Where were you 5 years ago?

[Anonymous]

So ladies, were you thinking about the men and women who had lost their lives this day 5 years ago? I was thinking about them all day. Actually we talked about it with the kids at school today and the 7th graders were in 2nd grade when all this happened. They really do not remember because they were too young. Inactuality, the kids I had are now seniors in high school.

When you ladies get a chance…..please post what you remember and how you felt on that day. I just feel that we need to remember these women and men who stopped these terrorists from killing more. If it is too painful….please do not feel that you have to share.

Here is my memory………

It was my first year at Streetsboro Middle School and at that time we had grades 6, 7 and 8 in one building. As I was in my Language Arts class teaching…….one teacher came down telling us about what happened with the 1st building. We all turned on our TVs to see what was going on. At this time…….my students and I witnessed the 2nd plane crashing into the 2nd building. We sat in disbelief. I right away grabbed my cell phone to call my aunt who lived 2 blocks away from the Twin Towers……I could not get a hold of her and began worrying (did not get a hold of her for about 3 days after). My second thought was that I just wanted to go and get Dylan (at that time 1 yr. old) and hold onto him…..and not to be mean, but I did not want to be at school…..I wanted to be home with my husband and son.

When I finally reached my aunt, she told me that she saw the first plane flying low and thought to herself “What idiot is flying so low?” And as soon as she thought that….the 1st plane hit the first tower. She said that her windows began to shake tremendously. Sadly enough…..right when the gov’t gave the New Yorkers money to refurbish their homes…….my aunt bought all new things, but shortly died not being able to enjoy her new belongings after such a tragedy.

Thanks for reading and keep these people in your thoughts always.

[Anonymous]

I was in my living room sorting laundry and watching my son who was 1ish at the time (6 now), I’ll never forget it because he started saying “Mama, big crash” I had no idea what he was talking about (he talked early but it was VERY hard to understand him) and he got really mad at me because I didn’t understand, so he pointed to the tv, which either had the news on or was on a channel that flashed to the scene, and there was the picture of the towers…He saw it before I did….I can’t believe that it’s been so long

[Anonymous]

I was working as a social worker in a local nursing home. I had just moved a resident to a different room (room 202)and had plugged in her television to see if the cable was hooked up correctly. At that time, I saw the second plane go into the second tower. I stood in disbelief and called out to the maintenance man who was outside the room. He came in and his expression was “holy s*&t” and we knew life would never be the same. It was really strange working in a nursing home during that time around those who knew war so well – it brought back many memories (good and bad) for many of them. Most of us sat glued to the television that morning. Hard to believe it is 5 years ago already – it seems like just yesterday.

God Bless our men and women in uniform for protecting us from the evil in this world.

Robin

Abby’s Mom2006-9-12 7:23:21

[Anonymous]

I was working in London at the time – i was working on a big IPO, so i was on the trading floor, where they all have TVs with the news on. Everyone started shouting and we all gathered around the TVs and they replayed the first crash… i immediately called one of my friends who lives in the village and did not get a hold of her. So i called another friend who worked in midtown. Got her on the phone as we were sat there, watching live coverage of the tower that was hit when all of the sudden we saw teh second plane approaching and we saw how it hit the tower. My friend was on the phone and she could see everything from her office, live live!!! We were on the phone for maybe 1 hour and then all communication was cut off.

We were all sent home in cabs because they thought the city of London would be the next target (the subway most likely if there was going to be an attack), so teh city was quickly evacuated and i went home with some friends and just watched TV all day long, while we prayed for those who did not make it.

Yesterday, we had to go to the doctor in the city, and i took a detour and drove down fifth avenue, and looked at where the towers stood and thought about how different things are today. The city was deserted…. everyone must have decided not to drive in or go out unless necessary or must have been downtown for the services – it was a bit strange

[Anonymous]

I was home alone, pregnant with my first baby. DH called from work and said “turn on the tv. someone blew up the world trade center.” I was in shock and a little panicky because one of my sisters is a FDNY Paramedic and I knew she’d probably be there. I tried for hours and hours to call home (I live in ND now, but grew up in NY) but the phones were all down and I couldn’t get through to anyone in my family back in NY. I felt so helpless because all I could do was watch the news coverage and hope and pray my sister was not dead, or trapped, or hurt. It wasn’t until the next day that I even knew my she was o.k. Turns out she was six blocks away when the towers came down. Physically she was unharmed, but emotionally she is still in a lot of pain. She saw things she will never tell me and I honestly don’t want to know.

I feel so sad for all those innocent people who got up and went to work that day…. in those beautiful towers, and in the Pentagon, and for those who simply got on a plane, and lost their lives for it. I feel the most sorry for all the children who lost their mommy or daddy that day. When I think of 9/11, I always thank God that I am here with my children.

God bless our troops, our first responders, and those who lost loved ones that day.

[hellbennt]

I also was at a school-

I am an elementary school guidance counselor and I was walking in the halls & there was all of a sudden a buzz about something – so I went into my office, which was a classroom I shared w/ 2 other colleagues, and there were my colleagues gathered around the T.V.

no one really could watch TV, because of the students, so our room was a central gathering place for anyone who didn’t have a class with them (maybe the class was at P.E., Art, Music, etc)

I remember thinking that it couldn’t be happening & I also remember thinking that this was an end of an era…I grew up just a commuter rail’s trip from NYC and my father/family sails all the time on Long Island Sound & you can see the NYC skyline from there…

I actually spoke to my father about this yesterday, remembering 9/11, and he said how the next day he went out sailing & they could see the smoke in the air…

I didn’t have children at the time but I did ponder the future and what kind of a future would it be for these elementary kids (& my future kids)?

my father also said something to me yesterday: that he remembers Pearl Harbor & that was in 1941 (someone correct me if I have the dates wrong!) and 5yrs after that, the war was over…where are we now, 5yrs later? makes you think…

[Anonymous]

I was at work in a Board of Directors meeting when the page came over
the intercom about the first tower. We immediately stopped the
meeting and turned on the TV – it was pure silence in the board room as
nobody knew what to say. And then we saw the second plane –
I remember looking around the room and seeing the CEO and all
these very prominent men/women in the community, wiping their eyes – I
think we sat and watch all day. I was pregnant with Nate at the
time (very newly pregnant so nobody knew) and I remember thinking to
myself “I can’t believe I am bringing a child into this”. I could
only wonder what the world would be like for him to grow up in.
How sad……….

God bless our troops who are fighting for our freedom every day and for
those who have lost their lives in that fight. And, God bless
those individuals who lost their lives on that dark, sad day and I pray
for them and their families.

[Anonymous]

I live in Manhattan – probably aboug 3 miles or a little less from Ground

Zero. That day I had just gotten to work (I was in PR at the time) at my

office much further uptown. It was 8:50 or so and everyone was in the

conference room watching the TV. When I asked what was going on they

said “a plane just hit one of the Twin Towers”. I watched for a second in

disbelief and ran to the phone to call my husband (fiance at that time).

He’s a bond trader and only about a block away from the Towers – in the

next skyscraper over basically.

While I was on the phone with him telling him I didn’t think it was an

accident and to leave work, the second plane hit. He told me they were

being evacuated and had to get off the phone. I could literally hear the

plane hit over the phone.

I was in disbelief and watched with my coworkers for a while and saw

what was happening in DC (where I went to college and have good friends

still). I was a wreck at this point and despite what my boss said, I left

work and walked home – about 2 miles – I was walking downtown

watching the smoke rising and everyone else was walking uptown – just a

sea of people in the streets. I couldnt’ reach my husband or anyone else

and was just crying and walking. When I got to my building, my husband

was waiting outside for me and we hugged for a while. Then we started

trying to find other friends and family members. Luckily, we found

everyone safe and sound and had a few people stay overnight with us

who live in Jersey and had no way to get home.

To me it all seemed like a horrible dream or movie. To my husband it was

all to real – he saw people jumping from the buildings and saw both

Towers fall as he was walking away from them/home.

For weeks there was smoke and a horrible smell even up to our apartment

building. They also used my block (which has a precinct on it and police

academy around the corner too) as one of their headquarters and it was

filled with cops for a really long time.

Unfortunately, my husband lost a lot of work colleagues who worked at

Cantor Fitzgerald. We watched the ABC movie last night and I’m still

pretty depressed…knb182006-9-12 11:41:46

[Anonymous]

OMG….Karen. Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you and your loved ones are all o.k. Sorry about dh’s colleagues. I can’t imagine being as close to ground zero as you are…but I do feel the pain. I didn’t make it back to NY until October 2002, and when I went to ground zero with my sister I though I’d never stop crying. New Yorkers are resilient people, but I don’t know how you look at that every single day.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Christine. I don’t mean to make it sound like he lost a number of

friends – but some of them were people he spoke with almost daily for work.

I don’t know how to explain it – but it’s made me (and DH) love NYC even

more than ever because of how everyone pulled together I guess. We

couldn’t live anywhere else…

[Anonymous]

Karen, I really know what you mean; even though I don’t live there anymore, and I lived on the Island, not in the city.

I still feel such a strong connection to NY, and even moreso after 9/11. I was so proud of they way everyone pulled together. I wish I could get back more often.

[Anonymous]

Okay – this is a bit of a belated response, sorry.

Sept. 11, 2001 was actually the date of my bridal shower. I remember hearing about it on the radio that morning, but it didn’t really hit me until later that afternoon. I remember feeling SO guilty that I was having a bridal shower when there was such a horrible tragedy going on. I debated on whether I should have everyone call it off, but by then it was too late. It really made my husband (fiance at the time) and I think about our future & our country’s future. Especially since we’d be married in a few weeks.

[Anonymous]

I was at work (still in the corporate world then) and when we first heard the news, we all turned on our radios and then a TV materialized from somewhere they had set up in an open area for us to watch. The president of the company came walking out and came by all of the offices saying how she knew Bin Laden was responsible. I had never even heard of him at the time. The president closed the company and sent us home with instructions to report to work tomorrow if we were able (she feared Atlanta would be a target too). I remember driving home in a shocked state on the freeway not even aware of what I was doing. I am religious and remember wanting to go to my church to pray but they were having a funeral that day so I went home and watched the news over and over. Our church did send out an automated phone message later about a special service that was to be held that night so we went to it and it was packed with people from all over the community.

I can’t believe it’s been five years either yet it is still so surreal to me. I constantly remember all of those that were so brave that day and pray for all of the families that lost loved ones. They are adding on to the building where I work now and they have a huge American flag flying on top of the structure this week in remembrance. I saw it this morning and almost started crying. I don’t think we will ever forget the tragic events of 9/11. God Bless the USA!

[Anonymous]

This is really late, but I’ll add it anyway. I was teaching third grade and an administrator came in and asked me not to discuss current events with my class. She was almost out the door before it occurred to me to ask her what she was talking about. It was a very surreal experience because we spent all day trying to act normally with the kids so their parents could be the ones to discuss it with them and yet we spent every moment away from them watching the TV in the library storage room to see updates. By the end of the day almost half of our students had been picked up early. It still amazes me that the remaining students never asked what was going on.

[Author]

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