My 9/11 story
Where were you when the towers came down? Did you watch it live on TV or were you in NYC?
I'll never forget my day. I had just put the kids on the school bus and my dad stopped in after walking the dogs. I didn't even have the TV on that morning for whatever reason.
We were just walking out the door when the phone rang. It was my cousin screaming about attacks. Turn on the TV. OK. Dad and I just sat there watching, stunned as the second tower was hit and then as they both fell. Who would do that?
I drove him home and came back and started trying to reach my in-laws who were on a bus trip to Atlantic City, NJ. Couldn't reach them all day and I was more than a bit worried.
My MIL finally called us that afternoon to say that FIL had been rushed to the hospital with heart problems. She was in tears, all alone. Don't come, I'll be ok. Wrong answer! Hubby had just started a new job and couldn't go, so I ran to my parents' house and asked Mom if she wanted to take a road trip. She thought I was out of my mind until I told her why. She called her boss and said we had to go. I threw a few things in a bag and off we went.
It was so quiet on the Interstate that night. There were signs up all over warning that NYC was closed because an "incident." We had no idea what to expect. Would there be more attacks? We stopped around midnight at a roadside hotel to get a few hours of sleep, then took off for Widwood, NJ (right outside of Atlantic City).
When we get there, we thought we'd be bringing him home the next morning. We were there three or four days. They wanted him to have surgery there, but MIL decided to bring him home to have it.
As I was standing on the beach on 9/12, just watching the ocean when it hit me. My 9-year old daughter had said we would be on the beach that day. A few days before, she had said that and I just laughed. There was no way we could be on the beach. She was right though, there I stood. How did she know?
I'll never forget my day. I had just put the kids on the school bus and my dad stopped in after walking the dogs. I didn't even have the TV on that morning for whatever reason.
We were just walking out the door when the phone rang. It was my cousin screaming about attacks. Turn on the TV. OK. Dad and I just sat there watching, stunned as the second tower was hit and then as they both fell. Who would do that?
I drove him home and came back and started trying to reach my in-laws who were on a bus trip to Atlantic City, NJ. Couldn't reach them all day and I was more than a bit worried.
My MIL finally called us that afternoon to say that FIL had been rushed to the hospital with heart problems. She was in tears, all alone. Don't come, I'll be ok. Wrong answer! Hubby had just started a new job and couldn't go, so I ran to my parents' house and asked Mom if she wanted to take a road trip. She thought I was out of my mind until I told her why. She called her boss and said we had to go. I threw a few things in a bag and off we went.
It was so quiet on the Interstate that night. There were signs up all over warning that NYC was closed because an "incident." We had no idea what to expect. Would there be more attacks? We stopped around midnight at a roadside hotel to get a few hours of sleep, then took off for Widwood, NJ (right outside of Atlantic City).
When we get there, we thought we'd be bringing him home the next morning. We were there three or four days. They wanted him to have surgery there, but MIL decided to bring him home to have it.
As I was standing on the beach on 9/12, just watching the ocean when it hit me. My 9-year old daughter had said we would be on the beach that day. A few days before, she had said that and I just laughed. There was no way we could be on the beach. She was right though, there I stood. How did she know?
Labels: 9/11, Atlantic City, pre-cog, terrorism
posted by Gretchen at
7:01 AM
7 Comments:
I doubt that any American has forgotten when and where they learned of the September 11th attacks. Those older ones among us added that indelible memory to one of the November day in 1963 when JFK was shot; our parents spoke of what they were doing when they learned of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
What will it take to stop Man's hatred and abuse of his fellow man?
I was at work in a state office. They sent us home for security reasons. Very scary.
Good question Wizened. Sad day. Never to be forgotten.
As I watched the smoke and flames, I recall thinking whoever did this, doesn't just hate us. They hate humanity.
I woke up that day and checked the news online, only to find I couldn't get through when I tried to click on a story about a plane hitting one of the towers. I figured it was a small plane, an accident, but when there was too much traffic on the Internet to read the article, I felt sick and turned on the TV.
I woke up my husband. I clutched my six-month-old as he slept in my lap, and hand in hand my husband and I watched the towers fall and couldn't believe it was real, just couldn't believe it.
Thanks for asking. And thanks for visiting my blog.
Oh Gretchen it isn't just the Americans who were affected; I think the whole western world was equally appalled. It was 11.30 pm on Tuesday night in Melbourne and I couldn't sleep because my husband was in hospital on a life support system, not expected to live (but he did). I was channel surfing, and Fox News came on cable, and it was all happening in front of my eyes. I just couldn't believe it...thought my world had come to an end. I've put a simple tribute on my blog.
Hugs,
Gina
PS yes, I'll put a link to our local paper so you can see the article about me!
I watched it on the news in between patients, stunned. And stuned further that anyone could be talking about anything else that day. Maybe it just wasn't real for some people yet. And I remember just feeling a sense of dread about what would follow.
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