story1614.xml

story1614.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-31

I work as a residential service worker for a local group home for disabled adults. I work the "graveyard shift" (9:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. CST). My sister-in-law is a nurse that works the same shift I do.
I'll never forget that look on her face as she plowed up into her yard with her pick-up truck. She looked pale and with a very frightened look on her face. "What's wrong, Cathy?" I asked her, "did something happen to your mother, or your kids?" "NO!," she screamed, "a plane has hit the World Trade Center in New York City!!! Turn on the television, NOW!!!"
We turned on the television to "The Today Show". There it was. They had shown the first plane hit the World Trade Center. In my gut feeling, I knew this was not an accident, but a diliberate one. Cathy started crying and so did I. I couldn't believe what was going on!!!
Next, we saw as the other plane hit the other building. I was worried about how all of those people would get out of the two large buildings with all the fire and smoke. I knew the firefighters were helping, but what came next terrified me beyond belief.
We saw one tower become completely surrounded in flames, and then we saw the collapse. It was if someone had taken a iron frying pan to my head. I was in shock. I couldn't move.
"Are you alright Michelle?" my husband asked me. "No, I'm not. Look what happened. How many people just lost their lives? What about all the people that just lost their parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers and other relatives."
Then, the next plane hit and a half an hour later that tower collapsed. I fell to the floor because I was in a great deal of shock. I'm glad my little girl was at school and didn't see me like that.
The Pentagon was hit next and I thought I was going to die from grief!!! How could people hurt us like this? Was our President in danger? It was later reported that he had just left an Elementary School in South Florida on Air Force One.
About an hour later, the fourth plane, which was at first headed for The White House, had been hijacked as well.
"Oh No!" I cried. "Where's this one going?"
It didn't hit another building, thanks to the heroism of the Passengers on that airplane. They gave the ultimate sacrifice in order to prevent another attack.
I was in shock, I still couldn't move. I called in work and told them I couldn't work because I was in shock. I don't know if my employer believed me or not, but my sister-in-law (the nurse) came to my defense. "She's not in a mental state to work tonight. She can't move and she's crying all the time."
I still can't believe it even almost a year later. How could the security of the most powerful country in the world let this happen?
My daughter drew a powerful picture of that horrific day. It's a picture of our flag, and of our President, going on live television, giving the State Address, with two large skyscrapers on the ground with the United States Flag on the rubble, "our flag was still there." My daughter is only seven years old, but understands completely.
Just a story from the average American citizen.