story1523.xml

story1523.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-28

I am a lecturer at UCLA and a freelance workshop leader. My husband Tim works for a major LA radio station not far from our home. We live in Culver City, only 10 minutes away from the Los Angeles International Airport.
On September 11, I was scheduled to make an 8:30AM presentation at the Energy Center in Downey (LA suburb) and so got up earlier than usual. This was the first day we had awaken in our own bed after spending the weekend in hotels while our bathroom was being remodeled. I was bathing in our ?new? shower when Tim came in saying that a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center. Surely it was a small Cessna that had gone off-course. I told him to put on CNN.
I dried off and joined him in front of the television. Since the reporters knew little more than we did about the incident, I turned to go into the bedroom. Suddenly Tim was yelling, ?Jesus Christ! Another plane just flew into the World Trade Center! Babe, come quick and see this!?
I ran into the living room just as the scene was being replayed. I couldn?t believe my eyes as I watched possibly the most horrific thing I have ever seen. What on earth was going on? Had an air traffic controller gone berserk?
A few moments later the phone rang. The radio station was on alert. Tim had to go into work immediately. Stunned, I proceeded to get ready for the workshop while keeping an eye on CNN. Soon enough the TV was reporting two more plane crashes?one at the Pentagon and one in a field in Pennsylvania. Obviously the east coast was under attack.
The telephone rang. ?Are you watching TV?? Tim asked incredulously.
?Yes,? I said and started to cry. ?I?m scared. I don?t know what to do about the workshop.?
?Don?t go if you?re scared.?
I agreed and hung-up. I called the Energy Center. A distraught voice answered. I asked if, in light of the ?national crisis,? the workshop was canceled. The woman on the other end said yes. I then grappled with whether I should call my mom. At 6:30AM, I knew she and her husband Norm would be asleep. I decided to call anyway. They needed to be awake if the ?unthinkable? were to happen here next. I called and immediately burst into tears.
?Mom, something bad has happened in New York,? I sobbed. ?You need to put on the TV.?
In a groggy voice she told Norm to put on the TV.
?CNN,? I told her.
?Put on CNN,? she told Norm and hung-up.
I then called Tim to tell him I wasn?t going to Downey. He told me to fill-up the cars with gas. I complied, understanding?without being told?that the cars had to be ready in case we needed to evacuate. I composed myself and calmly walked outside. No airplanes crashing into buildings, no nuclear bombs falling?just our innocent street looking very much like it does every weekday morning. It was hard to believe that devastation was occurring 3000 miles away in NYC.
While getting gas I decided to buy some ?provisions? in case war did indeed break-out here. Astoundingly, the market was ?business as usual? as people shopped. I did notice, however, that almost everyone was buying one or two large containers of water. In addition, a dazed-looking woman was going from person to person explaining how she and her daughter had stood under the World Trade Center just the week before. She apparently was trying to cope. I paid for my water, cheese, crackers, cat food, and litter, and went home to wait.
The rest of the day was a blur of TV images and tears. Reporters, who began with measured accounts of the day?s events, eventually succumbed to speculation and sensationalism. It was a relief to return to work the next day, even though we were all in an emotional state of shock.