9/11 Anniversary thoughts

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Forum -> Interesting Discussions -> Inspirational

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amother

Floralwhite

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 12:52 pm

I remember my eighth grade teacher recounting her memories of JFK's assassination. Most girls' eyes glazed over, and we thought how very old she must be to have witnessed something out of our history books.
Each year, on 9/11, I try to convey to my students the frightening, awesome momentousness of that day.

To me, seems like it happened so recently. But to my 11th and 12th grade students... It's an interesting page in their history books.

I find this disconcerting!

amother

Ecru

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 1:07 pm

I had a relative in the second tower

amother

Turquoise

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 1:15 pm

I was in Israel, it was one of my first weeks of seminary.

It was about 5 in the afternoon when the first plane hit. I was eating Center One shopping mall with some friends. We got into a cab and heard the reports on the cabbies radio; one friend who was more fluent in Hebrew than the rest of us translated. The rumors were horrible. We heard that there were 10 plane crashes, that all of NYC was destroyed.

Lots of cell service and even land line service in NY was disrupted, so it was a few days before I was able to reach my parents. I remember how frightening it was.

What was really interesting though was coming home pesach time and finding that the america I'd left behind was not the same one I came back to. It's hard to pinpoint what changed. People were still realing from the shock. Flags were everywhere. People were friendlier.

amother

Ginger

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 1:22 pm

I was in college at Columbia University in Manhattan. I didn't have a class until later that day so I was still sleeping when the first plane hit. One of my roommates came back from her morning class saying there was a terrorist attack and classes were cancelled for the day. It was surreal.

Someone unearthed a tiny old black and white TV set and we were able to watch the news. I was frantically trying to reach my family because I knew my father was flying that day and the flight information hadn't been released yet. All phone lines were down and I finally managed to reach my brother over AOL instant messaging. B"H my father was fine but he got stuck out of the country until after Rush Hashana. We had girls in our group from Silver Springs whose parents worked in DC, one even in the Pentagon, so they were also frantically reaching out to check on everyone.

The news was projecting large numbers of injured people and my friends and I were desperate to help somehow so we took a university shuttle uptown to Columbia-Presbyterian hospital and ended up on a long line of people waiting to donate blood. Eventually they sent us home when they realized that unfortunately there were mass casualties rather than injuries.

We could look downtown and see the smoke. Everything in the city felt hazy for the next few days. When public transportation was running again some people went down to Ground Zero to see for themselves but I didn't want to do that. I haven't been to the memorial yet either. My memories from the day are vivid enough. I can't believe it's been 18 years already and that there are now legal adults who don't remember the day the world changed so drastically.

amother

Smokey

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 1:46 pm

I had gone early to vote as soon as the polls opened for in the primary election, which was then disqualified because of the situation.

DH had some business to do in the area that morning but was running late. His train was stopped in the tunnel before Chambers Street due to “police activity” Thank G-d he ran late or he’d have been nearby when the towers came down.

I could see the north tower from a coworker’s office. It looked like a giant fist had smashed in the side and there was smoke pouring out.

My children were in school. I had to be home for dismissal so rather than wait for the trains to start running I walked home. It took about four hours and I was practically crawling the last half hour.

I was too exhausted to listen to the news when I got home so I didn’t know the towers were reduced to rubble till dh told me when he got back.

Some relatives called to ask where I was because I worked in the WTC for several years. B”H I hadn’t worked there for about ten years.

amother

Powderblue

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 1:49 pm

Today I recoiled at seeing the flag at half mast. I understand that it is a symbol of mourning. But it made me think of the towers falling, and gave the impression that the flag was falling too.

I still can't think about this day for more than a minute or so without crying. It's eighteen years later, and so much of it comes right back. It was so much that day, and that week, and the entire year afterwards, like true aveilus. A little over a year afterwards, I went to a dinner at Terrace on the Park, which is up high with floor to ceiling windows. I was so scares the whole time. You see so many planes from the nearby airports...

I am grateful that today I can look up and see a plane and not have my first though be what I should do if it starts heading for me, followed by a worry of who else it might hit. I am grateful that my friend who lost her husband that day remarried and has a beautiful family. I'm grateful that when I try to call my husband and my parents, I can reach them, unlike that day, when they were so close to everything. And I am so, so sad.

thunderstorm

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 1:54 pm

Today I remembered my oldest son at five months old sitting in his bouncer chair while I spoke to him over and over again telling him “I can’t believe what happened and how terrible it was”. I kept repeating and repeating it. I was in a state of shock. It was the realization that my children will never have the innocence and sense of security and peace in the world that I had as a child. I mourned that loss.

zaq

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 1:59 pm

I remember thinking “Now Americans know what Israelis feel like all. the. time. “

Raisin

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 2:28 pm

I remember listening to the first news reports on the BBC world service. They were wondering if it was an accident, that the plane was a small plane that had hit the tower by accident. The reporter was actually standing in the lobby of the WTC.

Aylat

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 2:59 pm

amother [ Floralwhite ] wrote:

This!

amother

Taupe

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 3:17 pm

My DH was in the Pentagon. His office was next to the impact but luckily he and his directorate were able to get out safely. However, I did not know that until about 1 pm.

Our middle-schooler and her classmates watched the events as they were unfolding but it was a bit removed until the news of the Pentagon was broadcast. Many of the families in our area are retired and active-duty servicemembers as well as defense contractors so many of her classmates were in panic mode as was our own child.

My younger child was in 2nd grade. I was very thankful that the principal decided to keep the news from the entire student body.

amother

Orchid

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 3:24 pm

My father was one of the very first responders.
For many hours we didn't know if he's ok or not. I've had severe PTSD and needed intense therapy for a long time to get over the fear and worry I felt then.
I have no words to describe 9/11. We were able to view the towers from where we lived. The noise the smell, the dust, the air, it can never be described. G-d bless America.

angelgirl

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 4:05 pm

I was ten years old. I had never heard about the WTC. I had never been to the USA.
I went knocking on our neighbours door calling them together to come and say Tehillim.

amother

Tan

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 4:11 pm

amother [ Turquoise ] wrote:

I was also in seminary that year. It was surreal to be so far away from New York when it happened. It also happened to be a bad year in Israel with the intifada.

When I was home at pesach time it was shocking to see the new skyline.

amother

Azure

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 4:33 pm

amother [ Tan ] wrote:

I was also in seminary that year.

Ima4therecord

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 5:49 pm

amother [ Cobalt ] wrote:

A week before this happened, I told late DH that we are due for a terrorist attack. He knocked me down and screamed at me that I am a witch when he came out of the shower.

Wow that's crazy you said that a week before why did you think that? [quote]

amother

Wine

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 6:29 pm

amother [ Ecru ] wrote:

I had a relative in the second tower

https://www.foxnews.com/us/9-1.....mment

amother

Tangerine

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 6:32 pm

I had a few kids then, my panic was how to protect my kids from the evil.
I was scared to take them out, send them to school etc. I did as my DH doesn't let fears dictate our lives.
Rosh Hashana a week later was definitely more intense.

I do remember the beautiful blue sky and amazing weather that day! How deceiving it felt!

1091

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 6:53 pm

My husband and I were both working in lower Manhattan that day and continued to do so for months after.

My husband called me immediately after the first plane hit the WTC and I called my mom to see if there was any news.

Standing on my firm’s trading floor which had huge glass windows with all my colleagues, I watched the second plane hit and the fireball that continued. I was fortunate in that we evacuated our building right after. I remember telling my colleagues to stay away from the buildings and not understanding why people were just milling around aimlessly.

We got to the 2 train just as one pulled in and we discussed whether to tell anyone getting off to get back on the subway. We didn’t think they’d believe us and we just wanted to get home.

Train service stopped by Prospect Park because the towers had fallen and I took a city bus home. I tried to drive a colleague home but all the roads were closed.

I couldn’t reach my husband for hours. His office sheltered in place because of proximity to the Towers and he didn’t leave until close to 11. He walked home over the bridge. He has stories of men giving their socks to women who were walking in heels, shoe stores honoring sales prices as people went in to by sneakers and strangers handing out water in the street. Once he got home, he and I drove his colleagues to a park and ride near JFK where they had left their cars.

I remember calling my sister in law to tel my mother in law know we were fine because I could call Monsey but not NJ.

I also remember trying to reach friends who I had worked with in 7 WTC, hoping they were okay and how strange it was to think that part of my history was gone.

We recently went to the WTC museum. It was definitely harder on my husband who was there in the aftermath. It was very eery to see what was.

Tzutzie

Wed, Sep 11 2019, 10:55 pm

My sister busy in the kitchen whilr feeding her toddler son breakfast by the window and my nephew called out to her to check out the plane and the fire. She called 911 and the line was busy becuase everyone called at once. Then she reached the dispatcher and yelled into the phone that the wtc is on fire.

I remember the aftermath. Poeple crying in the street. The smells. The dust. The pictures and videos. Thenighmares. The somber moods all around. The planes overhead for months. The missing people. The heartbreak.

As a child I was more terrified. Versus now as an adult in more saddened.
As a child I was terrified for my life. I didn't understand or was able to grasp the enormity of the tragedy.
As an adult think of all these people who have died. They were all someone, parent, sobling, chold, friend, grandparent, aunt/uncle, relative...... each person mattered. There were 2,977 big black holes left behind. And then some more who died from exposure later on.
MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND.
I cannot wrap my brain around that. I don't think I ever will.

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