Friday, September 11, 2009

9/11

Today is the 8th anniversary of 9/11. I think none of us can help but remember where we were on the morning of September 11, 2001.

I was on my way to work when I first heard what was going on. I turned on the radio and thought Aaron must have switched the station, because it was a news feed instead of my usual morning show. Then I listened more closely and heard them talking about how a plane had just crashed into the side of the World Trade Center. I was listening when suddenly they started shouting about a 2nd plane crashing into the south tower.

When I got to the office, I rushed inside to get to my computer and try to find out more about what was happening. Inside, they had the TV on watching everything that was going on. The whole office gathered in the conference room and watched as more and more unfolded. We heard about the plane that hit the pentagon, the hijacking of Flight 93. We watched as the towers fell. All horrible moments, but I'm glad that I was not alone watching it. For those moments, we were all a family comforting each other as best we could.

After a few hours, they closed the office and sent us all home. I remember going back to our apartment and sitting on the couch, glued to the TV. I remember calling my mom... because when something awful happens, you want your mom. We didn't say much, because there was nothing we could say. But it helped just to make that connection.

For a couple of days we were glued to the TV. We watched coverage pretty much 24/7. We worried about what would be next. And then we turned off the TV because we just couldn't take it any more. Eight years later, I still remember it all so clearly. And eight years later, we still tend to avoid the TV on 9/11 because we know they will rehash it all. They will show the footage of the planes and the towers again. And we still can't take it.

6 comments:

Druciana said...

I totally rember that day. I was pregnant with Eric and at home. I woke up to Good Morning America that morning and started freaking out because my dad was supposed to be on a plane to New York that morning, and they said at the time they didn't know if they planes were coming or going.

Tera said...

I slept in that morning. It was 3 days after Lauren's first birthday. I found out what was going on from a message on my answering machine from my mother. It was a very hard time for everyone, I think.

Katie said...

My experience was very similar to yours, except that I didn't find out until I got to the office and everyone was in the conference room, glued to the TV. We didn't get to leave early, but it seemed like there was no point in anyone being in the office because everyone was either watching news footage or discussing it. I also remember driving home from work and seeing the lines at the gas station. It was like people thought everything would stop. I won't ever forget that day.

Melissa said...

My experience was almost identical to yours. Can't believe it's been 8 years.

Cara said...

When 9/11 happened, I was heading out the door to drive to LAX from my home in Lancaster, CA. Elijah (1 year old at the time) and I were to board a plane bound for Seattle, WA to visit my bro & sis-in-law. Our bags were packed and the car was loaded. We walked next door to my neighbor Donna's since she was going to watch Dallin while I was gone and she told us to go home and turn on the TV. What a crazy day. It was many years later before I again attempted to travel by plane.

Aaron said...

I've never written nor commented on my family's blog but thought I'd share a little here. I was driving from Westminster to Greeley for my opening shift at one of the UNC computer labs. I briefly heard that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers. I remember thinking how tragic for an accident like that to happen. However, I wanted to listen to some classical music I'd selected for the morning, so I didn't stay on the radio station.

I got to the computer lab and opened it, and the moment I unlocked the doors a student came in and asked why I wasn't watching the footage. There were several large TVs hanging from the ceiling of these couple rooms, so they were soon all on CNN. Even though it was only a little after 7:00 a.m., I called my mom in Utah and told her she needed to get up and watch the news. I was on the phone with her as we saw everything happen live. I had a 2- or 3-hour shift there, so I saw it all before my shift ended.

The rest of the day was similar: TVs were set up in halways in pretty much every building on campus. It was a Tuesday, so I was mostly working until my late afternoon class. Once we had confirmation our class was cancelled I headed home. I remember talking to Tara on the phone at some point, but mostly I remember once we were both home and all the news coverage and footage.

I have not been able to watch the news on that day for the past several years. Yet the thing that bothers me the most is that the initial plane crash--not known to be terrorism at that point--didn't keep my attention enough to keep listening to the radio during my drive. It doesn't change the fact that I saw all but that initial crash live. For some reason I still feel some guilt about not finding out more right away.