Where were you.....

I'd lived in the US for about 10 months. I was sitting in my office in Boston. I worked in the travel industry.
I was one of the first in the office, before either tower was struck.

By the time most people arrived, both towers had been hit and everyone was crammed in a conference room watching the coverage, until we were told the building was being evacuated as a precautionary measure. I spent the remainder of the day in a bar.

My mum was flying across the Atlantic to visit me. She was en route when everything occurred. Her flight was re-routed to Halifax, NS, and she never made it to the US.

That morning was our annual golf tournament in Denver Colorado so I was up early so almost caught it all from the beginning.  The first plane had hit maybe 15 minutes earlier and news was just coming in...  They were reporting it as an accident at that time...

I was watching live in the clubhouse when the second plane hit and IMMEDIATELY thought terrorism even though the media still was speculating about a broken transponder or something.

I can't continue...  I had another paragraph of what was happening that day and started to feel sick to my stomach about the people jumping and the buildings falling but deleted it - I basically watched it all.  I don't want to write anymore.  

I was in my third year of university - living in residence just getting ready for class when a friend called me from across campus and told me to go watch the news right away.  

could not believe my eyes - and dreaded all that was to come as a result.  

I had a friend from Italy staying with me and I put him on a plane on sep. 10 at night. As we drove across one of the bridges, he snapped one of the last photos ever taken of the wtc. His plane was late, but we left him at the airport thinking he'd be alright. I had no idea how late his plane was and so I freaked out when I saw the news the next morning, so I called him immediately and was relieved to hear that he had made it home ok.

I was at work when people walking in (arriving later than I -- this is the west coast) were asking if I'd heard. The first plan had hit. Some one brought in a little black-and-white TV, and we got it tuned in just as the second plane hit.

I was just dazed. Gutted.

And then the buildings pancaked into rubble.

No one got any work done that day. I remember reading on a forum (Rage Against the Machine site -- was linked on another forum) people all saying how we deserved it, and it was such a good thing for us... I was raging myself, against anyone who would think such a thing. I'm glad that no one around me had echoed those sentiments -- I would have strangled them.

I had a road trip to Portland that night, very little sleep. But I woke the next day calmed, at least a little. Then I saw the images. The rage hit me all over again.

To this day I can't see those images. That anger is still there. I wished I could have gone there to help dig...

I was in the kitchen getting breakfast for my kids as they got ready for school. My then-11-year-old was watching TV and said "Mommy a plane crashed in to a building". His brother and I then joined him watching as the other plane hit. My boys attended a parochial school so I called the principal and asked his thoughts about bringing the kids to school. He said he'd like to keep things "normal" so I took them in. I think he and I both knew "normal" was about to change. I then went to work where I learned that a dear friend had lost her battle with cancer. Not a day I like to recall.

I was in my Sophomore year in high school, in History class.  The teacher came in from the teachers lounge and said we are going to watch history unfold, and that's what we did.  I was 15 at the time.  I knew at that time that things would be different in the world.  There was a certain innocence that was lost on that day.  Growing up in a more rural setting I was pretty naive to the world around me. 

I was almost at work when my wife called to tell me about a plane hitting the 1st tower.  Got to work and turned on a cracker-jack little 13" black and white tv to see what was going on.  Saw the 2nd plane hit and then it was clear what was happening.  I had an early doctor's appointment and was in the waiting room watching the coverage when the 1st tower collapsed.  My sister and her husband were on a plane from Austin to Seattle at the time of the attack and were diverted to St. Louis.  It took them 5 days to get back to Austin because there were no rental cars and the Amtrack train stopped several times due to perceived threats and safety concerns.

Two nights ago, My 11 year old had to interview someone about 9/11.  She asked me the assigned 5 questions and then I sat her and her sister down to tell them about that day, how it has impacted me and our country.  My eye's still fill with tears when I think about it or, worse, when I see videos of the planes hitting or the towers falling.

I was driving to college classes (I went part-time during the day as an adult), listening to the Howard Stern show and heard it all happen live.  He and Robin reported it live as they were seeing it, from the first plane, thinking it was somehow an accident, to the second when it became clear it was no accident.  I arrived to my class and the kids had the coverage on the TV in the room.  The (psychology) professor came in, turned it off, and held class without a mention of what was going on. 

Speaking of cheering, one of the scenes I will NEVER forget during that whole time was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrM0dAFsZ8k

I have nothing against true Islam.  I have nothing against Palestine.  But THIS woman (with the missing tooth)?  THOSE individual men they show?  To this day I want to confront them and ask how they could celebrate the death of innocents.  I STILL get angry seeing it.  I'm not trying to stir up hatred against a nation or group - just a handful of hateful people they show.

On the other side - not to push a corporation that does it's thing for advertising...  I saw this live and will never forget it.  STILL makes me well up..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3eQmzw6n3k

Yeah, I have never watched a video of people cheering since I saw it the first time.(and didn't open your link)  I don't want to hate anyone if I don't have to.......but that pushed my limit for sure.  I remember it vividly.........sick.

I don't blame you...  I haven't gone back to find it in all these years.  I did a Google search to see if what I remember would come up or if it was my "imagination".  Nope, popped right up, exactly like I remembered, and still gets me mad.

On the touching side...

HD version of "my" Clydesdales!  (I grew up in STL...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1cUkCVCun4&feature=player_embedded

Yep, the Ad folks at AB were top notch back then!  I know you enjoyed it in your years here.  Sadly, not so much anymore.

jmk - I was hoping you'd post.  I read it twice, so far......thank you! 

Tonight I will read it to my children.

Thanks for that jmk that was a powerful read.

I read your post to my kids after we had finally gathered for dinner from the day of work, school, cross country, swimming, and horse club.  It was pretty cool......I got the usual sideways glances that I always get when I tell them I have something for them to hear.......I LOVE being the corny old dad when I get the chance.     There was some banter and looking at their cell phones when I started......and it quickly ended.  They sat silently as I read your words, and even put their phones down.  One of the twins said, "he was there?"......like she had never really put a person in that context.....it's just a story to them, history.

Nice work!  Thanks again!