Today's replay of 9/11/01

I wept on that day
I wept on that day for the victims
and
Now i feel extremly sorry for those criminals who are still at large.
In the name of 11th september so much criminalities are legitimized..
I still shed my tears for those breaved families

It is one of those moments in time that I will never forget. It was a day of unbelievable horror. I was horrified as I watched on TV. I cannot imagine the lives that were changed by living it or having a loved one die because of it. It breaks my heart for those people all over again...every year. I hope we never get to a point where it is just a review in history on the television. I am still amazed at the stories of selflessness and heroism are retold and hope that if I am ever needed in any kind of moment as this I will be willing to put my life on the line to serve others as some of these folks did. Can't even imagine it though. Truly hope that if it came to that I would be willing though.

September 11, 2001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZV2L0EM08I&mode=related&search=

List of victims who were murdered at the World Trade Center
http://www.9-11heroes.us/victims-world-trade-center.php
List of victims who were murdered on Flight 77, Flight 11, Flight 175, Flight 93 and at the Pentagon
http://www.9-11heroes.us/victims-flight-pentagon.php

I was sharing with someone earlier what each of us were doing that day.

That morning, I took my car to the car wash, and was walking up to the cashier area where they had the news on. It must have happened only minutes before, because only 3 or 4 people had started to gather to watch the tape being looped over and over. It was surreal.

Then, this young guy that worked there, maybe 18, 19 walked up, took one look at the TV and the plane crashing, got this goofy half-grin on his face and said "AWESOME!"

No one said a word, like what he said wasn't out of place, I like to imagine we were all just in shock...I know I couldn't take it all in yet, at that moment really couldn't think of the hugeness of it. Maybe what he said effected me harder than the others, because at that moment, I had been looking around, searching everyones faces for an answer of some kind. An answer I knew nobody had. Maybe I was the only one who saw his face. That and the combination of what he said....I can't begin to express the emotion I felt. I still don't know what to call it. I just remember having this realization that this person, and many others, live in this video game world. Like hitting that building just scored some player 10,000 bonus points.

I think what I said to him was "What the F*CK is wrong with you!? A few thousand people just died, and you think that's AWESOME?"

He tried to cover it up by saying..''uh...what I meant was...uh...I'm....uh...full of awe"

I didn't even look at him anymore. I wonder though, why that has to me my first memory of the event.

I went to work and tried to call a friend who lives a few blocks from there. All the phones were out of course. We kept the radio on at work as news filtered in, everyone obviously shocked.

Then, something happened that totally rocked my faith in human decency, which, to be honest, stays with me to this day also.

Remember how every singe plane in the U.S. was grounded? No air transportation, or deliveries at all. Well, the next day was a payday, and of course no planes, no delivery of paychecks....until whoever gave the orders let them go back into the air. I'm sure ya'll remember that slight inconvenience.

I'm so ashamed of my fellow man at this instant when I thing of the response when the announcement was made that paychecks would not be delivered until planes could again travel. Suddenly, all these people were screaming about having to wait, like an exception should be made in their case. Long story short, we arranged to have funds made available on an emergency basis from a bank, through our corporate office, for those that it literally meant not eating or having your electricity turned off.

I was stunned to realized the bulk of the people, a few hundred in this area, were certain they could not make it to Monday morning....please read extreme sarcasm in that last sentence. The number of calls I received that day with the same requests over things like not having enough to go to the movies that weekend, or crap like that, and the repeated questions as to why we couldn't get someone to fly in with the checks just about broke my mind. Even the people who received direct deposit (the bulk of them) who had no reason to call, were complaining about what if their bank wasn't funded because of this, as if this was something anyone had any control over that day. I even volunteered to drive halfway to Houston to meet someone halfway, to bring check back, but that wasn't good enough.

Here's the clincher...The situation was somehow resolved without having to resort to any of the above measures....but...after the fact, and all the stress, I received a couple of phone calls that day, and a letter a couple of days later, from people bitterly complaining because even though they didn't loose a penny of their pay for 1 single second, they complained because "we should have had a system in place in the event like something like that happened."

On that day, I remember closing my office door, putting my head down on my desk, and sobbing.

I sobbed for the people that died and their families. Mostly though, I sobbed in dispair over the realization of how incredible selfish, self-centered and unwilling people were to take the slightest step out of their way, for risk of being slightly inconvenienced.

Thank God I'm a realist, and I know there's an awful lot of people out there that acted differently. But, my story is what I saw that day.

Since that time, I have seen people act that same way, when the situation so clearly called for putting your own needs aside for a second. It makes me feel like the person in Edvard Munch painting "the shriek" It was like witnessing the death of humanity.

I had a 10:30am doctor's appt. Since I was glued to the tv, I called the dr's office at around 10am to let them know I wasn't going to make it.

I said to the receptionist "did you see the news? two passenger planes have crashed into the WTC in NY!!!!"

Her monotone response was "oh really? hmmm.....do you want to reschedule that appt. now?"

I was watching the today show...just got my twin baby boys up from their nap and sat holding them and crying my eyes out...could not quit watching. I did what I had to to take care of them then I sat and watched in absolute unbelief.....it felt like the world was ending. And I was scared for weeks to come about the future of my baby boys and the life I had known that was secure before. I think reality hit that day...we were not safe anymore.

THANK YOU to all the people who stayed on the telephone with the victims that dialed 911.
THANK YOU to all the Air Traffic Controllers who had to listen to the terrorists and people screaming in the planes.
THANK YOU to all the Air Traffic Controllers who kept their mind on their job and brought everyone in all other aircrafts down to land safely.
THANK YOU to all the police, firefighters and common every day people that did all they could to help.
THANK YOU to the family members who told their love ones to try and take control of Flight 93.
THANK YOU to all the other countries that allowed our airplanes to land in your country and for taking care of the passengers.
THANK YOU to all the fighter pilots that were in the air that day and the days to follow.
THANK YOU to the media for letting the rest of us know what was happening that day.
THANK YOU to all the volunteer organizations who were there to help.
THANK YOU to the airlines that sent support groups to help the families of the victims.
THANK YOU to all the generous people who helped others on that day and the days that followed.
THANK YOU President Bush for listening to your advisors by not going back to the White House right away.
THANK YOU to all the ones who had the horrible job of sifting through that mess hoping to find survivors.
THANK YOU to all those who had to do the unthinkable by going there and start the clean up.
THANK YOU to all the medical staff who helped identify victims.
THANK YOU to everyone who cared

Amen to that, TTH

I want the terrorists to know that I am not afraid of them. I flew in October of 2001. They were not going to get what they wanted.

I want you guys to know I did read your posts. It is sad to think people can be so self-centered when a tragedy of this proportion happens. I was told not to talk about 9/11 today. Why? because it would bring people down and make them sad. I say good. Then that means they care.

I was at work -- I've told this story before -- and a friend had a little TV and that's how we learned of it. We even learned of the first plane and a lot of folks did not hear anything until the second plane had already done its horrible damage.

My desk was at the end of a small hallway that opened up onto a little lounge area. And for weeks afterwards I would dream of a plane skittering along that lounge area, coming straight for my desk.

My parents lost one of their neighbors on 9/11. The agency I work for now lost two workers that day (I believe they were temping at Cantor Fitzgerald). If you know the six degrees of separation game, you may find that much of the US, particularly the Eastern Seaboard, is within maybe three or four degrees of separation from someone who lost their life that day.

Don't forget the victims, and don't let political hay be made from their memories.

Good grief, Chai's story is depressing.

Makes me glad I was still living in my dinky little hometown at that time... it's a really nice little town and there was a very, very strong feeling of, "We're all in this together," among everyone you met that day, even just people you passed on the street.

I remember that I was leisurely driving to work on a most beautiful clear and sunny day with a few clouds and a slight breeze making for a most pleasant day. I had left a bit late but was not concerned with that because it was such a wonderful day.

The radio was playing and an announcement came on that a plane had struck the World Trade Centre in New York. My first thought is that a small plane had somehow struck the building, but I could not fathom how this could happen. Shortly thereafter, a second announcement brought forth the terrible news that a 2nd plane had hit the tower. I immediately knew that this was a planned and deliberate attack on the U.S.

When I arrived at the office, everyone was in the boardroom glued to the TV set. We were all dumbstruck to say the least. We saw the 2nd plane hit the tower and the collapse of one and then the other tower. We could not believe our eyes and our emotions were being tested. The news reporters were speculating that there could be upwards of 50,000 people in those towers.

Then, I had a sudden pang in my stomach. My son was scheduled to fly to New York that very morning. I immediately made a phone call to his wife and was informed that he had changed his plans at the last minute because of urgent local business. Thank God.

My Head Office was in North Carolina and several of us Canadians were scheduled to fly to Raleigh/Durham in early October. A directive came out that even though our presence was important, they would understand if any of us chose not to fly to the U.S.

Every last one of us made the trip...although on different flights at different times. I wore a vest that had the Canadian and American flags intertwined. I guess it was, in some small way, showing solidarity with our American neighbours.

This morning, I was scheduled to make a 8:30 am visit to a home where I was to do some work. Strangely, this house turned out to be an Islamic family. Any other day, I would probably not have even given this a moments thought. Funny how the mind works. On the other hand, I do not hold a religion or group of people responsible for what a few radicals did. My heart still goes out to the families of the victims and I am proud that Canada allowed so many planes to land and many of our citizens made it most comfortable for the Americans that were forced to go to other than their homeland and homes.

Intrepid - I wonder how weird it must've been for Americans coming home on international flights to not be able to land in their own country!
Not just an airport, or a city....but the whole country.

I remember looking up and not seeing one plane or contrail in the sky.
Things that we just take for granted are up there above us at any given time; we don't even notice them...until they're gone.

I have to admit that my thought, at the time, was if the Americans won't let ANY flights land because of possible terrorist activty why is Canada allowing so many planes to land at our airports. I am glad they did, but I found it a bit strange at the same time.

That's right -- the Canadian connection -- I remember being so grateful. Hell, we still are. Innumerable kindnesses.