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#2388 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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September 11, 2001 -- Just like any other day, my husband went to school in Northern KY where he was teaching high school Chemistry & Biology & I went to work in the Radiology Dept at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Hospital. I went through my usual routine when I arrived at the office at 8:00 a.m. - turn on computer, check voice mail, check the fax and printers up the hall, etc. I pass the waiting room many times each day & always glance into the room to see what the TV is tuned to. As I went into the main hallway a while later, I noticed that employees were congregating in the hallway just outside the waiting room & when I walked by the waiting room I saw Katie Couric going over the footage of the 1st plane. Patient families relayed the info that a small plane had hit the WTC. Short while later the 2nd plane hit. We began relaying info to others in dept that could not get to TV. A short while later my husband called me from his classroom after the news was broadcast at the high school. This is when I knew something was seriously wrong and realized this event directly affected our lives. His daughter & grandchildren (ages 10 & 3 at the time)live in Houston but were in Portugal visiting the in-laws & due back to the states any time. He was so worried that he stopped in the middle of his class & called me to see if I could get in touch with his other daughter in Houston to find out when everyone was due back. All we knew was that they were returning to Houston sometime 9/10 or 9/11 & they usually connect through Newark or JFK, sometimes through Boston. So we did not know if they were on one of the affected planes or not. Of course since we were both at work we did not have any family phone #s with us & did some frantic searching on the internet to find phone #s for his daughter & ex-wife. I finally found the home #s for both & was frustrated when I had to leave messages on answering machines for both. Fortunately the ex-wife checked her machine from the office, picked up my message & called me at the office. She told me they were due into Newark around noon 9/11 & she had been trying to locate their flight itinerary. She made some calls & found the flight #'s, etc. so we could attempt to find out where their flight was diverted to since they were already in the air when this happened. We were on pins & needles all day with no success in locating the kids. We received a message from the ex-wife while on way home from work that the kids had finally called her & they were in Bermuda. They said the pilot had come over the intercom during the flight to let them know that all the US airports were closed due to terrorist attacks & they would have to find somewhere to land or turn back to Portugal. It was decided to attempt to land in Bermuda as it was the closest airport at the time. We were so relieved to find out where they were. They wound up spending 9/11 & 9/12 at a resort in Bermuda at the expense of the airline. They were finally flown into Newark late 9/13 & then airline told them they did not know when they could get the family on a flight to Houston but it would be at least a coule of days & told them they were on their own regarding lodging in NY until they were put on a flight. The granddaughter's birthday is 9/15 & all she wanted to do was get home. There were few rental cars available in the area, with virtually none for a one-way trip. The family friend they were travelling with owns an auto repair shop in Houston & finally called in a bunch of favors in order to get them a rental car so they could drive from NY to Houston. They left NY early afternoon 9/14 & drove straight trhough to our house in Amelia, arriving approx 11:30 p.m. We packed the kids off to bed after grandson relayed the sights of flying over the WTC site when they got to NY. I got up at 7:30 Sat morning to go to store to buy cereal for the kids & birthday cake for granddaughter. You should have seen her face when she woke up & saw the presents & cake on the breakfast table. Needless to say, we had breakfast finished pretty quick so we could do presents & cake before they hit the road for the long drive to Houston. It's hard to believe that it has been a year ago already. It seems just like yesterday that we were scrambling to find the kids & make sure their plane was not one of the ones crashed. Now we carry their phone #s with us & have the kids send us their complete travel itinerary with flight #, time, airport, etc. so we never have to go through this again. I don't think the kids will ever forget flying over Ground Zero. The grandson still talks about the devastation he saw & said it really did not register with them until they flew into Newark a few days later.
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P | 34 | Ohio
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#2389 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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On September 11th 2001 I remember that i went to school like any ordinary day. Actually it was a beautiful morning... then i got to miss math... my least favorite subject because we had an assembly about an upcomming fundraiser. When we went back to classes we were only there for about 5 minnutes and then the phone rang in the room. my teacher answered it and told me to get all my stuff and go to the office... so I did... and when i walked in i saw my dad. Well my grandpop recently had surgery on his arm so i thought he did something to his arm and made it worse. but then in walked my cousin who we were taking care of because her mom was in the hospital. my dad signed us out and we ran to the car. Vicky and I were just like wheere are we going? we kept asking my dad what was wrong and he just kept saying ill tell you when we get home. So then we went to the high school right next to the middle school to pick up my brother... by this point i was REALLY worried. we went home then and we all went to the living room where my dad still had on the TV. then he told us... guys the world trade centers were just hit by 3 plans and they collapsed. me being an ignorant 7th grader was like ... WTC? whats that? my cousin and i were puzzled then my dad said the twin towers and i burst out into tears i was sooo worried. I am still trying toget over that. OI still remembe that day as if it were yesterday and i dont think i will ever forget it... GOD BLESS AMERICA!
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*~*Allison*~* | 14 | Pennsylvania
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#2390 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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I was just arriving at my office when I heard the news of the first plane hitting the WTC on the radio. When I got inside, there was already a TV turned on to the news.
On that fateful morning when four teams of terrorists decided to take on the role of the four horsemen and make passenger jets their steeds of the apocalypse, I watched in horror with the rest of the world. I saw the second plane hit the south tower more than a dozen times and from multiple views. I watched the towers fall in real time, then over and over again during the course of the next couple of weeks. With the fall of the north tower, I turned and walked away unable to take any more.
I was so full of shock and despair that I thought I would break down and cry right there in front of my coworkers. With tears filling my eyes I walked away, trying not to be noticed as I made my escape from the crowd gathered around the television. Then when safely out of view, I wiped the tears and found that I was unable to do anything more.
I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t scream in anger, I couldn’t even gather the motivation to go back to work. I called my dad. We talked and afterwards I went back to my desk and managed to go back to work. But my mind and my heart were not with me in the office. They were about 10 stories up looking through the lens of a video camera watching the scenes of the morning replay repeatedly.
I kept coming back to the point of tears, but could not cry. A couple of tears on the cheek and a brief shutter, and that was all. At first I thought it was simply because I was in the office I wouldn’t allow myself the luxury. I even wrote in an email that I couldn’t believe the effort I was putting into not crying. I didn’t realize until much later, when I wanted to cry and move on, that I couldn’t.
For the rest of the day, and for several days afterwards, I was full of pain, sorrow, and anger. Being a displaced New Yorker made the pain more intense. I started thinking of old friends who never left New York and called a couple. They were fine, but shook up like I was. More so since they didn’t need a TV to see the scene.
It was six months before I was finally able to cry. I don’t just mean about the attacks but about everything. September 11, 2001 bereft me of all tears. Even for my fathers sudden passing that December. I’m better now.
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David | 42 | New Hampshire
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#2391 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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I walked into chemistry class. This morning, on Sept. 11, 2002, I, out of random scheduling, ended up in this same room. A year ago, I walked in to look up at a movie on the tv. I was asking which one it was, and nobody knew. We were excited though, because we found out that we wouldn't have class because of this. How were we to know? This was no movie...it didn't seem like it at the time though. The people in class that never shut up, did just that. We all watched, for the entire 80 minutes of class. I am not one to cry or get emotional, but this truly did bring out feelings which I have never experienced before. I did not lose anyone in my family, nor a friend, or just someone I've seen before. But I lost all of those people to had potential, who had the ability to impact our society. They all did. They have moved me with their families' stories and the pictures. I will not forget the picture of a baby, wearing a sweater with an American flag on the front, walking over to some lit candles at a memorial site. Even if we were not related to someone, or actually knew someone who passed, or was involved in Sept. 11, we ALL love them. I will remember this day so clearly...there is no way I would be able to forget these feelings which I try to even lose at times. I will always think of the babies without mommies and daddies, those who were not able to see their children grow up, or their parents grow older. Since that day, I forgive anyone. I would not want something to happen, such as this, and have them think that I did not love them. Please keep that in mind. Much love for everyone.
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Jennifer | 17 | Pennsylvania
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#2392 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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i woke up at around 8 am..restless...i woke up and stared at my boyfriend at the time sleeping..then i stumbled out into the living room to watch like regis or something stupid so hopefully i would pass back out...but well you know what happened eventually..the most eerie part was when after the first plane hit and they had not known what had caused this destruction yet..and while they were sitting there live, talking about it..all you see in the backround was the other airplane strike...right there..the feeling came over me like i was just stabbed in the heart...so i went and woke up my boyfriend and he wouldn't wake up because he didn't believe me at first but then i just left because i couldn't keep my eyes off the tv..and like 10 min later he went out and was just like..in total awe...so we sat there and watched it together until he went to work..all i did all day was drink and drink and drink and drink...watch tv and drink..the thing that i shouldn't have had done but i didn't know what else to do..i mean..you feel so helpless...staring at this peice of technology like you are there but not being able to reach out and give anyone a hug...it hurt...and today..once again..i woke up at 8 am...and turned on the tv and watched and watched..and cried...and wished i could be there to just give one person a hug
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jen | 20 | Florida
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