story3062.xml
Title
story3062.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
I was sitting at my computer, eating breakfast and starting to go through my morning e-mails when a co-worker came into my office upset after hearing that a small plane (initial reports stated a small plane) had crashed into the World Trade Center.
My initial thoughts were not of terrorism but of a flight that I had taken two weeks prior where I thought about how congested the city was and how catastrophic it would be for a plane to crash into such a densely populated area.
I immediately went to MSNBC.com to see if I could find out further information.
Word was travelling fast. As people were coming into our offices that morning everyone was trying to connect to a news website but my computer seemed to be the only one that could connect to a website.
A crowd of people formed around my desk as we all watched for the latest update. Then the news that a second plane hit the other tower of the World Trade Center and everyone knew that this was not an accident.
Someone set up a television in a conference room about 20 feet from my office. And as we all watched the first tower crumble to the ground the tears flowed freely as the enormity of what was unfolding in front of us sunk in.
My children were in school that day and I raced to the phone to call the principals of their respective schools to find out what they were being told. They were not telling the kids anything. For the time being, my kids were safe and unaffected.
Forever ingrained in my mind will be the picture of a Secretary coming towards me saying that the Pentagon was hit by a plane as well. Her fear was palpable. She was just showing it more than some others.
While I did not know anyone personally who perished in the terrorist acts of September 11th the magnitude of our nations loss was life changing for me. I will never feel safe again.
Living on Long Island in the few days after 9/11 was an uncomfortable time as well. All of the ways to leave Long Island were closed. All bridges, tunnels and airports were closed. The only way to leave would have been by boat. We were essentially "stuck" here whether we wanted to be here or not. I am grateful that I was at least with my family. Many people lost husbands, wives, children, parents, and other loved ones.
Before 9/11, I thought that there were many things missing from my life. Now, I would gladly turn back the clock to enjoy the inner peace and fearlessness that I felt then. Perhaps someday I will feel it again.
My initial thoughts were not of terrorism but of a flight that I had taken two weeks prior where I thought about how congested the city was and how catastrophic it would be for a plane to crash into such a densely populated area.
I immediately went to MSNBC.com to see if I could find out further information.
Word was travelling fast. As people were coming into our offices that morning everyone was trying to connect to a news website but my computer seemed to be the only one that could connect to a website.
A crowd of people formed around my desk as we all watched for the latest update. Then the news that a second plane hit the other tower of the World Trade Center and everyone knew that this was not an accident.
Someone set up a television in a conference room about 20 feet from my office. And as we all watched the first tower crumble to the ground the tears flowed freely as the enormity of what was unfolding in front of us sunk in.
My children were in school that day and I raced to the phone to call the principals of their respective schools to find out what they were being told. They were not telling the kids anything. For the time being, my kids were safe and unaffected.
Forever ingrained in my mind will be the picture of a Secretary coming towards me saying that the Pentagon was hit by a plane as well. Her fear was palpable. She was just showing it more than some others.
While I did not know anyone personally who perished in the terrorist acts of September 11th the magnitude of our nations loss was life changing for me. I will never feel safe again.
Living on Long Island in the few days after 9/11 was an uncomfortable time as well. All of the ways to leave Long Island were closed. All bridges, tunnels and airports were closed. The only way to leave would have been by boat. We were essentially "stuck" here whether we wanted to be here or not. I am grateful that I was at least with my family. Many people lost husbands, wives, children, parents, and other loved ones.
Before 9/11, I thought that there were many things missing from my life. Now, I would gladly turn back the clock to enjoy the inner peace and fearlessness that I felt then. Perhaps someday I will feel it again.
Collection
Citation
“story3062.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 8, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/8271.