9-11

[CkretCrush8]

I just finished my 8:00 class and then a classmate said that the a plane crashed into WTC...i drove home in between classes to see what he was talking about. I was shocked as I watched the news. I had to leave to go back to class, because word hadn't gotten around campus yet, nor were classes cancelled for the day. We had a prayer vigil outside the student center on campus. That's when it hit that my godfather works for the Pentagon. All of a sudden i got overwhelmed with grief so I went home to contact my parents, my godparents, my family and friends in the DC/NY area. So I spent most of my day in class, on the phone, and at home.

[Virtual Violet]

I was just walking out of the house to drive into the city to court. (I'm a lawyer). I saw the first tower on the news flash, but I left before the second plane hit. All I had was news reports on the radio.

I called my peeps in ATL and CHI to see if they heard the news. One of my friends was on a business trip in Dallas, and they had to take a Greyhound bus back to Atlanta after the meeting. By the time I got to the court house, all of the courts were closed. (The area where court is is surrounded by city hall, state and federal buildings.)

There were people everywhere, all just walking around (everyone was dismissed for the day) The busses were packed but I finally got back to my girlfriends house, where I left my car.

She finally got home and we turned on the news at about 11:30 a.m. I hadn't realized the towers fell until I saw the replays on the news. I was shocked. Every time I see the Sears Tower now, I just can't believe those two buildings crumbled like that, and I could imagine the pandimonium if that happened in Chicago.

I ended up running into a Soror in a chat room whose husband escaped from the 68th floor of tower 1. She said words could not express his experience (He is getting counseling). But the gist of it was he is alive because he broke out of there immediately. Alot of people died because they lingered around, wrapping up work. If you didn't hit the stairwell immediately, people got caught in the crowds.

I couldn't even bear to go to the top of the courthouse building (30 floors) for a couple of weeks and I seriously contemplated keeping my gym shoes and flashlight handy in my briefcase.

I still haven't flown anywhere yet, definitely this summer though.

[TRSimon]

I woke up and checked the email like I usually do (I try to stay away from television news) and there were over 100 emails in my box to and from sorors to see if they were okay and stuff (I am in the Pacific Time Zone, so it had already happened by 7:00am).

Then I checked out the CNN site, first and there was a photo of the towers falling. I watched the news, and the whole thing was unreal.

One of my sorors was lost in the WTC. Several business associates and their relatives were also lost in plane crashes and in the tower. One of my business associates is in physical therapy, learning to walk all over again because she was trapped in the rubble.

Through it all, though, God is still good.

-TRSimon

[NOWorNEVER]

I had run out of toothpaste and I couldn't go to class w/ my breath smelling like last night's dinner, so I went to a nearby drugstore before going to class and heard all the chaos on the radio they were playing. My first thought was oh Lord, the world is coming to an end! Everyone in Kerr Drug was freaking out....it was crazy. I skipped class and went right back to my dorm (I forgot to buy the toothpaste) to call home and watch the news.

[Lone Dog]

I was in Denver that week attending a conference. I got up, got dressed, and went to the lobby of the hotel I was staying in to get some breakfast.

And there must have been about 20 people around the TV. I'm in the military, so I was in uniform, and they all kinda looked at me as I rushed to see what was going on. I caught it just as the Pentagon explosion was being reported. I was in total shock.... and that doesn't really do justice to how I felt.

Then, I got a phone call telling me to return to San Diego (where I was living at thetime) by any means possible ASAP. No need to tell you that I was fired up to get back and get into action.

Roooo

[aprilzeta]

I was in an activity center with a group of my preschoolers when one of my parents came in and told me to turn on the TV. At first, I thought it was an accident and then immediately the news showed the 2nd plane fly into the building( I was like that was deliberate, immediately). I was in shock when I saw that, but what really made me gasp was when I saw the first tower collapse. One of my friends from VA called me crying because another one of our friends worked at WTC and she hadn't been able to get in contact with her or her family. After worrying all day of her whereabouts, we found out around 6:30PM, that she was escorted in the group that had crossed the bridge. Thank God that she was safe, but my heart goes out to all of the victims and their families. It is still hard for me to believe.

[12dn94dst]

It was business as usual in the call center where I work. My only "real" contact with the outside world was AIM. About 9:50, my screen lit up with IMs telling me a plane crashed into the WTC. I tried to go to the CNN site but, of course, couldn't get to it because of traffic.

I continued on, not fully aware of what had happened. True, the call volume dropped but I didn't think anything of it (maybe folks had decided to read the manual). Then I got a call from a customer in the NY area who asked if I had heard. I told him I had but didn't know any details. He filled me in. By that time, the 2nd plane had crashed & the 1st tower had collapsed. I IMed a friend who works for VH1 checking to see if he's ok & trying to find out when he was going home. His building was evacuated & they were ultimately sent home.

Shortly after that, we received an e-mail from the president of the company saying we were closing early as a result of the WTC attacks & the unsure condition of the financial markets (we're an accounting software company). The drive home was eerie. The streets were packed like it was 5:30pm instead of 11:30am and there was this creepy stillness in the air. All the government & state buildings had closed and there were already reports of bomb threats in and around Atlanta. Hartsfield was closed with no word of when it would be open again. I got home & parked myself in front of the computer with CNN on in the background.

[lil_sunshine]

I remember that September 11th was a Tuesday, mainly b/c my best friend, 9476's, birthday was exactly the week before. I was headed to my school, which is located in Harlem, to make it to my 9:30 class. It was 9:15 when I got off of the train and was able to turn on my CD player/AM/FM radio. Since I was underground for over an hour, I couldn't hear the news about the first plane hitting the first tower. Once I got outside to turn on the radio, it was on Hot 97 and I thought when Star and Bucwild announced the crashes, it was one of Star's sick jokes. Then I turned to other radio stations and they were all reporting the same news. Then I knew it was serious. I made it to my class on time and needless to say, the rest of my classes were cancelled. I couldn't go home b/c the trains weren't running and I decided to check my e-mail and respond to my family members accordingly. I stayed at my school until about 6:00 in the evening to make sure that it was okay for me to take the train home. When I got home, my parents were talking about it. My father works at JFK Airport and he saw the second plane hit the second tower. My mother was watching coverage of the tragedy on CNN, NBC, MSNBC, etc. I also tried to call my best friend, 9476, to let him know I was okay. I tried to get through with the phone card that I had, but it wasn't working. I had to buy another one in order to talk to him and, thankfully, I got through. A few of my relatives from out of town also called to check up on my family. That is a day that I'll, nor anyone else I know, will ever forget.

[PrettyKitty]

I was kind of sluggish that morning getting ready for work. I watch the news in the morning...and I heard about the first plane in the bathroom...then just as I was about to cut off the tv and leave for work, the 2nd plane hit. I sat there in amazement for at least 20 minutes b4 pulling myself together enough to drive to work. From my office, we could see the pentagon...it was pandamonium. I went into shock which lasted for like 2 weeks. I kept swearing up and down someone I knew had died...Thank God everyone was accounted for...but it was hard...that is a day that will forever live in my memory.

[PM_Mama00]

Oops....sorry. Did a search and I thought this was in the Chit Chat forum... my bad

[nolimit497]

On 9/11, I took the #4 train to fulton street and walked to the WTC. I went into building one to mail my rent check. (Two months earlier I was working in the WTC on the 21st floor. My company was closing and I was let go on June 30.) Anywho...I happened to see my old boss. We were talking and I said "I need to come up and see you guys before the company officially closes but it is already 8:40 so let me catch the path train to New Jersey." (For those of you that do not know you can catch a train to Jersey City, NJ in the WTC. The train ride is about 5 minutes and when you come out on the other side you are looking at the New York Sky Line.) My boyfriend recently told me that I neede to check my tardiness for events and I said to myself let me just go straight to work. I won't even stop for breakfast. I got on the path train and when I came out on the other side I was looking across the water at Manhattan and was really enjoying the weather. That is when the first plane hit. It was unbelieveable to see that happen with your own eyes. I ran upstairs to my office and called my mom.

It just so happens that my office had huge windows facing the WTC. When the second plane hit I was numb and when the third plane hit in D.C. that is when I left the building. I missed the first building falling but the second building fallingwas....I am sorry but there are no words to express all the feelings and the emotions that went through my mind and body. I was stuck in Jersey and spent the night out there at a co-workers house.

My boyfriend works as an EMT and was sent to the site and he said the worst thing was watching an HEARING the people that jumped.

God works in mysterious ways. I was upset that I lost my job in June but if I didn't there is no telling if I would be here to write about this.

Everyday before I go to work or step out my door I tell my boyfriend to be safe and I love him. when I call my parents and or family I always end of saying that I love you. Please remember that nothing is promised and all can be loss in a blink of an eye.

[librasoul22]

I remember I was just getting up to go to class when my roommate called me from his job. I thought he was kidding at first til I got online to see it on every webpage. This was when it first happened and they thought it was an accident. Then the second plane hit, and I must say I was in shock. I live in a capitol city so basically the whole city was shut down. Also, 9/11 is my roommate's birthday so as planned, I took him out to dinner that night. Needless to say it was very somber. There might have been 4 other people in the restaurant (whic is normally packed), and the WTC was on every TV.

[ladynblue1920]

I was walking to work. It was creepy. I saw people looking up at the buildings and I was wondering what was going on. I work in downtown Chicago - in a high rise building. When I got to work, I had to turn around because the building was being evalcuated.