I will never forget where I was seven years ago this morning.I worked for Deloitte and Touche and was driving to our Hickory, NC office for a meeting. I had just gotten off I-85 and was on the main highway into Hickory. My husband (we had only been married for a few weeks) called me and said he just got an email from from someone in their office saying that a small plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. We talked a little about it saying that it was probably just a really bad mistake by a new pilot or something like that. A few minutes later he called back and said another plane had just hit the other tower and I will never forget the feeling I got. He said that one of the attorneys he worked with had just sent an email saying he thought it was Osama Bin Laden...he was SO right.
Anyway, I made it into the Hickory office and we began our meeting. Soon after, a manager walked in and said the Pentagon had been hit by a plane. A little bit later he walked in and said a plane had crashed into a field in PA. At this point I can remember feeling like the world was coming to an end...seriously, it was just so crazy...like it was right out of a movie or something. By 11:00 that morning the CEO of our company sent a message saying that all Deloitte offices were closing and that we could go home and be with our families. It took me a little over an hour to get home and I literally sat in my big chair for the rest of the day watching TV. I remember watching the towers fall and staring in disbelief. Even thinking about it now is just so unreal and so unbelievably sad.
Where were you?
****On MSNBC they are playing the original newscast from that day with Tom Brokaw, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. It's so surreal.
14 comments:
I was just about to post about this. I remember that day well. Mike was overseas in Amsterdam and I was alone with the boys and had gone into a bad MS relapse...(Dolly, I won't use the "E" word). Anyway, I was in so much pain and was having a hard time walking, I had just dropped my kids off at school and Becky called me and told me. I drove to her house and I remember thinking that the Apocolypse had occurred. I felt terrible, my husband was trapped overseas with no way home, I had small children and all this horror was happening before my eyes. It really disturbed me for a long time. It almost made me sick when the towers fell and I knew I was witnessing before my eyes the death of thousands of people. The worst thing was at the beginning of the broadcasts when you could see people jumping out of the buildings. OK, I need to stop. I am having Post-Traumatic Stress right now. Anyway, Mike ended up being trapped in Amsterdam for another week and then he had to pay an additional $800 to fly another airlines to get home because United had cancelled all flights into America.
I had just arrived at work in Dallas when we heard about the first plane. We had a TV in the office and we immediately started watching the news. We then saw the second plane hit and the entire office was in total shock. I went back to my office and cried as I knew so many people had died. Our corporate office called and said to shut down the office and everyone go home. We did not know if another plane might be heading to Dallas. One of the men in the office at been at the world trade center the morning before with his children and, in fact, his girls had caught a flight out of NY at 6 that morning. They had just landed when all flights had been ordered to land. A very sad day for our country. This should be a reminder that the enemy is still out there and they still want to destroy our country.
I thought about this day when I got up this morning. What a terrible day. I remember I had JUST moved back to Lynchburg from Washington, DC where I worked for 2 years. I had just woken up at my parents house. Donna was still living there too and just a few weeks before her wedding. I went into her room for some reason. She had a TV in her room and we were laying in bed watching the Today show talking when all of a sudden we saw a plane hit one of the towers. We thought it was a freak accident too but then realized the pilot had to have seen the big tower infront of him. Then the second hit and we jumped out of bed, went into the kitchen with my mom and watched the TV in disbelief knowing it was a terrorist attack! I remember watching the TV ALL DAY LONG and feeling so sad and depressed. It was the beginning of many changes for our country on that day and I can't believe it's been 7 years now.
And Kristi, THANK YOU for not using that "E" word!
Another side note...hopefully today will be a reminder for all those considering voting for Obama. Nuff said!
Yes, DOlly and I watched that original Katie Couric newscast. I was watching TV in my bed with my neice and I was about to get up when I switched over to NBC and Dolly came in. We couldn't believe it! We saw the second plane hit the second tower on live TV and it was creepy.
This was the week before my wedding, and so I was in the midst of wedding planning. The rest of the day all I could do was watch TV. I didn't feel like doing anything for the wedding. I remember being/feeling so scared.
I'll never forget either...It was my first year of teaching and sometime that morning our principal got on the intercom and told all of the teachers to take a moment and check our email. I knew it was something serious, but had no idea what. I read the email that said the WTC and Pentagon had been hit by planes. WHAT? I never dreamed anything like this would ever happen in our country. We were instructed to remain quiet, not tell the students, and NOT turn on the TV. At lunch, it was all the teachers could talk about. We were scared and had no idea what was going on in our country. I tried to look up some info during my break online, but it was slow because everyone was doing the same thing. That afternoon I left right after school and went home to watch the news. I was glued to the TV in disbelief.
Good post topic!
I was pulling out of our driveway with my baby, Jere, in the backseat - I was taking him to get his haircut. (He was babywised so I HAD to be back home for his AM nap at like 9:30). This was at 8:55 (or so). I was listening to New Life 91.9 and they announced that a plane had hit the WTC - I thought it was some sort of accident and went on my way to get his hair cut.
Thirty minutes later, I returned home had my baby down for his nap and sat glued to the TV. David was in Raleigh (or some city in NC)and told me to stay home until he could get home.
I can not believe it has been 7 years!
I will never forget the day. I was in school. I had just walked into my Spanish class and sat down. Another classmate came in and said "The World Trade Center was hit by a plane." We didn't know what to think. At that point none of us thought anyything serious. We went on and had class. When I got out of class I called my mom and asked if she wanted me to go and get lunch. She said "Rachael, have you not heard, The World Trade Center has been attacked." I was so scared. I couldn't believe that it was true. I was angry. It was the longest drive home. When I got home my mom and I just sat and watched the news. We couldn't comprehend what was going on. I remember crying and thinking about the victims and their families.
It's hard to believe it has been 7 years.
I had just dropped off Maddie at preschool and was at home feeding Dan Dan some breakfast as I watched GMA. I called Danny at work right away once they reported a plane had hit one of buildings. As I was talking to Danny on the phone, I watched the second plane hit the second building. That is when I think everyone knew this was more then just an airplane accident.
Good post Jennifer!
As Dolly and Donna said, they were both in their rooms when they saw the first plane hit. I was outside working in the yard early that morning...pulling weeds, mostly. I came into the house to rest and little and get something to drink. Dolly and Donna were already in the kitchen watching the news on the tv there. I couldn't believe the horrible news, and I think everyone's hearts were in their stomachs. We watched the tv the whole rest of the day, in total disbelief and horror about what was happening. This morning, Fox News Network spent all morning covering the various memorial services, and even played that fateful video of the twin towers and that attack. Again, I was glued to the tv remembering that day. It was and still is unbelievably sad.
BTW, Jennifer, I just want to tell you again how nice it was to meet you last weekend at the shower. I'm so glad you and Kristi decided to come, and it was so nice of you to come all the way up there. You two are good girls!!!
I was working at a dr's office and I was pregnant with our first child. I still remember what I was wearing (which is not unusual for me). I also remember thinking "what kind of world am I bringing this child into?" I think I was just in shock for the better part of the day!
Sassy--oddly funny. My baby was 11 months old and Maddie was 3. I was so sad about have 2 two children that would grow up in a world of terrorism. Now look--I almost have 5!
By the way, Jennifer, I saw your NieNie Dialogues girl on my AOL news today. Her fan base has gone from 1,000 people a day to 20,000!! People are seling auctions to donate to her family. It's a sweet story.
Thanks for sharing, girls! I remember for several years after 9/11 Larry King would ask each guest where they were on 9/11. I always thought it was so interesting to hear how people felt. Anyway, this will be neat to keep for a long time.
And Miriam, I can't believe you had to keep on going that day like nothing had happened. Wow - that would have been so hard to do! But, just think, those students you taught that day will always remember where they were on 9/11 and will always remember how their teacher handled it. :)
Post a Comment