shocked, and then the fright set in. How many people are still in the tower, where will then strike next. After that we started getting the story that planes had crashed into the towers, the Pentagon, and in to a filed in PA. I for the first time felt unsafe in the US. Our strong nation is being attacked. This strong nation that is the home of the free and brave. I went to work and it will be a sight I will never forget. In rush hour traffic on the highway, I looked behind me to see every single car had their headlights on for miles at 8:30 in morning. It made my heart skip a beat and realize, these terrorist's just managed to make a nation stronger than it was before. I drove to work worried, and proud at the same time of the nation I live in. As I sat down at my desk at work, I found there were many people who where afraid to be in a building that day. My boss had asked me if I would feel better being at home. I stayed. As I walked around that day, there were T.V.'s on people on the phone trying to get a hold of loved ones to see if they were okay. Working for a large Life Insurance and Investment Company, I started to realize how this would effect us. Many of the agents had lost life long clients that they had built a trusting relationship with them and their families, many of our agents were based out of NY and waiting to see if they would hear from their loved ones. I then realized how important Life Insurance had become. I was in an industry that had been able to touch some families lifes in a way of securing what they have and protecting them. I came to find out that within 2 weeks our agents worked to meet with each family that had lost a loved one. There were fathers, sons, wives, husbands, daughters, mothers.... Our company paid out 90 million dollars in benefits within that time and still kept going. While other companies argued that it was an act of war, when it was not. It made me feel that I helped to give something to familes that would make them worry about one less stress. They now had to deal with their loss and how to get on with their lives and cope. We at least took the stress of money out of their life so they may grieve and start their healing process. I went home each night and turned on the radio and listened as they found remains one by one and how many people still had hope their loved ones would be found. I continued to grow more angry with these Terrorist's, and how they hurt such innocent people and the pain and fright they went through as the buildings crumbled beneath them. My heart went out to each of them in their last moments. The firefighters that will never again be the same, and their nightmares, from what they had to pursue. A city that is such a part of American history that had some important part taken away. Today a year later, I cried all the way to work, because behind me in rush hour, every car behind me had their lights on. This nation will be stronger, but we will never forget, and will always be aware that our freedom in priceless and we fight for it. To all the men and woman that fight everyday in our military and on our streets, thank you, we all stand behind you and will always appreciate the sacrifices that you have promised to make to keep our nation safe. GOD BLESS AMERICA! LAND THAT I LOVE!