story20335.xml

story20335.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2006-09-09

In Chicago, attending a trade show at McCormick Place. Best Friend had a boat down at the Marina next to Navy Pier. He wakes me up telling me to get up. "I'm Up" still lying in the front berth. He yells at me again to get up. I get up, only to see my friend staring at the TV. The 1st plane has hit the tower. The second plane hits, all I can remember is saying over and over "uh my God". We start watching the Sears Tower, wondering if this skyscraper is next. I watch the tower starting to buckle. Horrified. I tell my friend, the buiding is going down, look at it starting to lean, then they collapse. we keep watching the TV then the Sears Tower. We couldn't turn away. Scott decides to go to the convention center. I ran a mile to Navy Pier where my father worked. We sat together watching the TV in the block house, they start to close down the Pier and tell everyone to go home. Its 11:30a, we leave the Pier and the entrance to the water treatment facility next door is blocked by rows of salt trucks and guarded. I feel so lost, I'm with my Dad, if something goes wrong, we're together. I'm trying to see the Sears Tower. We're leaving Chicago, the expressway is empty. so strange. We stopped at a pet store, we didn't know how to comprehand what just happened. We were lost, not knowing what to do, how to act. We stopped at a corner tavern, had some beer glued to the TV for 3 hours. 3pm, 10 of us all glued to the TV.

So lost. 2 days later, my boss and I rented a car and drove back to Florida. I can remember everything, every detail. The world changed on 9/11. My heart goes out to all the moms, dads, sisters, brothers, friends that were lost that day. Now I'm mad. I thank every service person I pass at airports, thanking them for their service and protecting my family.