story10684.xml

story10684.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-07-08

On September 11th, 2001 I was working at Al-Anon in Virginia Beach, VA. I had just graduated from college and was working in the shipping department while looking for a full-time job. I remember listening to national public radio that day and hearing that an airplane had just crashed into one of the towers. At that time, I didn't think the situation was as serious as it actually was. I remember thinking that somehow a passenger plane must have gotten off course. I never would have imagined it was a terrorist attack. During our break time, we all gathered in the cafeteria but this time no one was eating or talking. There was no line at the snack machine like their usually was. Everyone was staring at the television set, watching the planes crash into the towers. Al-Anon used to be located in New York so a lot my co-workers were shocked and worried about family members there.
A few days after the attacks, I was working in the shipping department handling returns. I went to open one of the boxes and noticed the address. It was sent to a business in the World Trade Center. The UPS label said the box was unable to be delivered due to unforeseen events. I took all of the materials out and returned them to their shelves but couldn't throw away the box like we normally did. I asked if I could keep it. I kept it at my station for a while and took it with me when I got a new job. I still have that box to this day. It's just a box but it reminds me of where I was and how I felt on September 11th, 2001.