random thought about 9/11

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
41

Mr. Rilch was leaving for work, happened to glance into a neighbor’s window, and wondered why he was watching Die Hard at 6am.

I was brushing my teeth when the first tower fell, because at that point, I was still under the impression that the upper floors would just burn for a few hours and that would be that. Mr. Rilch alerted me to this, then left for work, for real this time. I did see the second tower fall; an anchor was talking in voiceover, then broke off. “What…Is that… [pause] There are no words.” I will always be able to hear that rumble and see that beige puff, the same way I will always be able to hear that “beep” and see those white contrails from when Challenger exploded, and the way my mom will always be able to see and hear Walter Cronkite on 11/22/63: “President John F. Kennedy [glasses off] died…at 1:15 Central Standard Time [glasses back on]; 2:15, Eastern…Standard Time.”

Also saw a lot of broadcasts later, on the net. Another anchor in voiceover was heard to say “OH MY F—ING GOD!” when the second plane hit. And yet another anchor (female) displayed what I thought was the ultimate in cool. She was saying (paraphrased) “Well, this is probably a terrorist attack, but of course, we still can’t rule out the possibility of pilot error—” Meanwhile, the second plane approached, banked, and buried itself in the second tower. Without missing a beat, the anchor said, “Well, I guess now we can rule out the possibility of pilot error; what do you think, Co-Anchor?”

I knew, that day, that “Only Time” would become the unofficial theme song. I’d heard it a few times already (it hadn’t been out very long), and subconsciously, I picked it out as the kind of sentimental-yet-uplifting song DJs go nuts for, the same way they played “What a Wonderful World” to underscore Gulf War 1.0.

42

A few months ago, I turned on the TV on a Saturday morning and watched a space shuttle fall to Earth. Bright blue morning sky, and smoke that shouldn’t be there.

I instantly flashed back to 9/11 and watching the news in gym class and thinking about a good friend’s mother who worked in one of the towers. She was getting into an elevator in the lobby when the first plane hit her building.

Blue skies and smoke and that damned ‘breaking news’ banner on the bottom of the screen. Still give me that sick feeling. Part of why I can only stand to watch PBS - and even then, can’t stomach their news.

43

How sad that the falafel joint I visited tonight feels like they have to tack up a couple of American flags in their shop to help business.

(No, the flags weren’t there pre- 9/11.)

44

I had to have a new work ID photo taken shortly after 9/11 and I look quite angry in it. Luckily, looking at it reminds me not of 9/11 so much as the odd working conditions we dealt with immediately thereafter.

45

I also remember that for a surprising length of time afterward, people seemed to be extraordinarily polite. No car horns honking. It was as if everyone had suddenly realized that there were more important things than whether the guy in front of you waited 2 seconds at the light.

46

I woke up late on the morning of 9/11 (gotta love gov’t jobs and flexible hours), and checked out yahoo! news at around 8:50am. I saw that a plane had hit one of the towers, but since the news was breaking, I didn’t think much of it, having recalled hearing about a plane once hitting the Empire State Building.

I showered, then turned on NY1. By this point the second plane had hit. Feeling significantly more worried, I called up the office. Those who were there already were looking out the window, watching the smoke billowing out of the towers. I told them that I would remain at home, watch the news, and perhaps come to work a little later.

After seeing footage of the second plane hitting the tower, I picked up the phone to call my family and let them know I was at home. It took about 15 minutes to finally get through. I was talking with my brother when the first tower fell.

The people of my office had an unplanned two-week vacation. With nothing to do during that time, I spent too many hours watching TV.

My office building was eventually reopened after a less than thorough cleaning (it’s still dusty).

As for a creepy reminder, I had one on 10/11/01. We had a bomb threat in our building (several government buildings in the area did). I must have gone down the ten flights of stairs, 4 steps at a time, in 30 seconds. Boy, was that a scary 30 seconds.

The area around my building smelled of dust for weeks. I didn’t go out to lunch for 4 months.

I still have yet to visit Ground Zero, despite working only a few blocks away.

Okay, now I’m depressed :frowning:

A few weeks ago I had another chilling reminder of 9/11. I picked up a used copy of James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man at a sidewalk vendor near Washington Square Park, and shortly after starting the book, noticed that there were two bookmarks in it, placed between pages 44 and 45. I don’t use bookmarks, so I just left them there. When I got to page 44, I looked at the booksmarks and read them:

Borders Books
5 World Trade Center

I can’t help but wonder about the original owner of the book.

47

I live under the flight route for Teterboro Airport. When planes come in low and I see them from my front window, I still freak out.

This morning I was awoken by the lovely sound of news helicopters. My heart stopped. It turns out they are replacing some signs on the Turnpike in the next town over. Whoopee!

I went into and out of NYC on September 9th, and didn’t even notice the Towers. Now I notice the spot every time.

48

I have a receipt from that Borders bookstore (I used to shop there all the time, since I work only a block away) that I still use as a bookmark today.

Zev Steinhardt

49

I’m under that flight route too. It’s hard to take some days.

I was walking along the north side of the north tower when the first plane hit. None of us down there knew that anything had happened, it was some sort of acoustic well down there, there were 2 faint popping sounds, like a compressor blowing out. A few second later someone yelled “get under,” which those of us in the area did, & so escaped shredding in the shower of glass from that side of the tower.

I was standing out near the Hudson, at the corner of the marina in front of the Winter Garden, when I noticed the second plane, way too low in the sky, somewhere below Battery Park. I watched its whole flight up the riverbank, saw it turn inland, then angle upwards in the last seconds before it dissolved into the south tower. I figure the pilot went to full throttle once he was on course. Bastard.

So yes, planes that appear too low in the sky still freak me out too. Losing that association with low rumbling sounds that Zev mentions was easy in comparison.

50

Wow. I would have probably looked up to see what was happening… I’m glad you moved quickly.

51

When banks have a problem processing their work, they can call the Federal Reserve Bank (which closes for business at 6:30 PM EST) and ask for an extension. On 9/11, and for several days that followed, we worked through extensions that went until 11:00 PM or later, since several major banks had operations in the WTC plaza. They were either destroyed, damaged, evacuated, or effected by the major power outages, jammed phone lines, etc. The days were emotionally and mentally exhausting, as our thoughts and prayers were all over the place, for our families, friends, colleagues, and counterparts at other banks in the NYC area. Our worlds all got a lot smaller that day.

I live close to our regional airport. It’s billed as an “international” airport, but I’ve never known a plane to fly directly to another country. It usually sends planes to NYC, Newark, Philly, Allentown, or Pittsburgh to get a connecting flight to wherever. My son was just beginning to discover planes as they flew overhead, and we could tell that he missed seeing them during the no-fly period. It was so exciting seeing the happiness on his face when he noticed one after flights resumed. He remembers nothing of that day and that period (he was only 1 1/2), but eventually he’ll be old enough to ask, the way I asked my parents about when JFK was killed. I know I will never forget those days.

52

On September 11, 2001, my husband woke me from a sound sleep with the words, “Someone blew up the World Trade Center!” What were we both doing at home at 10:00 am on a Tuesday? We’d taken the day off to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary.

A few months later, my husband said, “I made sure I got off for September 11th.” My first thought was, “Why would you want THAT day off?” Then he went on about going someplace nice for dinner and some other plans he had in mind.

I had forgotten it was our anniversary. How f***ing sad is that? To this day, hearing the date makes me think first of the attacks.

Patty

53

Okay, I also thought I was the only person who associates the weather of all things with 9/11. I clearly remember leaving my apartment for work that day, and thinking “wow, what a perfect day” as I walked to the C train.

Now, when it’s that weather, my first thought is “oh, it’s a WTC day.” I’m actually a little nervous that I might say that in my out loud voice someday, I wouldn’t want to upset anyone else with my personal weirdness.

The C train was stopped in the tunnel for ages that morning, and I had no idea why. We were between Broadway-Nassau and Chambers-WTC. When the subway finally made it to my stop, I got out, started walking toward the office, and came to La Guardia Place just in time to see the first tower fall, so my first reaction was “uh, what the heck HAPPENED while I was on the train?”* For a while, I had some subway issues – mucho anxiety when they stopped even momentarily between stations. There were a few times when I even had to get out of the subway at the next stop, and then walk the rest of the way to work, but that’s better now, thanks.

*Later on, someone asked me what I did think happened, having not heard any of the previous news, and honestly, I don’t remember thinking much of anything, I was that shocked. Oh, I do remember thinking how strange the skyline would look with just one tower. If only.

Hey, let’s end on a positive note! Our office didn’t have phones, no one had a working cell, and my mom doesn’t have email, so I asked on the SDMB if someone could call my mom to let her know I was okay, and TONS of people offered to. You guys are the bee’s knees. Arden Ranger was able to call her, bless you!

54

Me too!

It was a strange moment, tho, it took everyone there several seconds to realize what the guy meant. Someone just starts screaming “get under” repeatedly in a place where there’s not much to get under, & no obvious reason to do so, the first thing your brain does is ask “what is this loony shouting about?” At least mine did.

But he didn’t really sound like a loony & there was evident urgency in his voice. We finally noticed a maybe 6-foot overhang from the 2nd story of the building opposite (was that 7 WTC?) & darted under that just in time. It was damned weird watching & hearing all these pieces of glass hit the pavement, the sounds of a hailstorm on such a clear day.

Afterwards I figured out that the shouting guy was far enough out in the plaza to have seen the impact above & the debris falling to earth. Whoever he was, in spite of his phrasing (not that I’d have done any better), he saved 30-40 people from, at the least, some nasty injuries at that point in the day. I hope he got through it all OK.

55

Just this morning, my husband was watching “Henry V” on ICF, just like he was on 9/11/01 before he turned to the news. Said he could no longer watch the film without thinking about that day.

Patty

56

Its hard to read some of these posts and stay level.

Every plane I see now is flying too low. I know I’m not the only one who notices it either.

I only get freaked out now when I receive cell phone calls before I get in to work. My husband was constantly trying to reach me, and I could only get half reception underground and couldn’t understand what he was saying. Now every call received underground has me so nervous until I can get a coherent message from the caller.

I used to take the D and get off at West 4th, and there they were, every day I’d wonder how my coworkers were doing that got transferred to the old ATT building. Now when I take the D, I come above surface and there’s this huge hole in the sky.

Upon visiting Ground Zero shortly after, I remember thinking, “All this sunlight in the middle of downtown just isn’t natural.”

57

I think of the weather, too—this winter when we had so much damn snow, I told people, “Well, at least it keeps the terrorists home. Terrorists hate snow.” And I actually feel safer on the subway or in the Lincoln Tunnel on dark or rainy days: totally insane, I know.

I do remember walking alllll the way uptown on 9/11 to stay with friends on Riverside Drive, and thinking, “Oh, well, at least it’s a lovely day for a walk.”