story10496.xml
Title
story10496.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2004-03-25
911DA Story: Story
I was driving to work and was catching the tail end of a news story about a plane striking a building. I simply thought, 'engine or equipment malfunction'. When I arrived at work I went in to my managers office to line up the projects for the day, she said with a very concerned look on her face, 'Did you hear?"
"Hear what?" I wondered, thinking that the company was going to execute another radical change in our section.
"Someone flew a jet into the World Trade Center building!"
The time was 6:55 AM, eight minutes before the second plane hit the South Tower. I was dumbstruck, my first thoughts, "It's almost 9:00 AM there, my God all those people. How many people in that building, 10,000, maybe 15,000." Sitting in her office no words exchanged, I felt the tears begin to roll down my face, then I saw hers begin.
"All those people," I stammered, "all those families." While I was working in a corporate office at the time, my second job, my real job was as an Associate Pastor for a church in North Phoenix. My heart was breaking for the anguish that was pouring into the lives of those New Yorkers.
I walked numbly to my desk, turned on the redio to hear the latest, just in time to hear the report of the second plane striking the South Tower. "OH DEAR GOD NO!" I was in shock, it couldn't be happening could it?. I was hoping for some kind of 'War of the Worlds' disclaimer, but none came of course. I sat there at my desk, weeping, praying that lives would be saved, firefighters and police officers would be safe as they serve, and thet God would have mercy on all.
I thought "WHO could do such a thing?" I remembered the other WTC bombing, the USS Cole, the Marine barracks in Beirut. Imgages flashing through my mind. All works of terror. My mind flashed back to my last trip to New York City. Seeing those majestic towers that I've always admired since I was a boy. So tall, so immovable, so untouchable. Then the Pentagon was hit. The South Tower collapses and I can no longer suspend disbelief. Then a plane goes down in Pennsylvania. I was afraid to keep the radio on but compelled to leave it so. The North Tower collapses and I'm brought to tears yet again. They got them both. I found myself thinking decidedly non-Christian thoughts. I was angry, I was hurt and I was 2500 miles away.
It was horrific, unbelievable, gut-wrenchingly real and I felt powerless, so I prayed.
That's 'where I was' and I shall NEVER FORGET!
"Hear what?" I wondered, thinking that the company was going to execute another radical change in our section.
"Someone flew a jet into the World Trade Center building!"
The time was 6:55 AM, eight minutes before the second plane hit the South Tower. I was dumbstruck, my first thoughts, "It's almost 9:00 AM there, my God all those people. How many people in that building, 10,000, maybe 15,000." Sitting in her office no words exchanged, I felt the tears begin to roll down my face, then I saw hers begin.
"All those people," I stammered, "all those families." While I was working in a corporate office at the time, my second job, my real job was as an Associate Pastor for a church in North Phoenix. My heart was breaking for the anguish that was pouring into the lives of those New Yorkers.
I walked numbly to my desk, turned on the redio to hear the latest, just in time to hear the report of the second plane striking the South Tower. "OH DEAR GOD NO!" I was in shock, it couldn't be happening could it?. I was hoping for some kind of 'War of the Worlds' disclaimer, but none came of course. I sat there at my desk, weeping, praying that lives would be saved, firefighters and police officers would be safe as they serve, and thet God would have mercy on all.
I thought "WHO could do such a thing?" I remembered the other WTC bombing, the USS Cole, the Marine barracks in Beirut. Imgages flashing through my mind. All works of terror. My mind flashed back to my last trip to New York City. Seeing those majestic towers that I've always admired since I was a boy. So tall, so immovable, so untouchable. Then the Pentagon was hit. The South Tower collapses and I can no longer suspend disbelief. Then a plane goes down in Pennsylvania. I was afraid to keep the radio on but compelled to leave it so. The North Tower collapses and I'm brought to tears yet again. They got them both. I found myself thinking decidedly non-Christian thoughts. I was angry, I was hurt and I was 2500 miles away.
It was horrific, unbelievable, gut-wrenchingly real and I felt powerless, so I prayed.
That's 'where I was' and I shall NEVER FORGET!
Collection
Citation
“story10496.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 25, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/6512.