story1306.xml

story1306.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-20

I was awoken by the telephone at around 9:00 am. It was my brother, telling me to turn on the television. My first reaction was that I was watching a terrible accident, but an accident nonetheless. While on the phone with him, a second plane slammed into Tower Two. I remember spending the rest of the conversation in near silence. I went to work later in the day, finding out that one of our company's stores was lost on the attacks on New York. We closed early. On the way home I decided to stop at a bar downtown. There was little chatter among the regulars--until we heard a barrage of sirens go screaming past. Everyone was completely quiet until they went away, and then took a breath of relief. Every time I look at pictures of the attack, I think of a man sitting next to me at the bar, saying, "Is it all different now, or is this going to pass?" I still don't know. It's weird to be miles and months away, yet to be able to still feel that pain is something that doesn't easily vanish.