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#2403 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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september 11 changed my life but it wasn't as effected as of those who lived in NY,Wash. D.C., and Penn. so i'll I have to say is that all the people that were affected by this day are in my prayers including the president so that he may continue to make wise choices concerning our country.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
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Brittany | 13 | California
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#2404 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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These are emails I wrote afterwards, partly to reassure friends and family, partly to help me deal with it all.
I was on Madison Avenue, watching it all happen out of my office window on the 39th floor in total horror.
I left NY on Sept 30, 2001, having already planned to return home to Sydney. But I was torn between wanting to leave a city that had irrevocably changed in a heartbeat and wanting to stay, to stand defiant with my fellow New Yorkers.
~~~
I've been back home just under a year now and I still miss the buzz of New York, the vibrancy and the pace - it's just as much home as Sydney is. There's been plenty of TV coverage here but I've been unable to watch any of it, probably like many who were there. I can still see it when I close my eyes, I still smell the smoke and see the ash and dust on my clothes. I can never forget seeing the rescue workers emerging from buses around 18th St and Second Avenue, after spending hours searching through the wreckage, exhaustion and intense sadness etched upon faces showing tracks of tears through the grey dust. Seeing the thousands of posters around the Armory on Second Avenue, the sidewalk crowded with flowers, candles and desperate hopes of reunions still tears at my heart. The silence of the fire houses where entire watches were lost makes me feel very humble as I remember the bravery of those who gave their all to help others.
~~~
On the anniversary yesterday, I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, along with 2 other NYers. I'd smuggled a small American flag under my jumpsuit (you can't take anything up there for safety reasons) and we held a minute's silence at the top. The Australian flag fluttered above us at half staff, the police boats buzzed around the OPera House far below. We said a silent prayer for those we'd lost. And we thanked God for our freedom and our will to stand defiant, to not succumb to the fear.
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Sept 12, 2001
Dear all,
thanks for the messages yesterday, it was good for me to be able to focus on something other than what I could see out the window.
I'm OK, altho things are starting to sink in a bit now. After being the calm one yesterday & making sure everyone else was OK, reality has begun to hit home once I'd got them all out. I walked across town & back again last night in an attempt to give blood
(only to find they were closed) & saw the streets almost deserted, a huge mountain of dust & smoke where I used to see the towers.
People here are in a confused & disbelieving daze, unable to comprehend the situation fully. They stop on street corners, huddled silently together, staring downtown, as if waiting for the rewind button to put
it all back to normal. All this time, Americans seem to have believed themselves to be indestructible. While that is not a sensible thing to think, to have it confirmed like this is beyond explanation.
I'm lucky to have experienced many happy times here, I have plenty of wonderful memories of the city & of the
WTC itself. But now my memories will be forever tempered by yesterday's events. The sight of the second plane crashing into the tower in front of me is something I'll never forget. At least I know I'll recover from the trauma; with the inexperience
Americans have with terrorism on their doorstep, I'm not sure they'll be able to get over it.
My heart is numb, my brain is in shock, but my instincts for getting on with things are prevailing. I still have a couple of people I'm trying to track down, but so far all my friends are OK. I'm hoping that the rest of them are just incommunicado due to the phones being jammed. Maybe its just as well I'm leaving soon, I don't think
I could stand the mood of NY as it is now.
Love to all,
Charli XXX
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Sept 14, 2001
Dear Jo,
we're getting on with things here. Its pouring with rain, which makes it tough for the rescuers at ground zero, but they're keeping at it. Life must go on, or we'll all lose our minds & those bastards will win.
Bush is in town today, going to a service at St Patrick's. Normally, security makes it hard to get around, so now it'll be ten times worse.
We've had several bomb scares, Grand Central being evacuated, but no real bombs. Its getting to be like London, except the Americans are more terrified, not being used to it like we are.
Still can't bear to look downtown. Not sure if I'll go there before I leave. Probably not.
Don't worry, I'm fine. Getting back on track. Writing about it helped me get through it, now I can focus on reality again. Wish I could say the same for
some of the people here at the office - they're still shell shocked.
Love to everyone, tell Keith to get his thumb out of his arse. People died here. I watched a passenger plane crash into a crowded building. The world has changed, even if he can't be bothered to see it.
Love & hugs, Charli
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Charlotte | 36 | Australia
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#2405 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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... on september 11 2001 6:00A.M in the morning i was getting ready to go to school. my boyfriend calls me and tells me to turn on the tv and so i did. as i saw the planes hit the twins towers...my heart shatterd...people were running crying screaming out their love ones name...it looked like a movie.but this was realality. i felt so sad and felt like crying ... my heart just dropped and i thgouht it was the end of the world... everything in my head went blank. i couldnt speak or even blink.that whole day i prayed to God ..asking GOD to please help other people find their family and frens and love one. i was so scared ..that maybee it could happend here...here in hawaii... but no..i dont thing so because i think that God will protect us. and also those who lost their frens family and love ones...Dont worry... God is with you always... And one day when you go to heaven .. you will see your love ones again...
!!!GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
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Sunshine | 15 | Hawaii
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#2406 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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My alarm woke me that morning. I rolled over and closed my eyes, hoping to salvage whatever sleep I could. Then I heard it. "A jet hit one of the World Trade Towers..." It had to be some kind of joke, a prank.
I ran upstairs to tell my mom, then I flipped on the television. On literally every station, there was the image of the first smoking tower. Then, suddenly, the second plane hit. Little did I realize that those were the images that would repeat themselves over and over during the next three weeks. I was still in disbelief.
I called a friend to verify that she was seeing this too, then I began my walk to school, unable to comprehend, not knowing how to reacte. I was scared. But most I all, I didn't understand.
We didn't know what to think. And neither did the teachers. Our first class went along as planned. I guess no one really knew what to do.
As the day went on, we began to realize what kind of an impact that this would have on our lives. We were all sort of just living it together, waiting for the next peice of information. Our eyes were fixed on the television, just watching it over and over. We were all just sick.
In the days following, so many stories emerged; some tragic, some filled with hope. I admired the reaction of Canada and America, thousands rushing to help in any way that they could. Everybody came together, fell apart together.
It wasn't until a few weeks later that I realized what a big event this actually was. This would be written in text books. Students would learn about this day. My future children would ask me about this day. And I don't exactly know what I'm going to say.
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Erin | 16 | Canada
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#2407 | Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
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Where I was on 9/11/02.
Most mornings, I start the day by listening to KRTS radio station while I work at my computer. I am computer programmer and I work at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. Normally KRTS does newscasts at regularly scheduled intervals. However there was a breaking news report that an airplane had struck one of the World Trade towers in New York City. A few minutes later I was in another part of the building, which had live CNN TV coverage of the evolving news events in New York. As I walked into the room I saw the second plane hit the South tower. I immediately new that this was NO accident. The images of the disaster unfolding reminded me of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion that occurred in January 1986. I remembered the emotions that I felt after watching another National Landmark exploding on National TV. I still remember the images from 1986.
Throughout the past year I saw countless images of the airlines crashing into the World Trade Towers. I read thousands of words about the buildings and the thousands of people that built them and work in them. These activities gave me and a deep insight to the unique New York landmarks and the people that the landmarks were a part of their lives.
It is very difficult for the Human mind to comprehend the loss of 2,801 lives on 9/11.However these emotions of the loss of any human life are very powerful. One year later after attending a memorial service on 9/11/02 I still feel the emotions. It HURTS! It hurts very much. However my faith teaches us to celebrate life. I leave you with this thought.
The World will continue to celebrate life. This is what life is about…
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Richard | 50 | United States
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