remembering 9/11

teejay

Sometime today--I don't remember exactly when--it dawned on me that tomorrow is 9/11. When the revelation hit me, I damned near cried on the spot. A fuckin 44 yearold, cynical, hardass black bastard like me! Crying? No way. Way!!

I remembered, right then, of how scared I was a year ago when (and where) I first heard.

I'd listened to radio reports of a small commuter plane crashing into the WTC and a small fire breaking out on "upper floors." But not long after that, my baby sister called me from Arkansas on my cell phone in the middle of the day. She never does that. Never. I mean... not ever.

She asked me if I was watching TV... then told me the news. I thought she was joking... but not really. My mind told me that she would never joke about a thing like that. But, then again, she HAD to be joking. Those TOWERS? Big as they were? And you're trying to tell me that one of them is GONE? With all those thousands of people in it? Oh no, Sis. No way. You need to play that game with somebody else...
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When the reality started to sink in, one thing I will always remember is the fear I had... being scared a scared like I never ever felt in my life. Here I am... from a part of Arkansas where severe thunderstorms and F4 tornadoes come out to play every year... all the time. Even as a little kid, I never felt a fear of *them*.

This, somehow, was different and I knew it. The Boogey Man got real. He wasn't a joke afterall. He'd come to LIFE ... all of a sudden... and tons of people I'd never meet where GONE. Mommies and daddies, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters... gone.

"Bad is here", I thought.

To stay.

myself

I was on the way to work teejay, I can still feel the sickening pit in my stomach. I also thought it was a sick joke at first (denial, not wanting to believe it happened) I started to change to every radio station in out area and it was confirmed. Planning to light a candle tomorrow and a moment of silence. What a terrible loss of lives. Things will never be the same.

bigboi

I was at work, listening to the radio when it happened. I can tell u that I felt nuthin but pure unadulterated rage. I've carried that same anger with me for all this time. It may not be as intense as it was initially, but it's still there. I can't help feeling angry but what's really scary is that at the bottom of that anger it's not fear, but helplessness. Cause I know there ain't a damn thing I can do to stop something like that from happening where I live. It's hard living under threat like this.

Can u imagine what it must be like for the ppl of New York City?

teejay

Thinking about the plane hitting the Towers...

... at the time I hoped (knew) that everybody was all right. The Towers *were*... I mean... waaay up there, and a newbie/student pilot flying for the first time could very well fuck up and do something stupid. No big deal. I thought. The fire'll be out anytime now. I thought.

A few minutes later, I was in a clinic. The TV was on and I paused for a second to see the first tower on fire. Even though the clinic was full of parents and little kids and infants it was quiet as a morgue. I was in a hurry that day--a lot to do--but even though I spent only a few seconds there I thought the quiet in that big room full of people a bit odd. There were a lot of babies in there. I mean... not a sound. Maybe it was just me.

At the time I thought it was no big deal. I didn't know.

Frankly, thanks to my job, I am glad I didn't see the live TV pictures of the buildings falling. I would not care at all for the memory.

In_between_days

I was shaken awake by my JW flatemate, who was incredibly shocked, yelling that armageddon had started. She had just seen the news report herself and I dont think she watched long enough to get the full story as she was yelling that New York had been totally destroyed and started talking about Daniels prophesy. I was barely conscious and stumbled out to the TV. The first thing I saw was the tower crumbling all the way down. A shiver went down my body like ice, and at that moment, I believed her. I was still studying then but hadnt been to any meetings for approximately 6 months - I said "Well, im going to die" to her, and I really meant it. Later, I realised it was not armageddon, but I was still filled with dread.

We sat down and watched it together, I called my family, fiance and friends. My flatmate told me that she had been channel surfing in the morning, annoyed that "Video Hits" was'nt on as it usually was and kept wondering why all the channels were promoting some "new movie" all at the same time. She stopped on a channel for a few seconds and then realised it was real.

I was taking interviews for work that day and every person I interviewed looked completely devestated. I took approx. 5 minutes with each candidate before the interview to discuss what had happened. At the end of the day I cried. I will never forget this day, and my heart goes out to you New Yorkers, I cannot imagine how truly devestating this event must have been to you.

larc

I didn't get angry and I didn't get sad, I just went numb. I just felt like my body was made of lead, and the world was changing in a way that I could not control. Later that day, Bush's plane flew over, and the two fighter jets on each side of Airforce One broke the sound barrier. I thought we were next in the terriorists plans when I heard what sounded like two large explosions.

Big Tex

I didn't get angry and I didn't get sad, I just went numb.

Yeah, that's kinda how I felt. I was in a daze and everything felt unreal as if my mind just wasn't accepting what I was seeing. I work at night and normally wake up around 10 a.m., but that morning, for some reason, I woke up a few minutes before 8 a.m. and I was immediately wide awake. I turned the TV on just a few seconds before the second plane hit. I get goosebumps just remembering how I felt when I saw it.

That was the most bizarre day of my life.

ozziepost

I didn't get angry and I didn't get sad, I just went numb.

Me too.

We were alerted to it on the board here after the first plane struck, so turned on the relay from CNN to see the further events.

It had special poignancy for Mrs Ozzie and I for reasons that some of our friends on the board are aware of.

It's a sombre day today for us too, even though we're now downunder.

Cheers, Ozzie

P.S. Nice to see your posting, teejay.

plmkrzy

My TV comes on every morning like an alarm clock. Always the news. I was woke up by it. and remember rubbing my eyes and then all the sudden another plane hits. I was frozen like a cat caught in headlights.

Then the phone started ringing. "Are you seeing it"!!!! Then it sank in that it was real.

Mulan

Princess and I are hoping they don't decide Disneyland is a good target for this year, on September 11.

Last year, our family was reeling from two deaths, in two weeks. It was two days after Sharon's memorial, when the disaster happened. Our emotions were shot, and this was the last straw. We were devastated and still are.

But, we have to keep living our lives, and not in fear, hopefully.

remembering 9/11

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