ONE THING FOR THURSDAY - WHERE WERE YOU?
I was on a shuttle bus from Crystal City to the Navy Yard and just passing the Pentagon when someone got a cell phone call about the first plane and I thought "that's odd". The shuttle bus had just gotten to the Navy Yard gate when the person got the call about the second plane and I thought "that's not a coincidence". I had been in my building for about 10 minutes or so when someone shouted "They just hit the Pentagon". Slight panic set in and many of left to try to get as far away from the base as possible but they'd shut down the base (lasted 3-4 hours). I then spent quite a bit of time trying to reach my family who were frantic trying to get ahold of me.
It took hours to get home that day, I had moved to the Eastern Shore two days prior and this was my first day doing that commute, but once I got over to my side of the bridge, I felt a huge sense of relief and safeness for some reason. You couldn't have paid me to go back to work across the street from the Pentagon the next day and I spent i****ching t.v. and crying. I will never forget and have proudly flown my American flag every day since.
It took hours to get home that day, I had moved to the Eastern Shore two days prior and this was my first day doing that commute, but once I got over to my side of the bridge, I felt a huge sense of relief and safeness for some reason. You couldn't have paid me to go back to work across the street from the Pentagon the next day and I spent i****ching t.v. and crying. I will never forget and have proudly flown my American flag every day since.
What a great post.
I was living in the SF bay area of CA at the time. So, the attacks happened quite a bit earlier in local time for me. I sleep with the TV on, and I woke up to the live broadcast of the 2nd plane hitting the 2nd tower. I believe it was 5:45 am for me. Something I will never in my lifetime forget. We only worked about 2 hours before our president (who was in NYC on business that week) called to tell us to go be with our loved ones. Nobody could concentrate, or think of anything else except the loss. My direct boss wanted us to continue to work. It was then that I realized the man had no heart whatsoever. My best friend was working on 5th Ave. at the time, and she emailed all of us first to let us know she was OK, but also to describe what she saw, which was the towers going down, virtually in front of her.
I think the most important thing we can do is remember and reflect on this day, every year. I think that is the best way to honor the memory of those lost, and honor those who worked so hard to save as many lives as they did. Tia, thank you for starting this thread, and giving us the opportunity to do this.
I was living in the SF bay area of CA at the time. So, the attacks happened quite a bit earlier in local time for me. I sleep with the TV on, and I woke up to the live broadcast of the 2nd plane hitting the 2nd tower. I believe it was 5:45 am for me. Something I will never in my lifetime forget. We only worked about 2 hours before our president (who was in NYC on business that week) called to tell us to go be with our loved ones. Nobody could concentrate, or think of anything else except the loss. My direct boss wanted us to continue to work. It was then that I realized the man had no heart whatsoever. My best friend was working on 5th Ave. at the time, and she emailed all of us first to let us know she was OK, but also to describe what she saw, which was the towers going down, virtually in front of her.
I think the most important thing we can do is remember and reflect on this day, every year. I think that is the best way to honor the memory of those lost, and honor those who worked so hard to save as many lives as they did. Tia, thank you for starting this thread, and giving us the opportunity to do this.
Hugs!
Kathy
Kathy
I had walked into work and was in another coworker's office showing of my 2 day old engagement ring (I got engaged on 9/9/01). Someone walked in and said "A plane hit the WTC." We were like "Uh, the one in Baltimore or NY?" She said she didn't know. So we got up and walked down to the conference room, thinking it was some minor accident, and the second we walked in, we saw the 2nd plane hit. Everyone gasped, but since we just walked in were thinking it was just a replay of the first tower. We watched for awhile, and when the Pentagon got hit, I started crying and left the room. I ran to my desk and frantically called my dad, because he worked for the Dept of Defense at Ft. Meade. I was terrified there would be more attacks. I couldn't get through, the lines were so busy. Then I frantically called my mom who works in the Federal Bldg in Baltimore. I wanted them both home immediately since they were in govt bldgs. I was hysterical on the phone and I think I scared my mom into leaving. Then I did the same with my H (then fiance). He works in a large state govt complex in Baltimore and I didn't want him getting stuck in the city if there was an attack. (He had a lot of trouble getting home when there was that train tunnel explosion downtown.) Finally I got ahold of my dad and he was saying that they may lock down the base (so soldiers can't take their families and run according to him) so I was just screaming at him to leave.
Everyone in my office just went home. There was no closing announcement, we all just left. I sat in my apt with H and watched the news all day long. His office closed shortly after I made him leave (and his coworkers teased him that I was being psycho). My brother's school closed early. Both my parents left work.
I watched the morning news for months and sobbed every morning that they'd have a story about 9/11. I felt so awful for the people who were searching for their loved ones. The phone calls made from the towers and planes to say goodbye. Heart wrenching.
But I must say that I was so proud of our country right after that. How everyone seemed to unite together and be helpful and caring. That was heartwarming.
I was in the first week of my graduate internship in Frostburg University Counseling and Psych services center. It's located in Western MD,about 30 minutes from Shanksville in Somerset Co., PA, where flight 93 went down.
We were in the conference room having a staff meeting when all the electricity went out all over the campus, including the windowless room in which we were meeting. There was dead silence. The power stayed off longer than just a few seconds, so we ended the meeting and when we got back to the main office the electricity had been restored via generator.
I later put together that we lost the power due to flight 93 crashing so close to where the utility provider was located for that area.
Our receptionist was listening to the news about the first plane. The office next door, Veterans Affairs, had a TV, so we all went in there and watched in horror as they reported about the first plane hitting the twin towers. Right then, we saw live, the second plane hit right behind the newscaster we were watching. I called my sister by cell phone and it took so many tries I lost count. The phone lines, both land line and cell, were jammed with people trying to connect with loved ones. I finally got her and we were both in total disbelief. We had each been unable to reach any other family members. The rest of my memory of that day I was just numb.
Soon there were candlelight vigils. I went to two, and was able to have a good long cry at the second one. The media coverage was too much and too repetitive, so I had to limit how much I watched.
I started to wonder when the next attack would be, and lost the feeling of safety I had not realized I had even had until it was gone. I realized that the US had made enemies and now thought we were not any safer than any other country. I realized that other countries hated us for meddling in their affairs and for being the bully on the playground in their eyes.
Soon I was counseling students who were unable to sleep or so anxious they couldn't focus on their studies due to the attacks. Some were having night terrors. I learned quickly how to put my own feelings aside to help others emotionally in the crisis. I had three close friends then who were all in the same psychology graduate program and we supported one another to deal with our own feelings about it. My one friend was from Greece, and she had experienced a lifetime of war and attacks there, and seemed to think we had been spoiled here in the US. I had to agree. We had been oblivious to how lucky we were that this sort of thing doesn't happen often in the US. Again, another reason for other countries to hate us.
My family and I were able to speak by phone soon after the attacks, and I called my cousin, whose husband was in the Pentagon that day working. Thankfully he was in an office on the other side of the building than where the plane crashed. He was and still is fine and healthy. Soon after this I contacted 2 friends of mine who I had lost contact with over misunderstandings and I reached out to them to rekindle our friendships. Life was just too short for any petty disagreements. I am most thankful for that.
I enjoyed seeing the renewed patriotism after the attacks, but I wished it hadn't taken such a tragedy to bring it about.
I watched the news last night about the memorials in NY, DC, and PA. I liked all three. The bells in PA, the benches in DC, and the 2 beams of light in NY. I thought on 9/11/2001 and still think today that we citizens only know what we are shown in the news and in the paper. There is a lot more happening that we are unaware of. I have no control over that and try to just focus on my daily life and take care of my responsibilities and relationships as best I can. I am thankful for all the people in our military who work to keep us safe and for all the emergency workers who lost their lives trying to help people that day.
We were in the conference room having a staff meeting when all the electricity went out all over the campus, including the windowless room in which we were meeting. There was dead silence. The power stayed off longer than just a few seconds, so we ended the meeting and when we got back to the main office the electricity had been restored via generator.
I later put together that we lost the power due to flight 93 crashing so close to where the utility provider was located for that area.
Our receptionist was listening to the news about the first plane. The office next door, Veterans Affairs, had a TV, so we all went in there and watched in horror as they reported about the first plane hitting the twin towers. Right then, we saw live, the second plane hit right behind the newscaster we were watching. I called my sister by cell phone and it took so many tries I lost count. The phone lines, both land line and cell, were jammed with people trying to connect with loved ones. I finally got her and we were both in total disbelief. We had each been unable to reach any other family members. The rest of my memory of that day I was just numb.
Soon there were candlelight vigils. I went to two, and was able to have a good long cry at the second one. The media coverage was too much and too repetitive, so I had to limit how much I watched.
I started to wonder when the next attack would be, and lost the feeling of safety I had not realized I had even had until it was gone. I realized that the US had made enemies and now thought we were not any safer than any other country. I realized that other countries hated us for meddling in their affairs and for being the bully on the playground in their eyes.
Soon I was counseling students who were unable to sleep or so anxious they couldn't focus on their studies due to the attacks. Some were having night terrors. I learned quickly how to put my own feelings aside to help others emotionally in the crisis. I had three close friends then who were all in the same psychology graduate program and we supported one another to deal with our own feelings about it. My one friend was from Greece, and she had experienced a lifetime of war and attacks there, and seemed to think we had been spoiled here in the US. I had to agree. We had been oblivious to how lucky we were that this sort of thing doesn't happen often in the US. Again, another reason for other countries to hate us.
My family and I were able to speak by phone soon after the attacks, and I called my cousin, whose husband was in the Pentagon that day working. Thankfully he was in an office on the other side of the building than where the plane crashed. He was and still is fine and healthy. Soon after this I contacted 2 friends of mine who I had lost contact with over misunderstandings and I reached out to them to rekindle our friendships. Life was just too short for any petty disagreements. I am most thankful for that.
I enjoyed seeing the renewed patriotism after the attacks, but I wished it hadn't taken such a tragedy to bring it about.
I watched the news last night about the memorials in NY, DC, and PA. I liked all three. The bells in PA, the benches in DC, and the 2 beams of light in NY. I thought on 9/11/2001 and still think today that we citizens only know what we are shown in the news and in the paper. There is a lot more happening that we are unaware of. I have no control over that and try to just focus on my daily life and take care of my responsibilities and relationships as best I can. I am thankful for all the people in our military who work to keep us safe and for all the emergency workers who lost their lives trying to help people that day.
I was pulling into the parking lot at the doctors office when the news broke in and sad a small commuter plane had just hit the first tower. I was pregnant with Emily and had to get the full blown gestational diabetes test. I had a cell phone but left it in the car. A few hours later when I left the doctors office, I heard the radio...they were just going crazy and I was oblivious. I called my girlfriend and asked her what was going on...OMG....it was awful. I work for a contractor across the street from NSA so I started heading in to work. My husband called me frantic, he was at home and was getting upset with me because I was going in to work. I stayed at work about 15 minutes and decided to go home. By the time I got there, my hubby had picked my son up from school and my oldest was getting off of the bus. I think everyone in my family called me that night (they all live in southeast Virginia) to make sure that I was okay! They know what I do, and that I had worked in several different areas in DC on and off and they weren't sure where I was at the time. It took them hours to finally get through to me though. We just sat glued to the tv that entire night.
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