While we are all excited about the start of football, I ask that we take a moment to remember those lost in the 9/11 tragedy and post something here to remember that day.
As for me, I remember exactly where I was and the feelings I had as we were attacked. It was the first time as an American I felt vulnerable and less than safe. In the weeks that followed I saw the spirit of this country and I was moved at how underneath it all we are all still Americans. God bless the families of those lost that day and God bless the USA.
-Matt
Owner
Finheaven.com
It's amazing that it is 10 years ago already.
I'd like to share my experience of the day, I may have posted this in years past so I apologize if people have read this before.
I worked at a radio station in NYC at the time and they played the shows over the speakers throughout the station. It was early Tuesday morning and I was doing a little work listening to the show when one of the other hosts called in to the show to say a small plane had crashed at the WTC, he lived near there and was watching the flames. I was a little stunned to hear that and wanted to see it so I went to the area w/ the TVs and was amazed at what I saw, there was no way that was a small plane. obviously at that moment I didn't know what happened and my thinking was "how in the world can they fight that fire?". The forwd started gathering around the TVs and as we were watching we saw the explosion of the 2nd plane not realizing it was a 2nd plane. Watching the replay we saw the plane and knew this day was only going to get worse.
At this point I tried to call my wife who was usually in her office around this time, she workled in midtown nowhere near the WTC but who knew what would happen next? I actually got through but she wasn't in yet and I became worried maybe there was or would be a subway attack. I kept calling and after the first completed call it was impossible to get through either by landline or by cell, eventually I was able to get through(about an hour later) but it was a very tense hour for me.
I remember going outside and seeing the smoke, watching everything on TV, seeing a fax come through to update us that the Yankee game was cancelled that night. I wondered at that moment if I would ever care about sports again the way I did hours earlier?(the answer is obviously yes but it took a while). I knew those above the impact zones had no shot but I thought those below could get out, I never imagined the buildings would fall. As tha happened the news of the Pentagon broke and the plane in PA. I wondered where it would end? I thought 10-20,000 people were dead after the towers collapsed but thanks to the great rescue efforts it was nowhere near those #s. I thought I'd know many people who didn't make it out but fortunately I didn't know anyone directly that was killed, we had some family acquaintances, my wife lost a friend who I had never met and my brother in law's best friend got out from the 60th floor.
I still don't go too long w/o thinking of that day, thinking of the horror that led people to jump from a skyscraper rather than burn to death, think of the innocent people who just went to work that day who were turned into ashes. I think about the people on the planes expecting to get to their destination but instead had to die a horrifying death(though at least for them the actual moment they died was quick).
In the afternoon a bunch of us went to a local Hospital to donate blood, the line was 2 blocks long. This was another incredible site but a positive one. In the aftermath of this awful day I saw things in NY I had never seen before and haven't seen since. Subways were eerily quiet, drivers were courteous, the streets were quiet. When I drove home that day I was the only person on the bridge and I looked out and saw the smoke, every day when I would drive to and from work I would always look out and admire the beautiful skyline.
I wish we were all united as a Country today as we were in the aftermath of the attacks, that was the lone good to come out of all the bad.
I wish all the best for all those who lost loved ones on that day, this will be a difficult anniversary for all of them.
