story8174.xml

story8174.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-28

I had just gotten to work when everyone in the office started running to the radio. I heard that a plane had hit the World Trade Center, and they were saying it may have been an accident. Then the second plane hit, the broadcaster started screaming, and everyone in my office just stopped breathing. Tears flooded my eyes, and I felt as if I was going to pass out. My first intuition was to call my family and make sure they were ok, but I couldn't walk away from the radio. I had to see it on tv, I had to make sure this was real and not some nightmare. A couple of my co-workers and I ran to the lobby of the hospital, where CNN runs 24 hours a day. I couldn't beleive my eyes...the bulidings were on fire, debris falling, peole screaming. then I saw it live; I witnessed a human being jumping to their death. And I felt faint. Tears just poured out of my eyes. Strangers were hugging each other, crying in each others arms. WHen the first tower fell, my soul went with it. I couldn't stop thinking about everyone who parished as I was watching. I watched thousands of people die, and could'nt do anything to help. I remember going numb, and being scared that the world was going to end; the Pentagon was attacked, then the plane in Pennsylvania. What was next? On my lunch break I sat and watched CNN again, just staring into the TV screen, wanting to leave and drive to New York...help in any way I could. I watched people running for their lives, covered in dust and debris, bloody bodies on the street, reporters hiding in buildings. It all felt like a bad movie turned into reality. And all I could think of those next days after were the people who perished, whose families would never see them again, and who had to die because of someone else's ignorance. Still to this day I'm not right, Every single day I think back to that day and want to cry. I went to New York in January, and saw Ground Zero, it was almost too much for me to handle. I was standing on thousands of peoples graves. I said a prayer and asked God to look after the families that lost someone that terrible day. This past September 11th was a bad day for me, I woke in the morning to recollections of the day a year ago, saw images I was hoping to forget about, heard more stories from the families of the victims. I'm at a new job now, and this year the company president held a party to honor those who lost their lives, and the heroes who saved so many. As long as I live I will never forget September 11th, I will never be able to erase those images out of my head. I am now more greatful for family and friends, and now treat each day like it will be my last. You never know when it will be your turn.