Where were you on 9/11?

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

On 9/11 as I was leaving the hairdresser's a lady was walking in saying that a plane had hit the World Trade Center - I thought it was some kind of accident but when I turned on the radio I heard that we, America, was being attacked.  I felt like the air had disappeared - I could barely breath, my hands started to shake.  I had been heading into my real estate office but I turned around and drove a few miles away to the nearest T.V. - at my dad's house.  By the time I walked in the second plane had already crashed into the other tower.  The scenes on the TV were horrific - I was scared for our country and I was angry at those that could do such a thing.  Shocking to watch as they played the videos over and over.  People jumping from the towers was the worst part - I fell to my knees sobbing.  The Pentagon, the airplane over PA - it just kept getting worse.  As the first building collapsed - I could only pray to God.  All those people, their families - unimaginable.  As the days went by there were hero's emerging from the tragedy, some goodness in the face of all that evil.  10 years later the thing I mourn the most is the loss of innocence, the loss of trust in people, the lost of a sense of security that I will never have again in my lifetime.  I travel frequently and I'm reminded every time I go through the airport.   I stood last week at the World Trade Center site - along with machine gun toting police. 

[Lori]

Shelly, I remember going to the parking garage at the Fortunoff mall & seeing all the soot & smoke from the fires....days after the towers came down. It made our hearts hurt SO much.

[shelly]

I know... it still gets to me. Just as you come up to exit 37A on Northern State, I believe - or Manetto Hill road...you are able to see where the twin towers stood.  Not to mention every time we go in to the city for anything... it's just constantly thereEven today in church... they read the names of all of the people from our parish that died that day and rang the bell after each name was read.  there were about 20.  so sad....  Not to mention every time we go in to the city for anything... it's just constantly there.... I actually just told my 18 year old that it's time he watches the tv specials that are on to know the real story of that day... I sheltered him from the "truth" - especially then.  I wouldn't let them in the den with the news on.. they played in their bedrooms that whole day.

[Joe R.]

I was on the second foam unit from Reagan National Airport that responded to the Pentagon. We came on duty that morning and were watching the first tower burning on tv and saw when the second plane hit. I remember having a bad feeling that the day was going to get very long. Not long after that our control tower phone rang saying there was a plane down but they weren't sure exactly where. Once we knew where it went down our Battalion Chief, engine and first foam unit responded immediately. I was driving the second one and we responded a couple minutes after them. We had to wait to be told the airfield was officially closed before we went. We were positioned right in front of the opening where the plane went in. We were on the scene until late that night. And were back on the scene on and off over the next 3 weeks.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Joe, Thank you for your courage and care to be prepared to help as needed. 

[Kerri B. & Zoey]

I second that.  THANK YOU!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Ditto.

[DeeDee and Sheila]

I agree w/ Bonnie, Joe.  Thank you for your courage and for staying on the line for we Americans.

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

I was in my house, alone.   My first husband had recently walked out on me and I had been in that house, alone, without turning on the tv or radio for weeks, mourning the loss of my marriage and my life as I knew it.  My mom called me that morning and asked me if I was watching tv.  I told her no, I hadn't even turned the tv on in weeks.  She told me to turn it on and told me what was going on.  I sat in front of that tv crying for hours.  Yes, that day changed my life forever....but not in the way you might think.  That day, 9/11, I was able to realize that my marriage, the loss of my marriage, was not the worst thing in the world.  That day, I began to heal.  I began to think of and appreciate everything that I had, every person in my life, every experience in my life, every breath I was able to take was a blessing to me.  I was no longer feeling sorry for myself.  Yes, I was still in mourning, and still crying, but not for myself.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ronna, your post really moved me. Thank you for sharing this.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Ronna, How kind of you to share this perspective.

[DeeDee and Sheila]

I agree w/ Karen.  You were so brave to even be able to look at it from that perspective.

[Kyoko]

My cousin made her decision to divorce her husband that day. I guess he has been disappearing every now and then, and has been with ladies. That day, my cousin was returning to US from Japan and got stopped at Anchorage Alaska. She was not ableto get ahold of him for hours and hours, and she was stuck there for long time. ( I think  days, especially her not being the citizen ) This was her last straw that she was not able to get in touch with her husband on such critical day.