The things that happened on September 11th, 2001 around the world affected me a lot. I know exactly where I was. I was at home that day, taking a vacation day. I was working on finishing up a quilt, and my husband called me from his work to tell me to turn on the television, a plane had hit a building in New York City, and a couple seconds after I turned it on - the 2nd tower was hit - and from then on that's all I did, was quilt and watch the tv.
When the buildings started collapsing - that was when I started getting freaked out. Buildings are constructed so that they won't collapse - they are built so that they will last until you tear them down. Especially skyscrapers that are made from steel - if you can't depend on that - what can you depend on?
And then in the following days - the 911 calls, and the reports of people jumping from the buildings - those were the things that really began to affect me. There was one man who was on the phone to 911 on one of the upper floors - screaming for them to do something and come and help him - just as the building started to collapse - so you hear him being demanding and then all of a sudden you hear "Oh my Gaauuuuuu......" - and you know he is turning to dust with the rest of the building. That 911 call haunted me for weeks.
At the time I didn't know it, but I was pretty sick - and it was only 5 months later that my 14 year marriage broke up - and I think that the events of September 11th helped to move it along, for sure.
Life is so fleeting. And short.
I know exactly where I was on September 11, 2001 - in more ways than one. I really wish I could say the world was a safer and better place now, but I don't think it is, unfortunately - which is too bad. But personally - I think I'm in a better place. I dread going back to a life like I had back then. Thank dog for dogs. And fathers. (He might get pissed off if I didn't thank him too, and it's not good to piss off the father!)
Hmmm. Interesting blog. It makes me grateful for my dogs too. Dogs are an indispensible part of life for me. So I have to wonder how somebody like Francesca is dealing without hers, I feel kinda bad. When is Brindi going home, finally?
ReplyDeleteWhat the fuck? What does my post have to do with Brindi? She wasn't even born yet on September 11th, 2001. This comment is nothing other than spam. This dog's plight has become nothing more than spam on people's blogs? Pathetic.
ReplyDeleteWell besides another WTF on the Brindi comment...here is what was happening to us on Sept.11th, 2001
ReplyDeleteI was working. My daugher and sister were working as Dog Walkers. They heard it on the news and called me at work. I immediately connected my work computer to the news. I worked in an open concept area and all my co-workers were soon gathered around.
I then started to freak as I have cousins and an uncle who work in NYC. Just at the same time my daughter called back in tears. We had been in the WTC Towers that May and she suddenly was thinking of all the people we met who worked in the towers and she was so upset..that upset me too!
My boss let me go home with my daughter but before I left my son called that he had been let out of school because of this. So we all went home. I called my Mom who was already trying to check on relatives. No phones were working to their area which was a bit scary. It turned out that one was one of the people you saw walking out of NYC with all the dust and debris on them. My Uncle who is a surgeon and worked at St. Vincent's in NYC who was suppose to be getting all the survivors had been home and he was rushing into the city to be at the hospital with another cousin who is a Nurse Practitioner. Turns out they really saw no survivors ..because there were very few people who survived.
I tried to comfort my kids but it was hard as it was horrible. We thought of the nice lady who took us up in the elevator in the first building. We had a great chat with her because we were the only ones there at the time. (A New Yorker gave us a tip when the towers were less crowded) The person in the gift shop who sold me some souveniers. The people in th pizza place who served us pizza. The cleaning staff and security guards we saw! What happened to all of them that day. The least is they lost their job..but they also lost friends and co-workers and were left with horrible survivor thoughts of "that could of been me" or they didnt make it out..they died in the tragedy. How incredibly sad...and tragic.
My son recalled how when we were up on top of the Towers a plane flew by ..and this is amazing..you could actually wave to the pilot in the cockpit it came so close. We actually commented on how that was a bit scary. So for people seeing a plane flying close to the twin towers was not uncommon that day!
What haunts us also is that Sept. 11 is my daughter's birthday. It will never be a full day of joy and fun again. It is always carrying a bit of sadness with it as we remember all the innocent victims and thier families.
We took in a group of Italian students from one of the flights grounded here. All but one decided not to continue on to NYC. The one that decided to continue had been there before and had an apartment all set up etc. He was going to clean out his apartment and move back home to Italy. They were great young people but their lives were changed that day..and the days that followed.
So..thats a bit of an outline on where we were and what happened to us on and surrounding 9/11.