story5917.xml
Title
story5917.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-12
911DA Story: Story
It was early and I was on my way to my weekly meetings. I was up early and on my way out the door I saw what my son was watching and I honestly thought he was watching "Die Hard" (Bruce Willis action movie) and told him to change the channel. That's when I found out a plane had crashed into the WTC tower. I thought is was an isolated incident and woke my husband up to see the news.
It was on my way to work that I heard on the radio of the second crash into the tower, the Pentagon, and the plane crash in Pennsylvania (still unconfirmed as to whether it was related or not).
The day's activities seemed so trivial. I can remember watching TV with my coworkers and being stunned. There were no words. I called my husband and we had an unspeakable need to keep our son home from school and just huddle together, thankful we had each other.
Then came the days of people waiting for family and friends that would never return. Families with pictures of men and women. The numbness of the reality took days to set in and the fear that followed, after all we weren't all that far from Oklahoma and only 2 years from the Columbine High School shootings. How much can people take.
But now a year later, we are still strong, still sad and still numb. We are also a little kinder and, I hope, more aware. I don't take for granted the casual goodbyes in the morning. I tell my husband and son I love them and always take the extra 30 seconds for hugs and kisses. I never turn down the opportunity for romance -- no matter what I might be late for. My priorities have been righted by the terror.
Probably not what they had in mind, but I know I am not alone in this and thier attempt to alter our lives has failed. But, while I was effected by this terror, I lost no loved ones and that pain takes years to fade and I hope in years as we read these and the pain recedes that our victory is seen.
It was on my way to work that I heard on the radio of the second crash into the tower, the Pentagon, and the plane crash in Pennsylvania (still unconfirmed as to whether it was related or not).
The day's activities seemed so trivial. I can remember watching TV with my coworkers and being stunned. There were no words. I called my husband and we had an unspeakable need to keep our son home from school and just huddle together, thankful we had each other.
Then came the days of people waiting for family and friends that would never return. Families with pictures of men and women. The numbness of the reality took days to set in and the fear that followed, after all we weren't all that far from Oklahoma and only 2 years from the Columbine High School shootings. How much can people take.
But now a year later, we are still strong, still sad and still numb. We are also a little kinder and, I hope, more aware. I don't take for granted the casual goodbyes in the morning. I tell my husband and son I love them and always take the extra 30 seconds for hugs and kisses. I never turn down the opportunity for romance -- no matter what I might be late for. My priorities have been righted by the terror.
Probably not what they had in mind, but I know I am not alone in this and thier attempt to alter our lives has failed. But, while I was effected by this terror, I lost no loved ones and that pain takes years to fade and I hope in years as we read these and the pain recedes that our victory is seen.
Collection
Citation
“story5917.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 10, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/6838.