9-11, Where were you 5 years ago?
Sep 10th, 2006, 07:35 PM
#1
Original Poster
9-11, Where were you 5 years ago?
I just finished watching 9-11 on CBS. So powerful! We can't ever forget that day and the extreme emotions we felt.
Shallow as this is, I was going into a 9 o'clock aerobics class. The TV monitor at my health club front desk showed a smoking tower. "Accident" I thought, "terrible accident". Went into class but we sensed it was more than that. One gal, whose mother was flying into Tampa that day, went out to see if there was more and came back crying. "They say another plane hit and the Pentagon too". No way...blown out of proportion, we all thought, wild rumor. It was unfathomable.
Do you remember what it was like here? For a couple of days there was no bickering even. We were looking for confirmation that Fodorites we knew in the affected areas were OK. Amazing concern and brotherhood. Too bad we couldn't hang onto that!
That evening I sat on my favorite bench overlooking Tampa Bay, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. Tide was out, the beautiful roseate spoonbills were walking the edge of mangroves, heads swinging back and forth as they fed in the muck. There was no noise. The airport, our neighbor, was silent for the first and last time ever...aside from hurricanes. This is no lie, and I've mentioned it here before as it was such an astounding experience, but my husband and I sat on that bench, taking in the peaceful scene around us and trying to regain our balance, and saw a large bird flying closer and closer. We were astounded to see, as it got close enough to focus on, that it was a Bald Eagle. We were speechless. A Tampa Trib columnist, Daniel Routh who has the most acerbic tongue, saw the same eagle a few days later as his son's golf team was practicing on the course at Rocky Point...in a direct line from the the bay and past our bench. The kids and he, the most acerbic of columnists, were also moved beyond words. Probably the first and last time he and I have ever agreed on anything. I had to write him a note, fully understanding the emotion...and had a nice response in return.
Hang onto those moments, as bad as they were. There was a little good to be taken away from them! Can things ever be right again? And please guys, please, let's keep policy and bickering out of replies now, as we did then?
Shallow as this is, I was going into a 9 o'clock aerobics class. The TV monitor at my health club front desk showed a smoking tower. "Accident" I thought, "terrible accident". Went into class but we sensed it was more than that. One gal, whose mother was flying into Tampa that day, went out to see if there was more and came back crying. "They say another plane hit and the Pentagon too". No way...blown out of proportion, we all thought, wild rumor. It was unfathomable.
Do you remember what it was like here? For a couple of days there was no bickering even. We were looking for confirmation that Fodorites we knew in the affected areas were OK. Amazing concern and brotherhood. Too bad we couldn't hang onto that!
That evening I sat on my favorite bench overlooking Tampa Bay, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. Tide was out, the beautiful roseate spoonbills were walking the edge of mangroves, heads swinging back and forth as they fed in the muck. There was no noise. The airport, our neighbor, was silent for the first and last time ever...aside from hurricanes. This is no lie, and I've mentioned it here before as it was such an astounding experience, but my husband and I sat on that bench, taking in the peaceful scene around us and trying to regain our balance, and saw a large bird flying closer and closer. We were astounded to see, as it got close enough to focus on, that it was a Bald Eagle. We were speechless. A Tampa Trib columnist, Daniel Routh who has the most acerbic tongue, saw the same eagle a few days later as his son's golf team was practicing on the course at Rocky Point...in a direct line from the the bay and past our bench. The kids and he, the most acerbic of columnists, were also moved beyond words. Probably the first and last time he and I have ever agreed on anything. I had to write him a note, fully understanding the emotion...and had a nice response in return.
Hang onto those moments, as bad as they were. There was a little good to be taken away from them! Can things ever be right again? And please guys, please, let's keep policy and bickering out of replies now, as we did then?
Sep 10th, 2006, 07:48 PM
#2
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,810
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I remember the feeling of absolute vulnerability. I remember driving during the days that followed, and realizing the skies were eerily quiet and devoid of airplanes.
I couldn't help but think of my late dad who had fought in WW11, and was glad that he had not lived to see this.
I was grateful that my two boys were not old enough to go to war, although they are both set on military careers.
I couldn't help but think of my late dad who had fought in WW11, and was glad that he had not lived to see this.
I was grateful that my two boys were not old enough to go to war, although they are both set on military careers.
Sep 10th, 2006, 07:53 PM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Since I am in Hawaii, I was in bed. It was 3:30 a.m. Now, I am a heavy heavy heavy sleeper, and I have a hard time waking up in the morning. On September 11, at 3:30 a.m., my eyes suddenly flew open.
I had no idea why I was suddenly up. But I figured, I might as well put some coffee on, since I could now not go back to sleep.
As I walked past my bed, I flipped on the TV (the first thing I do) and was in utter shock at the images coming at me on the screen! I just stood there for a long time, digesting what had happened.
Quite a few people here in Hawaii said they had the same experience--their eyes flying open at 3:30 a.m. that morning. They think it was the collective negative energy, all at once, emanating over the continent and the Pacific Ocean. (Call me a freak if you will, but I believe it.)
Needless to say, no one could work productively that day. I do remember what it was like here on the board. Amazing, eh? How time "heals" many things.....
I had no idea why I was suddenly up. But I figured, I might as well put some coffee on, since I could now not go back to sleep.
As I walked past my bed, I flipped on the TV (the first thing I do) and was in utter shock at the images coming at me on the screen! I just stood there for a long time, digesting what had happened.
Quite a few people here in Hawaii said they had the same experience--their eyes flying open at 3:30 a.m. that morning. They think it was the collective negative energy, all at once, emanating over the continent and the Pacific Ocean. (Call me a freak if you will, but I believe it.)
Needless to say, no one could work productively that day. I do remember what it was like here on the board. Amazing, eh? How time "heals" many things.....
Sep 10th, 2006, 07:54 PM
#4
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7,395
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
a friend and I were heading to the golf course as we did every Tuesday. When we got there it was completely deserted so we hijacked a golf cart, played our 9 holes, came back to the store and everyone was talking about the "accidents". Didn't know anything about it, went home and turned on the T.V. and couldn't stop watching it. Yeah, everyone did get along for awhile after that never seen such unity before or since.
Sep 10th, 2006, 07:56 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was driving to work -AT THE AMERICAN AIRLINES HEADQUARTERS- when I heard about the first one. I was in the parking lot walking to my office when the 2nd plane hit.
I worked for AMR and my brother was (is) a pilot for AA and he was somewhere in the air... flying a DFW/Northeast route. At the time he was flying a 727... first reports said a 727. There were not many AA 727's which was really scary.
The office was in a panic but oddly quiet. I was searching flight manifests to try and determine which one was involved.
It was horrifying and as we all left work there were so many news trucks parked outside the main entrance.
We were obviously instructed not to speak to them...
Just a few weeks prior I had conducted a training class at an Amex office on Wall Street. 5 Amex employees from the WTC attended my class, only 1 survived 9/11.
My daughter went with me on that trip and we stayed at the Regent Wall Street, which has since closed.
My daughter went to the Krispy Kreme on the WTC Plaza for breakfast between 830am and 9am on August 21st then went down to the mall area below the WTC. Had it been just a few weeks later she could have been one of the injured, or worse.
It was so sad, confusing and tragic.
We had no idea how innocent we were on 9/10.
Nothing has ever been the same since.
I worked for AMR and my brother was (is) a pilot for AA and he was somewhere in the air... flying a DFW/Northeast route. At the time he was flying a 727... first reports said a 727. There were not many AA 727's which was really scary.
The office was in a panic but oddly quiet. I was searching flight manifests to try and determine which one was involved.
It was horrifying and as we all left work there were so many news trucks parked outside the main entrance.
We were obviously instructed not to speak to them...
Just a few weeks prior I had conducted a training class at an Amex office on Wall Street. 5 Amex employees from the WTC attended my class, only 1 survived 9/11.
My daughter went with me on that trip and we stayed at the Regent Wall Street, which has since closed.
My daughter went to the Krispy Kreme on the WTC Plaza for breakfast between 830am and 9am on August 21st then went down to the mall area below the WTC. Had it been just a few weeks later she could have been one of the injured, or worse.
It was so sad, confusing and tragic.
We had no idea how innocent we were on 9/10.
Nothing has ever been the same since.
Sep 10th, 2006, 07:59 PM
#6
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 17,226
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
At 2 am five years ago tonight, I turned off the computer after planning a trip to NYC. I had been researching Broadway tix - and as I closed the laptop, I thought - "I'll just buy half priced tix at the booth in the WTC". I liked that location because the line was short and it was inside with heat and/or air conditioning.
I slept late and woke up to Katie Couric's voice talking about the WTC - and I thought I was dreaming about the last thoughts before I went to bed.
What horror to wake up to. Incomprehensible that the towers could be gone.
I slept late and woke up to Katie Couric's voice talking about the WTC - and I thought I was dreaming about the last thoughts before I went to bed.
What horror to wake up to. Incomprehensible that the towers could be gone.
Sep 10th, 2006, 08:03 PM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,296
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was in nursing school about to take an exam. One woman came in a little late and told us she'd heard that a plane crashed into one of the twin towers just as she was pulling into the seminary. We asked but the instructors wouldn't tell us anything about it. We finally found out, on our own, around noon. I still have problems getting over them keeping that from us when they'd all run in and out of the room discussing it.
Thinking back, we all assumed our country was already at war from all we were hearing by mid-day.
Thinking back, we all assumed our country was already at war from all we were hearing by mid-day.
Sep 10th, 2006, 08:04 PM
#8
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Was on my computer, on the thorn tree, politics branch, someone said that a small plane had hit the world trade centre.
So I exited the computer and hit the tv, Katie Couric, America today ???, I am not sure now but I remember it was Katie Couric, then I went to CNN and then to CTV.
MY thoughts go out to all of those who lost loved ones on 9.11, today. And those who were so close to the disasters in DC and NYC,.
So I exited the computer and hit the tv, Katie Couric, America today ???, I am not sure now but I remember it was Katie Couric, then I went to CNN and then to CTV.
MY thoughts go out to all of those who lost loved ones on 9.11, today. And those who were so close to the disasters in DC and NYC,.
Sep 10th, 2006, 08:22 PM
#9
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 11,525
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was driving my oldest daughter to a dual enrollment class at our community college and heard a small plane had crashed into the WTC.
Before heading to my next errand, dropping off bread for the NM State Fair bread contest, I stopped at Starbucks. By then the second plane had hit, and the employees had turned off the music and everyone was listening to the local talk station.
I went ahead and went to the fairgrounds, dropped off my bread, and went home. We sort of went into the "don't give into fear" mode and decided to go to the fair, but they closed for the day before we got there.
We spent the rest of the day at home, unable to turn off the TV, praying for the victims and their families, and trying to help my then-6yo son understand that it wasn't some kind of cool special effects movie we were watching.
Lee Ann
Before heading to my next errand, dropping off bread for the NM State Fair bread contest, I stopped at Starbucks. By then the second plane had hit, and the employees had turned off the music and everyone was listening to the local talk station.
I went ahead and went to the fairgrounds, dropped off my bread, and went home. We sort of went into the "don't give into fear" mode and decided to go to the fair, but they closed for the day before we got there.
We spent the rest of the day at home, unable to turn off the TV, praying for the victims and their families, and trying to help my then-6yo son understand that it wasn't some kind of cool special effects movie we were watching.
Lee Ann
Sep 10th, 2006, 08:34 PM
#11
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was sitting on my couch after calling in sick to work and sleeping in - I was mainly just tired from having returned from a business trip to New York two days before. My boyfriend at the time was driving in to work as I got up and after making some tea I sat on the couch to flip through the news... Within 15 minutes he'd called to tell me he couldn't get to work as they had closed the base down to incoming traffic. He came home and we just sat on the couch with our mouths open in horror watching the news coverage all day. I couldn't help but be thankful that I was already home and safe from my trip.
The image of the planes flying into the building was played so often over the next several weeks, it is imprinted forever in my memory - I can see it without even closing my eyes. My heart breaks thinking of the fear and pain the victims of 9/11 and their familes suffered.
The image of the planes flying into the building was played so often over the next several weeks, it is imprinted forever in my memory - I can see it without even closing my eyes. My heart breaks thinking of the fear and pain the victims of 9/11 and their familes suffered.
Sep 10th, 2006, 08:44 PM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
I'd picked up photos the night before from our family vacation to NYC. My favorite photo (and the one I'd planned to use on our Christmas cards) showed my 9 and 12 year old children smiling while on Ellis Island, with the WTC in the background.
I always have the tv on in the kitchen but didn't that morning, for some reason. My mom called, crying, and told me to turn on the tv. The images were shocking and horrifying--seeing a place where we'd walked just a week before reduced to a pile of grief and debris.
I was surprised to find myself weeping tonight after watching 9/11 on CBS. The emotions are still very close to the surface, aren't they? Even to those of us who didn't lose loved ones that day--it was the end of our nation's innocence and that is just so sad.
I always have the tv on in the kitchen but didn't that morning, for some reason. My mom called, crying, and told me to turn on the tv. The images were shocking and horrifying--seeing a place where we'd walked just a week before reduced to a pile of grief and debris.
I was surprised to find myself weeping tonight after watching 9/11 on CBS. The emotions are still very close to the surface, aren't they? Even to those of us who didn't lose loved ones that day--it was the end of our nation's innocence and that is just so sad.
Sep 10th, 2006, 08:53 PM
#13
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I got up to get ready for work, and turned on the TV to these horrible scenes. I could hardly believe it, it didn't seem like something that would ever happen in the U.S.
When I went in to work everyone was asking what the latest news was, as we had no TV or radio there. We got updates all day from customers. Everyone was in shock, and very quiet.
Although I live in Canada, our hearts went out to you all. I will be visiting New York shortly, and plan on paying my respects.
When I went in to work everyone was asking what the latest news was, as we had no TV or radio there. We got updates all day from customers. Everyone was in shock, and very quiet.
Although I live in Canada, our hearts went out to you all. I will be visiting New York shortly, and plan on paying my respects.
Sep 10th, 2006, 09:15 PM
#14
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,879
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I didnt turn on TV or radio while I got ready for work in those days so my first hint it had happened was a radio announcer saying something to the effect that the 2nd WTC tower had just collapsed also as I drove out of my garage. I thought for a moment I was listening to an Orson Welles style broadcast but the truth became clear quickly.
As many of you know, I am a retired police officer and, as the day wore on, it became clear that many of my brothers and sisters in New York and Washington had died that day. As others have said, the world was never the same.
Some good did come of it in my life. After I retired for the second time and moved to southern Nevada, I became affiliated with a group of over 200 retired cops who volunteer our time to Nevada law enforcement agencies in emergencies or other situations where resosurces are strained and experienced ex-cops can help. It was formed by a retired NYPD detective as a direct result of his feelings of helplessnes during the 9/11 incident.
Fly your flags tomorrow in honor of all the innocent people who lost their lives in NYC and the Pntagon and to honor those who continue to serve as first responders and in the military.
As many of you know, I am a retired police officer and, as the day wore on, it became clear that many of my brothers and sisters in New York and Washington had died that day. As others have said, the world was never the same.
Some good did come of it in my life. After I retired for the second time and moved to southern Nevada, I became affiliated with a group of over 200 retired cops who volunteer our time to Nevada law enforcement agencies in emergencies or other situations where resosurces are strained and experienced ex-cops can help. It was formed by a retired NYPD detective as a direct result of his feelings of helplessnes during the 9/11 incident.
Fly your flags tomorrow in honor of all the innocent people who lost their lives in NYC and the Pntagon and to honor those who continue to serve as first responders and in the military.
Sep 10th, 2006, 09:15 PM
#15
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was running late to work and had the tv on for some reason ... never did make it in to work that day. Called my mom and told her about the first plane ... called the office again and told them what I was seeing ... then sat in stunned silence in front of the tube the rest of the day. Never did go into work.
Sep 10th, 2006, 09:28 PM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I didn't have to be at work until 10, so I woke up around 8:45, checked my email, and turned off the computer. I don't turn on the radio or TV in the morning, so I didn't hear about it until I got in my car to go to work. Heard about the first one after the fact, was in Smoothie King when the second plane hit. I was driving when news of the Pentagon broke.
I remember getting of on my exit and crying, wondering how there were people in this world that could even conceive of such horrible things.
We had TVs everywhere in our office. We put CNN on the big projector in the conference room and people would come in and out, sometimes sit for a while, talking, trying to understand. I saw the second tower go down in real time. "Pan in please," said the TV lady (you zoom in; you pan left or right).
Our boss ordered in lunch for all 100 of us. I tried to reach my friend James who lives in Manhattan and whose wife works for Ernst & Young; they very easily could have had an office in the WTC buildings. As it turns out, they did not.
By the time I got home from work, I was TV-ed out. So much coverage. I do, oddly, feel fortunate sometimes that there were so many people with cameras and videocameras to capture the events. I do desperately wish I had visited Ground Zero before last year, though.
I am lucky; I didn't know anyone in the buildings or on the planes. But on two of the sports teams I follow so passionately, two girls lost a parent each. If you watched the winter Olympics this year you might have seen a story about Kathleen Kauth. She lost her father that day. Fortunately for me, that is as close as I got.
At work we printed out flags to put on our doors or cubicles. I added a line from "Braveheart" to mine:
... that they make take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom."
I remember getting of on my exit and crying, wondering how there were people in this world that could even conceive of such horrible things.
We had TVs everywhere in our office. We put CNN on the big projector in the conference room and people would come in and out, sometimes sit for a while, talking, trying to understand. I saw the second tower go down in real time. "Pan in please," said the TV lady (you zoom in; you pan left or right).
Our boss ordered in lunch for all 100 of us. I tried to reach my friend James who lives in Manhattan and whose wife works for Ernst & Young; they very easily could have had an office in the WTC buildings. As it turns out, they did not.
By the time I got home from work, I was TV-ed out. So much coverage. I do, oddly, feel fortunate sometimes that there were so many people with cameras and videocameras to capture the events. I do desperately wish I had visited Ground Zero before last year, though.
I am lucky; I didn't know anyone in the buildings or on the planes. But on two of the sports teams I follow so passionately, two girls lost a parent each. If you watched the winter Olympics this year you might have seen a story about Kathleen Kauth. She lost her father that day. Fortunately for me, that is as close as I got.
At work we printed out flags to put on our doors or cubicles. I added a line from "Braveheart" to mine:
... that they make take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom."
Sep 10th, 2006, 09:32 PM
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
When I turned on the TV remote from my bed in a San Francisco hotel to watch the morning news, I couldn't figure out why they were showing some science fiction movie with New York City crumbling to the ground (the towers collapsing was the first thing I saw). "Was this Independence Day?", I wondered --a movie I hadn't seen but only knew about. Only after I had checked three or four channels could I come to the realization that this wasn't a movie at all. I remember saying aloud -- it's the end of the world as we know it.
Sep 10th, 2006, 10:02 PM
#20
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 37,416
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm always up early but read the paper before turning on the TV. My phone rang and it was my neighbor and she said to turn on the TV that a plane had hit the WTC. I turned on Good Morning America and they were talking about a small plane hitting the trade center and as I was watching out of the corner of the screen came a large plane. It jut didn't sink in..I was looking at the tower that was burning and then that plane kept getting closer and then it slammed into the second tower. The world had changed forever.
