I have been meaning to send a goodwill package of gossip magazines, twinkies (which are not sold in the UK) and magazines to my friend Coral, since, oh, about February. I was going to take the box to the post office on the 10th, but, well, forgot again.
After the 11th, I included every local papers edition of the massacre that occurred on our soil. I wrote this letter. My husband read it at work and made a copy of it. Showed it to a few guys. All liked it. One has been lobbying me to send my stuff (usually humor) to local papers for publication. That is neither here or there. One guy said I was taking this entire thing too hard. If he had said that too my face, I don’t want to think of what I would have said to him. I mean, how can anyone not be affected by what happened?
What I wrote was complete stream of consciencousness.
*September 12, 2001
Dear Coral,
In the package that is so long delayed, amidst the frivolity of the gossip magazines and twinkies, I am very deeply saddened to include today’s newspaper accounting what is not only our country’s greatest tragedy, but humanity’s as well.
It has been over twenty four hours since this atrocity occurred and for the first time in my life, haven’t heard a plane fly over head. Except the occasional distant hum of a fighter plane. I’ve never embraced my freedom so hard and been so scared for all that it stands for in my life. To explain the terror and helplessness we all feel is impossible. During the first few hours of September 11th, it seemed that the entire east coast was under attack. The only sound I hear, when I don’t have the TV news on, is the sound of crickets and the wind, rendering a sense of surreal to it all . It seems all outdoor work has come to a halt. Work crews were standing around their cars listening to the radio. Stores were empty. The weather is spectacularly gorgeous outside, marred entirely by the events of yesterday. Ford, GM and Daimler-Chrysler world head quarters were all shut down. Many schools closed early. College cancelled. Commerical air travel has still not resumed. Baseball games cancelled and for the first time in my life, witnessed no sports on TV. This is an unprecedented act in our country.
I remember when we were over visiting you and somehow the subject of November 11th, Armistice Day and the moment of Silence at 11am came up. The symbolism of all of Britain coming to a standstill for a minute of silence left me with tears in my eyes. I remember this vividly because nothing like that would ever be done here because war or attacks on our count-with the exclusion of Pearl Harbor - were seemingly impossible. Until yesterday. You know us Yanks, always cock sure. Remember, we are the outlaws, whores, bastards and retards kicked/shipped/thrown out of Europe and points beyond. Such is our National DNA, a twisted helix that it is. I’ve always wondered why in this country we don’t hold a moment of silence for Pearl Harbor, which 2,400 (?) lives were lost.
You may remember Ron’s best friend Chuck, who now teaches Biology at Dickinson College in S.E. Pennsylvania. It is in what is called the Mini-Ivy League. It is the 3rd oldest college in the nation. It is about 1.5 hours from DC. The kids that attend there are mostly from the East Coast. It was Chuck who informed his morning class of the events. One student has two parents who work at the World Trade Center. Another has a parent working at the Pentagon. Another had a parent flying from Boston to Somewhere that day. One can imagine the sense of panic, helplessness and despair onlookers on TV had, now imagine you have an unaccounted loved one that could be in this mess and because the telecommunications for the East Coast ( mostly NYC) was flooded (atop the WTC was the antennae for several mobile phone companies). Chuck explained to his students that if anyone wanted to leave, they were welcome too and no one would think less of them. But to not go one, not carry on as normal, would mean that the terrorists would have won. ( or something very profound, you get the idea.) Every student elected to have class as normal - even the ones who’s parents were unaccounted for. How they soldiered on with grim thoughts, I do not know. I pray for these kids parents, and everyone else affected by this horrendous act on humankind.
In my internet group that I subscribe too- which is world-wide- one woman (of many) works at the World Trade Center. She was just walking into the lobby when the first plane hit. Another person in this same group also works at the WTC and had decided to not go into work that day. He found out, like everyone else, by turning on CNN. Being a bit of a slacker paid off for him. One guy had just started his first day on the job that day - for the county medical examiner (basically the morgue). Another guy who watched in horror as the first tower collapse onto hundred of rescue workers below said that he had tears in his eyes watching firemen and policemen run like hell back into the dust and debris to help their fallen friends. Three different NYC cab companies are ripping out their back seats to use to transport bodies to a makeshift morgue. The stories of kindness and humanity, things not normally attributed to New Yorkers in General, have been trickling out. It is a city that has the cajones to pull together and rise above. They are already talking about rebuilding the WTC.
By the time you receive this, an estimated death toll will have been established. I suspect it will be greater than 30,000, and I am being kind. If it is not higher, I would not be surprised. 50,000 worked there a day. It has been rumored that some of the injured have been flown here to Michigan by military transport, as we have several world class hospital right in Metro Detroit. Chuck’s wife works at a hospital and they have been told to expect a flood of trauma victims today and tomorrow being brought in by air, this is over six hours (driving) from NYC, which has over 140 hospitals of their own, thus giving an idea of the magnitude of of the situation. The greatest loss of life, prior to this, was during the Civil War at the Battle of Antitem (sp? I’m not exactly a Am. Civil War Buff), which claimed about 24,000. And that was over a hundred and forty years ago. And all involved soldiers. This is incomprehensible. Everyone, it seems, is lining up to donate blood.
I am rambling. I am numb.
Keep the victims in your thoughts and prayers.
Love, *