story1109.xml

story1109.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-19

I arrived at work unusually early that morning, before the attacks were announced on the radio. Because we were in the process of installing an upgraded telecommunications system, I had no access to the Internet or email. Working on that gorgeous morning at President Andrew Jackson's farm, I was engrossed in my work. Isolated from the outside world, I did not know what had happened for nearly two hours. When I finally heard the news from coworkers, I ran to the Visitor's Center, which is the only building at the property with a television. I'll never forget those horrific images on the fuzzy little tv screen.

There were split-screen images of the WTC and the Pentagon, both ablaze. Other jets were unaccounted for. The President was on Air Force One somewhere. The White House had been evacuated. The federal government had shut down all the airports and grounded all flights. I suddenly remembered that a fraternity brother worked in the WTC, and another buddy was in Chicago on business.

As a Gen Xer dependent on technology and instant communications, I had to get home, where I had cable tv and high-speed Internet. I was totally freaking out, near panic. I couldn't just stand around watching a tv with rabbit ears. I tried using my cell phone to call out, but the lines were already jammed.

I jumped in my car and rushed home at breakneck speed. Seemed everyone was listening to their car radios, in shock. It reminded me of a scene from "War of the Worlds." Was this real? Confusion. What was happening?

When I got home 5 minutes later, I emailed my mom in Orlando, my friends in Atlanta, Chicago, and elsewhere. Turned on CNN and jumped online. I couldn't take my eyes of the screen. Finally, emails were returned. Everyone was safe. Chicago skyscrapers had been evacuated. My friend in Atlanta was in communications with the family of our fraternity brother in NYC. He had gotten out of the WTC just in time, and had managed to call his mom in Tennessee.

I spent the rest of the day at home, glued to CNN and staying in communication with my friends and family spread across the country via email and AOL. On that day, I was extremely grateful for modern technology that allowed me to communicate with my loved ones nearly instantly across the country from my little apartment in Nashville.