My September 11 Story
September 11, 2001 - the day the towers fell. Everyone knows where they were at that exact moment on that day. I'm sure they will never forget. I didn't know anyone who lost their lives that day. I am thankful for that. It still affected me though - how could it not? Today is a day of remembrance. Here is mine:
I had been working at a bank for about a month and it was finally time for me to go for my teller training in downtown Seattle. It was a Tuesday and I got up to get ready to make the 40 minute drive. I turned on the TV and on the Today show they were showing video of a building that had smoke billowing out the sides. It had a caption that said one of the twin towers had been hit. I sat down to watch it for a little while - I saw the second tower get hit. I could not believe it - I had no idea what was going on or who would do this. I called the training facility to see if we would still have our training and was told that yes we would.
I finished getting ready and made my way into Seattle. Once inside the classroom we were told by the instructor that everything was fine in Seattle and we would have class as scheduled. About 30 minutes later someone came into our room and told us that all of the downtown Seattle buildings were being evacuated. They had gotten word that some of the bigger building might be targeted and that the Puget Sound could be in danger also. We left the building and the scene on the street was something out of a movie - there were FBI agents in full riot gear everywhere! People were running out of buildings and it was complete chaos. I was so scared. I went to the parking garage where my car was and was told we couldn't use the elevators.
I finally got to my car and drove home. Once I was home I called Mike and he came home. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the TV - they just kept replaying the planes hitting the towers and then showing them fall. It wasn't an accident - someone was killing innocent Americans and know one knew why - yet. I couldn't understand what was going on and all I could do was sit in front of the TV and cry.
(In July of 2002 Mike & I were able to visit NYC. We went to Ground Zero and the feelings of sadness were so overwhelming. There were still missing posters posted all along the fenceline. Flowers were laying everywhere along with pictures of loved ones lost. We walked by one of the fire departments and on the door were pictures of all the firemen. They lost their complete department that day. It was amazing and horrifying at the same time.)
To read more stories about 9/11 or to participate head over to Rocks In My Dryer.
posted by Tanya @ 11:46 AM
7 Comments:
HOLY SMOKES!! I think I'm FIRST!! WOO HOO!! I will post my version of your story on Monday..thanks for the idea and of course, also for sharing.
HUGS!! :)
I've been visiting new blogs all day long to share in this day that we all remember with such clarity.
You got to see some of it firsthand...
thanks for letting me be a part of your memory today
Thanks for sharing your memory. I plan to post my own as well..there are so many great tribute sites out there for the victims...
Hi Tanya,
Thank you for sharing your memories on 9/11. I could'nt believe what was happening, and being in Australia it was so surreal. Hearing your experiance is just amazing.
Bridie
Wow - I was in a smaller town when this happened, so we just had the shock and the fast-rising gas prices. I had no idea Seattle was shut down. Thanks for sharing your story.
I too remember that day - it will always seem like a distant dream. I was watching the Today show too and saw the second plane hit - it was too surreal! I ended up at work too...sitting on the floor folding denim with another co worker when mall security told us that we had to evacuate - for some reason only then did the full reality sink in - I left crying. All today I have been listening to radio shows with people calling in and telling their thoughts or stories. Do you believe that one caller called in to say that he believed that 9/11 was a government plot to rid NY of wasting real estate? The host blasted him....hard to believe huh? I have never been to NY and my hubs and I have talked about going...I hope to visit there myself someday. One thing is for sure - this day will never be forgotten.
that's interesting about the downtown Seattle panic - we weren't living here then so your story is captivating.
It touched all our lives in small and big ways - unbelievable.
I remember my Logan was about 4 then and because we were so glued to the news in the days following, not thinking, I caught him building Lego one day. He constructed 2 Lego towers and then he took a toy airplane and crashed it into them. That was our wake up call to turn off the dang TV in his presence.
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