I will always remember this day... I will always remember this day so perfectly in my head; like it was just yesterday!!
This picture was taken 3 days prior(which happens to be Brian's Birthday) from my friend who was up in a helicopter watching a boat race. It is so eerie to see - knowing now that the building would be gone in 3 days!I decided to go into work early that day! I took the 6:50 Express train to the city and arrived at Penn Station in about an hour! I got off of the train and picked up a strawberry scone and carton of OJ for breakfast... ( I was single at the time and much younger) So, when I saw 3 HOT firefighters outside I felt compelled to spark up conversation. We chatted for a minute while I waited for a cab.. i was lazy that day and didn't feel like walking.. Then they got a call and said they had to go.. Little did I know that those firefighters were being called to the World Trade Center because a plane crashed through one of the towers..
I decided to give my mom an early morning phone call just to say hello. She was watching the news.. We talked for a few minutes and then I had to go! She was watching the news and mentioned something about a plane crash in city. After we hung up the phone she said she tried calling me back, but the phone line was busy for the rest of the day. She always says she wishes she told me to get back on the train(that's what she tried to call me back, she said she knew somwthing was wrong.)
The girl infront of me, waiting for a cab, was stressed because she was late for a meeting at The Trade Center. Little did she know that her being late could have saved her life! There were no cabs in sight so I decided my lazy ass should start walking. I still can remember hearing all of the police and fire sirens as I walked the New York City streets and made my way to my building.
So as I got to my building on Broadway, I took the elevator up to the 44th floor and when i got off I noticed the building was empty, more empty then usual. As I walked through the halls I came to the TV's and watched as the The Tower burned, smoke pouring out!
I went to my bosses desk, wrote her a note staing I was in and that I was going to head back to Jersey. I had no idea what was going on - but I new it wasn't good.
I headed down and out and I hoped in to a cab. The was one of the scariest parts of the day. As I rode alone to Penn Station the cab driver (of different descent) muttered under his breathe and laughed about how "we finally got them" how "we finally did it" how "we finally brought them down." He started speaking another language and began to chant - I started to cry and asked him to pull over.. I wanted out! I paid and got out of the cab and walked the rest of the way!
I rushed into Penn Station with the rest of the crowd, found my train, boarded and then took a BIG sigh of relief - I was headed back home! I felt safe! Then, all of the lights went out and over the loud speaker a voice came on saying to Exit the train, to walk quietly, and exit Penn Station. I exited the train and saw Police Men and Bomb sniffing dogs everywhere.
I am not a very trusting person - but for some reason during this chaotic mess i started to talk to this older gentleman that lived in Jersey. He was a lawyer in New York, also on the train with me trying to get home. Little did we know we'd be stuck in the city all day long. He took me under his wing(I was all alone in the city that day) - we sat on the street with thousands of other people and shared his walkman radio to listen to news updates. He even bought me lunch. At one point we decided to walk and as we made our way I will never forget this, he said "look" and pointed as we watched the tower collapse. We watched the smoke pour up onto all of the other buildings! I felt such sadness...
I finally made it home on the 5:30 train and headed back to New Jersey.. I rode the whole way with the lawyer I spent the entire afternoon with until he got off at his stop. He is a man I will never forget. Like I mentioned I am not the most trusting person when it comes to strangers; but this man was incredible and really helped me out during this horrible day!
I often think about 9/11 and those firefighters. I wonder if they made it out ok, I wonder if they were killed...I wonder about the lawyer - I wonder if he thinks of me on that day!
Do you remember where you were on 9/11?
27 comments:
I will never forget that day.
I was at work in downtown Buffalo and we heard reports about their being a plane over Cleveland that they couldn't get in touch with, my boss let us out of the office immediately, we were one of the first to be let out from downtown.
In the short time we were in the office, I called my grandmother to see if she had heard from my aunt. Thankfully she had, my aunt said she was in her building elevator. She was ok. Her office was right next to the WTC and part of the plane landed on her building...we didn't know this at the time, when she called, she also didn't know that the buildings would collapse. The stories of what she saw that day are unreal to me. She was not even a block away when the first building collapsed...she had to break into a building to get away from the flying debris. Thankfully, a cop found her and her employees and walked them out of there. My cousin was in Michigan and freaking out because no one could get a hold of my aunt...we all were trying nonstop and I finally was the first one that got a hold of her and immediately called my cousin to ler her know she was ok.
I will never forget that day and I am SO thankfully that my aunt didn't go do her banking in the WTC that morning because she was running late to work.
I got chills reading this. I remember everything clearly. Pete and I were just coming back from Staples-picking up school supplies- and he had on Howard Stern. This was in my pre-Howard days. I heard him say a plane crashed in the city and I remember thinking- what a sick joke. I'll never forget talking to you right before it happened (about the firefighters) and then waiting to here from you all day.
wow that brings back memories (not good ones). i completely remember getting up for class & then watching this on tv in the living room at hoey. it was pretty early and no one really knew what was going on so i got in my car & drove to class. a bunch of us were in class & could see our teacher across the hall watching the news on his little screen tv. he came in & cancelled our class & told us to go home. i went home & back to the tv...i called my mom to see if she had heard from my dad yet. he was in the city that day in a meeting and everyone there saw the towers on fire out the window. i was so happy both of you got home safely that day.
i was a high school sophomore in edison (bishop ahr!) and in my religion class when the teacher decided to turn on the tv to msnbc and ashleigh banfield is on in the middle of what looked like a battle zone describing what just happened.
they cut to when the plane hit the firs tower, and one of my friends, just let out a hollow yell because her dad worked on the 103rd floor of cantor fitzgerald and about 5 minutes later, she was whisked away from class. Her dad ended up being one of the thousands that died that day and I always think of her, even if it's not 9/11.
Wow, Dana. I think maybe I'll write about my 9/11 today as well...
This is absolutely insane. What a day.
Wow...I can't imagine what it must have been like to see it up close like that. How frightened you must have been. I'm so glad you were okay, and I love that you found that nice older man to talk to. Being alone would definitely be worse.
And that cab ride -- Good night!! It's incredible how much we're hated by some. :(
I blogged about my experience that day, too, but I felt very removed from it all here in CA.
Wow... I remember where I was. Brian was out of town too so I was so upset..he was in VA. I just wanted him to come home.
The whole time I was reading this I had goose bumps and tears in my eyes!
Today is truly a day to remember and think about those who weren't as lucky.
I blogged about this today too... may we never forget that day
Oh girl. Your story made tears come to my eyes. I can not believe you were so close. I can't imagine the fright you felt. I want to personally find and slap that cabbie who was talking like that with you in the car!
I was still in high school...I remember the day perfectly. I'm going to blog about it later today as well.
Your post gave me chills. It's incredible what the people in the city went through that day.
I was safe and sound at my job here in Florida. I was in the cafe getting breakfast when the news suddenly broke in saying that a plane had just crashed into one of the towers. I don't know why but I immediately thought - this could be a terrorist attack. Then when the 2nd plane hit - definitely a terrorist attack. I remained glued to the t.v. the whole day. I prayed all day for all those people and all their loved ones. I prayed for the President, I mean what a situation to have to handle! I remember the day like it was yesterday, I will never forget it.
I'm glad I stopped by your place, I can't imagine how scarey it must have been for you being so close to it all.
September 11, 2001 really was the most tragic day in american history.
~Angie~
I was in Chile. I remember being in class and someone walking in and letting the teacher know what had happened- that's how serious 9/11 was, even for other countries. we spent the rest of the time watching the news on CNN, and then I went home and called my mom and family who lived here in Pittsburgh at the time, and not being able to get through because the lines were going crazy.
I will never forget that day either. I was a sophomore in high school. I was sitting in AP History. All the teachers got an announcement to turn their tv's on. We turned ours on and just sat there.
My friend's dad was up there that day also. But thankfully he wasn't near the trade centers.
If I would have been in your situation I probably would have just sat in the middle of the street and cried. That incident with the cab driver is extremely scary. I would have had a major panic attack and just jumped out the cab without paying him.. but if I didn't pay him he might come shoot me. Who knows. I'm just glad you're ok!
It's really weird living where we do because soo many things over the mountain are run by foreigners. I have a habit of judging the ones that look like the ones that bombed us. I'm just terrified that it being so close that something will happen here. I'm very very paranoid about those kind of things!
where did you work on Broadway? like what did you do?
Wow, that is such a powerful story! I remember I was in my humanities class that day and the first word we all received of it was when the principal announced it over the loud speakers. I'll never forget that...
OMG. My jaw is still in my lap from the cab drivers comments. Seriously? This is why profiling is completely acceptable in my book.
I was at my home painting a bedroom in complete silence all morning. No TV. No radio. A friend called to cancel our lunch plans because of the news. I had no idea what she was talking about. It wasn't until 11am that I turned the news on to see what was happening.
It's a horrible day etched in my memory. I was at my apartment - senior year in college - and I remember being pissed that my roommates were making noise while I was trying to sleep in. I went out to yell at them and saw the tv. I immediately got on the phone to call my mom. My father worked in the city and took the path to the WTC each day. When she picked up she was already crying, saying she couldn't reach them and also to tell me that my aunt (my father's youngest brother's wife) worked in one of the towers. We spent the morning watching the tv, and when the towers came down my heart just sank. We eventually got in touch with my dad, but no one had heard from my aunt. She worked for Cantor Fitzgerald - the company that lost almost all their employees, most in their 30's. She left my uncle a voicemail, apologizing for going to work that day. We must have listened to it god knows how many times after just to hear her voice. She was 8 months pregnant. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her, especially today that I'm a mom. But I know she's looking down on us.
oh wow dana i can't believe how first hand your experience was. and it's always nice to hear of people like the lawyer that can be so helpful and thoughtful in a serious time of need.
I think everyone must remember that day.. I do. It was a day like any other, I was at work, doing usual work stuff, and my husband who was finishing his last semester in college was at home. He called me at work to tell me, then I was the one who went around passing the word on to everyone in my office. We all went to our tiny break room and crowded around a TV to watch in amazement.
I can;t imagine what it would have been like to be so close to it all - very scary...
Wow...that is crazy. I'm from Canada, but I remember when my roomate that I was living with in some staff accomodations came running into the room crying, and saying that a plane just crashed into the world trade tower!! It was all I could think about all day...it was SO awful.
Wow your story is just really really touching. I mean of all the posts I've read today yours really hit me. I live out in California, and to be entirely truthful, it didn't affect some of us (I won't speak for all of course) as much as the rest of the nation. It was just so far away. But hearing your story and how close you were to it all is really amazing to hear.
I remember, very clearly, all of the details of that very sad day. It's so important though to remember.
wow I felt chills and tears in my eyes. you were so close...and the people you met...ive never heard such a story
thanks for posting that surreal picture
This is very touching! I almost cried upon reading the story. I remember those days.
I really remember that when I watch in the TV. I felt hot air passes by when i heard the news. That was horrible. Felt sorry to those people who did not make it.
I'm so touch! So amazing! I felt so for those who didn't make it.
I cannot even imagine what you all must have gone through. I live in India, and if I told you "I understand what it must be like" I would be lying.
I just finished watching the movie, Extremely Loud, Inc. Close. And then wanted to talk to somebody. So I typed "Just Talk" on google- and then this post comes up. All I can do is pray for you all, and for the memories of everybody in the building that day. I just needed to say this.
Love and Peace.
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