story5436.xml

story5436.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I WAS BUSY AT WORK AS USUAL, WHEN I RECEIVED AN E-MAIL FROM A FORMER CO-WORKER,ASKING ME "WHAT JUST HAPPENED"? TURN ON THE RADIO/I RAN TO TURN ON THE RADIO,AND AT THAT TIME REALIZED PEOPLE WERE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE T.V. IN THE WAITING ROOM, IT WAS SO QUIET YOU COULD HEAR A PIN DROP. AFTER A SHORT WHILE, WE ALL REALIZED WE WERE BEING ATTACKED. BUT, NO ONE KNEW WHO WE WERE BEING ATTACKED BY. THE WHOLE DAY WAS JUST A BLURRR, WALKING AROUND DAZED AS THE EVENTS UNFOLDED. I RAN TO THE PHONE TO CALL MY PARENTS IN CALIFORNIA TO BE SURE THAT THEY WERE ALRIGHT, AND THEY TOO WERE SITTING IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION STUNNED. THERE IS NO RATIONALIZATION FOR WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY. HOW CAN OTHER PEOPLE HATE US AMERICANS SOOOO MUCH? I DIDN'T KNOW ANYONE DIRECTLY INVOLVED THAT DAY, BUT, I SHED ALOT OF TEARS FOR MY FELLOW AMERICANS. IT IS A SAD DAY IN HISTORY. IT HAS TAKEN MY SENSE OF SAFETY AND FREEEDOM AWAY, AND MY LIFE WILL NEVER EVER BE THE SAME. I FEAR FOR WHAT EFFECT IT WILL HAVE ON MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. I PRAY DAILY FOR WORLD PEACE. I TRY NOT TO LIVE MY LIFE IN FEAR, FOR IF I DO, THEY TRULY HAVE WON. I TRY TO BE A LITTLE KINDER AND MORE UNDERSTANDING THAN I USED TO BE. I TRY TO HELP PEOPLE WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES. I PRAY TO GOD EVERYDAY TO MAKE ME A BETTER PERSON. SINCERELY, G.LEE VANDENBURG