story1336.xml
Title
story1336.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-08-20
911DA Story: Story
My alarm went off at 7:00 am (Mountain Time) - I was not working at the time and wanted to hit the Snooze...but I heard the announcer on the radio say something about the World Trade Center being on fire! I sprang out of bed and ran to the family room and turned on Fox News....I could not believe my eyes - The World Trade Center was a blaze and a plane was heading straight into the other Tower!
I called my daughter in Phoenix as she travels a great deal...she was still at home - Thank God - I then called my Sister in Minneapolis who was at work....she was crying and said everyone in the office was gathered round the T.V. in disbelief - I then called my Mother in Minneapolis - she compared this to the bombing of Pearl Harbor (only worse) I then called my Father & Stepmother who were eating breakfast and had not turned on the T.V. or radio - after calling my other Daugher and Son...I fell to the floor on my knees as I watched people running from the collapsing building and those that were jumping from the windows...I started to cry and pray as I have never prayed before.
Note: Because it was "Live" T.V. the camera caught the horrific sights of people dangling and jumping from the buildings - -fortunately, they were not broadcast again.
I still cannot describe the feelings that came over me...fear...anger....sadness and most of all (if there is such a feeling) of being surreal. I could not believe what my eyes were seeing on Live T.V. - this could not happen in the United States....it happens somewhere else in the world....I knew from this moment on....LIFE as we had known it would NEVER EVER be the same...that night of 9/11 I went to church, cryed through the entire service along with everyone else and have kept the victums of 9/11 in my daily prayers since.
The following night neighbors gathered near my Father's house neath a beautiful moonlit Tucson night - we all held candels receited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang America The Beautiful...after which we talked about our feelings - we were all feeling the same things - we hugged each other, said goodnight and quietly went back to our homes - I had never before felt such a feeling of closeness and love toward my neighbor.
I sat down at the piano on the following Saturday and wrote a very haunting melody which I played over and over for the next few months....I just did not want to let go of the grieving I was feeling for the fallen victums and hero's of that fateful day.....then I got mad and would NOT play it....the other night I played that song very softly.
My parents lived through World War II.....I lived through Viet Nam and my children have lived through 9/11....we are still strong and loving people..."...and the beat goes on!"
I called my daughter in Phoenix as she travels a great deal...she was still at home - Thank God - I then called my Sister in Minneapolis who was at work....she was crying and said everyone in the office was gathered round the T.V. in disbelief - I then called my Mother in Minneapolis - she compared this to the bombing of Pearl Harbor (only worse) I then called my Father & Stepmother who were eating breakfast and had not turned on the T.V. or radio - after calling my other Daugher and Son...I fell to the floor on my knees as I watched people running from the collapsing building and those that were jumping from the windows...I started to cry and pray as I have never prayed before.
Note: Because it was "Live" T.V. the camera caught the horrific sights of people dangling and jumping from the buildings - -fortunately, they were not broadcast again.
I still cannot describe the feelings that came over me...fear...anger....sadness and most of all (if there is such a feeling) of being surreal. I could not believe what my eyes were seeing on Live T.V. - this could not happen in the United States....it happens somewhere else in the world....I knew from this moment on....LIFE as we had known it would NEVER EVER be the same...that night of 9/11 I went to church, cryed through the entire service along with everyone else and have kept the victums of 9/11 in my daily prayers since.
The following night neighbors gathered near my Father's house neath a beautiful moonlit Tucson night - we all held candels receited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang America The Beautiful...after which we talked about our feelings - we were all feeling the same things - we hugged each other, said goodnight and quietly went back to our homes - I had never before felt such a feeling of closeness and love toward my neighbor.
I sat down at the piano on the following Saturday and wrote a very haunting melody which I played over and over for the next few months....I just did not want to let go of the grieving I was feeling for the fallen victums and hero's of that fateful day.....then I got mad and would NOT play it....the other night I played that song very softly.
My parents lived through World War II.....I lived through Viet Nam and my children have lived through 9/11....we are still strong and loving people..."...and the beat goes on!"
Collection
Citation
“story1336.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed April 16, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/7784.