95 20 2325 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was at school. We just finished marching during band 1st period. After that, we went to our 2nd period class and the t.v.'s were on. As I looked on the screen, I noticed the news contained a lot of smoke due to a fire. We kept watching and found out that terrorists attacked our trade center in New York City. It caught everyone off guard. Everywhere you looked, tears were falling down people's faces. I was scared to go to school. In a way, I still am. I live in Fairfield, Texas. Everyone was scared about the terrorists making our little town the next target, including me. There was no telling what they would do next or when they would do it. There still isn't no idea of what will happen next. Everyone was scared and people started cherishing their family members. Everyone in school actually got along for a short while. Everyone in school accepted everyone else regardless of past feelings. It's just sad that it took a tragedy like this to bring our country together. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes. I get along with more people and others get along with me. There was a couple of students I didn't get along with. Now everyone gets along. We stick together more now than before. We don't stick together as much as we did when the attacks first happened but we do to an extent. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? We should remember to never let our guard down. Things always happen when you least expect it. Remember all the innocent people that lost their lives on a day that everyone believed would be a normal day. We have to stick together nomatter what. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I didn't really have an American flag at home to fly in my yard but I was in girl scouts. We did the pledge of allegiance every Friday at oure meetings. I held the flag a few times. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah820.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-03 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 208.162.207.239 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. The day was glorious. Not a cloud could be found anywhere in the beautiful blue sky. Sally and I made our normal daily trip by car down to the World Financial Center and parked at Battery Park Plaza. Several minutes before we parked, i remember having a conversation with her about fate and ended the conversation with the phrase "Life is short....you never know when you're time is up." It has haunted me since that day. We parked at 7:30am and took the ferry next to the marina across the Hudson to Jersey City (the colgate slip). As we walked along the river's edge, i turned and viewed the Towers as i often did and they looked gorgeous in the blue sky with the early morning sun gleaming through casting shadows on the American Express and Merrill Lynch buildings in the WFC. I made my way to our building a block away from the ferry and started my day. All of a sudden, a colleague came into my office...very startled and upset and said that one of the twin towers was on fire. I told her "yeah right", but she continued and i realized she was not kidding. I walked over to the window which looked across the Hudson river and i could see deep, dark smoke rising high above the North Tower and moving southward. I couldn't believe it. It couldn't be real! This could not be happening. Someone said that it was a small plane. All i knew at that moment was that people were going to die. Several colleagues made their way to the windows. Sally joined me at the window. We stood side by side watching that tower burn...flames and dark smoke. Some of us tried to convince each other that maybe it was a small plane, but it certainly didn't look that way. Then i said to Sally..."Its too beautiful a day for a plane to accidently hit the tower. Its got to be a terrorist". And with that...just 5 seconds later, the 2nd jet came into view from right to left, banked and crashed into the South Tower sending a huge orange ball of flame into the sky. Sally screamed and ran across the office floor. We all were in shock at what we just witnessed. I tried to calm some of us down, but it was a nightmare. When the 2nd jet hit, it appeared like part of the jet flew out of the north side of the tower after the explosion and rained down on Church street. Soon after, they evacuated us to the street. We had no idea where we had to go but we started walking. We were a block from the water when that sound started...a sound i will never forget. We turned and watched the South Tower falling...the roaring sound, the smoke and the screaming on this side of the river was incredible. This could not be happening. How could one of the Twin Towers fall? The nightmare was getting worse. I took Sally and Maryann by the hands and we began walking north. We had no idea where we were going, but we had to go. The cell phones weren't working and everyone was walking the same way. It reminded me of some disaster movie from the 70's. But this was scary because we were part of it. After a short walk into the business district, that sound started again. Our view was obstructed but we knew what was happening. That sound and the screaming of the people watching across the street from where we were was enough to let us know that we no longer had the Towers. I thought that we must have lost at least 25-50 thousand people with both buildings collapsing in that area. But we had no idea that they imploded on themselves in that area alone. It was a miracle of nature that it happened that way. As we continued northward, we passed the Hoboken terminal where there must have been 50 ambulance, police, EMS units setting up as a triage unit waiting for the ferry boats to bring over the injured. But that never happened... We continued a few blocks away until we saw a man with a car playing his car radio very loud for anyone to hear. This is another image i will never forget. There must have been 50 people of all walks of life, standing around that car listening intently to the newscaster who just said that another jet crashed into the Pentagon. We all were in shock and didn't know what to do. But we found that even in this terrible tragedy, we stuck together and helped each of us get through. After walking for many hours, we finally were able to locate someone that we knew and we spent the night in Hoboken. I remember walking down to the pier that night and looking south toward the WTC...but they weren't there anymore. Only 12 hours earlier, i had made the right turn on Vesey street near the Post office, went under the walkway that connected the WTC Plaza with 7 World Trade, made the left on West St, right on Liberty, left on West End avenue and on to the parking gargage in Battery Park. Little did i know that 3,000 people would die so horribly. I think a part of each and every one of us New Yorkers died that day. There really is so much more to say, but...i'll keep that with me for now. I'm just glad i had Sally with me that day because it changed my life forever... TIL US SG SHALE MATES431 NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Absolutely. I'm no longer the man i was who thought that life lasted forever. I try to do as much as i can now while i'm healthy. I don't take for granted the things that i used to take for granted. Love, Peace and Forgiveness is very important to me. My statement early that fateful morning about "Life is short....you never know when you're time is up", was ironically very true that day. So soon after this day, I made a few life changing decisions. And I'm happy that i made them!! NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Remember all of those who perished that day. Pray for them and never forget that any one of them could have been you. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I haven't taken the American Flag down since. I love the United States and am so proud to be an American! Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah5588.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-08-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 199.43.32.22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. i watch what had happened on t.v. and heard about it by other people that we're effected by it. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. yes. it chaned alot on how i look at my family, friends, people I know, even people i don't know so much differantly. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think the people who lost thier lives, fire fighters, police officers, people who lost loved ones, people that worked at the world trade centers. The twin towers. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? yes, i look at it with more respect and loylty. whe i look at it i think of all the people in the world trade center, peral harbor, people who has lost their lives for our country and stuff like that. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah1139.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-05 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 198.237.72.252 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was in history class listening to my new teacher talk about Napoleon and his many accomplishment when we got a knock on the door. He looked threw the window in the door and waved while still teaching. but the person didnt stop knocking so finally almost annoyed he went to the door and talked to the person outside the room. I was sitting in my chair charching up one the notes that was telling us. When he stormed back into the room right to the TV and turned it on. I was almost confused because he was so into what he was talking about earlier and what TV program could draw him away from that? Well there it was a burning tower. with a caption at the bottom saying hyjacked planes crashed into World Trade Center. At first it didnt regeister what had just happened it was a shock to everyone in the classroom. We sat there and watched it all period, the burning of Tower 1. By the time it was to leave we saw the second plane crash into Tower 2. It was terifing to think that we were under attack. All sorts of questions ran threw my head like: What does this mean are we going into a war? Are those people alright? God help them. Then I thought of how many families were being affected by the terrist attacks. All of the people that were on the floors that were hit by the planes and the people above were just buring to death. That is a horrific way to die. I didnt have an experience that some did in New York that day. But I do feel pain for them and all of the other Americans that were affected by this. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes, I dont think that there is one person that hasnt been affected. Watching all of the heroism that went on that day was just incredible. People helping others down dozens of stories of stairs, firefighters and policemen helping people get to safty. I feel I am more patriotic these days. I hang a flag on my bedroom window and I am proud to be an American. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that September 11 should be remembered not only by all of the people that died but also all of the heroism that went on that day. People should reflect on everything that happened and the days to follow like how many people waited in line for hours to give blood, how many construction workers and volenteers came out to dig at Ground Zero to help find surviving bodies. Or how many nurses and doctors, like my father, took a group of people from his job and organized an ambulance system to help the injured the day after the attacks. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes I did fly a flag after the attacks happened and it is still in my window. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah1680.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.99.16.132 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was getting up to go to school and my mom turned on the news. She told us all to come and see what happened. We came in the room just as the second tower collapsed. we were shocked and didnt know exactly what happened, the newss kept showing clips of both of the planes slamming into the towers. then the second tower collapsed and the news castor thought it was a replay of the first, until the tower was half way down. I went to school that day and most of my teachers just watched the news. The news kept showing clips of the planes hitting the towers and the towers collapsing. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes because now I am more aware of global events and pay more attention to terrorist threats. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think the people who lost there lives, and those who died when they tried to save others. I also think people should always be prepared, because if you aren't history is bound to repeat itself. Thats why we need to prevent further attacks by destroying those terrorist who try to attack us. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes my family flew a flag outside of our house after september 11. I dont feel that my feeling have changed because I have always been patriotic and I used to want to join the naval acadamy or in the army but as I got older I have decided that other carriers would suit me better. I am still willing though to fight these people on their soil before they bring the fight over here. I am 17 and when I turn 18 I will sign up for the draft and if I am called to serve I will be willing to fight and maybe give up my life. If the fighting becomes worse or spreads to other countries and we need more men I will join the fight. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah6650.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.79.69.225 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. It was like any other day, I got up, got ready and went to work. I got to my office by 8:30am. I don't even remember what time it was, but I recieved a call from my mother and she tells me a plane slammed into the World Trade Center, I didn't believe her, she had a habit of telling me these stories that always ended up just being a rumor, this was just another story she didn't hear correctly. Just for the hell of it I logged on to the internet and there it was a picture of the WTC on fire. My first thought was that a small plane hit the WTC and a few people died or were injured, but then there was a bulletin and it said that another plane hit the WTC. Well I just felt so bad and I'm thinking another plane hit the building because of the smoke from the first crash. I couldn't be more wrong. I live and work in New Jersey so you can see the New York skyline clearly. I decided to go to the tallest building at my company's complex I think it goes up 15 floors. Before I head there I stop by my supervisors office and I see all of the managers, directors and admin's gather together with tears in their eyes listening to the radio and the announcement of the Pentagon being hit comes over the radio. I just weeped because I knew this was no accident and I was scared. My thoughts changed to feeling so bad for those people at the WTC to "Oh My God we're all going to die". I have a lump in throat as I write this because the memory is still so vivid in my head. I went to the 15th floor and see the smoke just flow up towards heaven and decided that I needed to call my family. I take the elevator down to the lobby as the doors open I see at least a hundred employees gathered around watching the televsion with faces like I've never seen before and you would think that it couldn't get any worse. Then the tower collapses. It changed me forever. All we could do was gasp. Then the other tower collapses. This didn't feel real I hoped this was just some nightmare and I was going to wake up and the towers would still be there, but it wasn't a nightmare the towers will not be there. I loved the towers I was proud to be so close to them. Whenever a relative would come to visit that's the first place we would take them. I went to my desk so numb and we were told my our supervisors that we were being sent home. Of course the minute I got home I turned on the TV. The phones didn't work so I couldn't reach my relatives in Italy, but they finally got in touch with us and they were weeping and so scared that couldn't reach any sooner. They were worried for us and said "Stay inside your house and don't go anywhere" I of course assured them that we would. I don't think I ate that day I just sat in front of the TV watching and crying. It took awhile for any of us to really get back to normal, but we had to for the sake of country and ourselves. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I'm afraid of airplanes when they fly overhead I start to panic a bit. I don't like places that are two crowded and I always make sure that I'm comfortable shoes just in case I need to run. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I did fly a flag, I lit candles and I donated blood. I love being an American even more now. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah3902.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 196.3.51.241 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was in Social Studies class when the first plane hit the first tower. I did not learn that this had happened until my next block. I was in chefs class when I learned about it and we spent the whole time watching the tv. We saw the second plane hit and I was in shock that even more was going to happen then just the first plane hitting. I wondered what would be next. I thought that a war was going to start with us not knowing who the culprit is. I was worried about all the major attractions and important areas. I knew that this was an act of terrorism. I even thought I had a few ideas about who started it. I thought it was Iraq or Iran because recently we haven't been getting along with them. As I saw the fireball burn through the exterior I feared the worst about our American life and how this was going to effect our country's future. I was frightened when I saw people jumping out of the windows because I thought about all those people just giving up on trying to get out safely and surrendering their life due to some terrorist. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. A few things have changed in my life. One thing that I noticed is my change of heart. I realize that I now care more for things then before September 11. I respect more people and their thoughts and feelings. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think if there is anything to remember then I think it should be the amount of people who died. Those 3,000 people were just going in to do their regular job. They never asked for this to happen to themselves nor were they expecting anything to happen. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I, myself, did not fly an American flag because I did not have one but the outpouring of kindness and patriotism was overwhelming. My feelings are that the flag is more of symbol now more then ever. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah4870.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 206.208.184.61 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I moved into my new apartment in the Pentagon City district of Arlington, Virginia in late July of 2001, enviably close to Washington and a quarter-mile from the Pentagon. I have lived in and around Washington, D.C since 1997, arriving to attend college, staying to work in a small national security policy think-tank. The morning started much like any other, it was a clear and moderately-cool late-summer day. I was running a little late, rushing to board a city-bound metro train by 8:30am. I arrived in my office, located three blocks from the White House, at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and K Street, at 8:50, one of two staffers to make it in before 9am. I had recently been promoted to a salaried position, after three years as an intern and was nervously anticipating my first day of overseeing interns of my own, who were due to start that day. I lazily grabbed a mug of water in the kitchen and logged into my computer. Suddenly, the phone rang at 8:59. I answered it -- it was the Communications Director, my boss and a good friend. He asked if I had heard about "the crash." I asked what he meant. He told me that a plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York. At first I thought he was joking - he had a penchant for playing upon gullibility - then I heard the TV in the background describing smoke rising from a hole in the tower. "Wait - a plane - you mean... like a Cessna or an airliner?" "I don't know. I didn't see it, but there's a huge hole in the side of the tower. There's a fire... Turn on the news." I sat down at my computer, logging into the BBC World video stream - our only source of television news, as the office did not have cable TV. It was 9:02am EDT As the stream began, showing a live camera view from a rooftop north of Tower 1, the second airliner entered from the left of the screen and disappeared behind Tower 2, reemerging as a fireball. I, and my coworker, still on the phone both gasped simultaneously. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, I mumbled, "...an attack. It's an attack. They hit it again." We both agreed that a decision needed to be made - was it safe to keep the office open? I needed to make some calls and determine that, so we hung up. Everyone I called in D.C. was too busy or too distracted or too overwhelmed to give a clear indication of what was going on, both in New York, and in D.C. During what seemed like an eternity, but only took 15 minutes, two interns and another staffer arrived and were informed of what had happened. I was still the senior staffer in the office, it was my decision to stay and assess the situation. I told everyone else to go home. They didn't. It didn't matter, no one I could reach knew anything, and those that did were not available. The phone was ringing off the hook, mostly with associates and colleagues asking the same questions we were. Then, at 9:47, a different phone call came - the Pentagon had just been hit and was on fire. Another plane was expected to hit the White House or the Capitol, or both. That was it, everyone was going home. I ushered the staff out, most of them still staring in shock at the news feed, protesting, unaware that the city was now a target. Walking out the fire exit onto K street, it was eerie - fear, sorrow and concern showed on the face of everyone. Strangers were calling to each other for news, as they struggled to figure out their way home through a city struggling with fear and confusion. Everyone was trying to use their cellular phones, only to discover that the service was overloaded, or temporarily shut-off. I began walking up Connecticut Avenue, consciously moving away from the White House, realizing that my best bet was to grab a taxi, as the bridges and the Metro lines closest to the Pentagon were closed. As I reached the point halfway between K and L Street, the shrill whine of jet engines at full throttle echoed between the buildings, growing ominously loud. Everyone stopped. All around, people, cautiously looked skyward, steeling themselves, scanning the narrow sliver of sky for an airliner-turned-weapon. The sound died away and people redoubled their pace, feeling irreconcilably vulnerable. After about 20 minutes of trying to hail a cab at the corner of 18th and L, I succeeded, offering to share it with a young woman who was headed in roughly the same direction. The cab driver turned on the radio and it was then that all three of us learned that the towers had fallen. It was then that the enormity of the attack really hit me. The three of us talked about the attack for another twenty minutes as we crawled through the city traffic. By the time we got to the Sousa bridge, we had fallen into an uncomfortable silence after realizing that I worked with the military and they young woman worked for a Quaker organization that advocated a significantly reduced Department of Defense. In any other situation, the odd-couple pairing would have been comical. As we crossed the bridge into Maryland, we all had our first view of the Pentagon and the thick column of black smoke rising from it, as two fighter jets circled overhead. The uncomfortable silence became quiet reflection. After another three hours of inching our way towards my apartment building, from Maryland into Virginia, I decided that the cab couldn't get me any closer. I paid the massive, but "reduced" fare - every last cent I had on me - and left the cab to turn around and drive the young woman home, as I walked the mile and a half home. Ironically, the thick column of smoke, a sign of the reason why I was winding my way through unfamiliar streets, guided me home. My cell phone rang - my parents we finally able to make it through to me. We talked as I walked most of the way to my apartment. Near my apartment, the streets were empty and eerily silent. People were huddled around a TV in the lobby of my building, watching CNN, seeking strength and reassurance from each other. The rest of the day was spent watching news, calling, emailing, and IM-ing friends who lived around the country, including Manhattan. That evening, a group of friends, many of them stranded in northern Virginia by the attacks, gathered at my best friend's apartment, located in the building next to mine, slightly further from the Pentagon, to watch the rescue efforts from her living room and find comfort in each other's company. It turned out that another friend, who lived in the building on the opposite side of mine - closest to the Pentagon - had watched Flight 77 streak past her window and strike the Pentagon. The Pentagon burned for another two days, and Washington was somber and quiet, the silence punctuated by the roar of fighter jets flying air combat patrols and almost-nightly vigils on the National Mall. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life has changed in a number of ways because of September 11, 2001. Professionally, working in issues of national security, specifically focusing on counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation and the rise of radical islam and its effect on regional stability in southern Asia, my work has become much more hectic, but also much more rewarding. I have become more spiritual as a result of September 11th, specifically as a result of the coincidences and unusual circumstances that saved the lives of many colleagues, friends and their loved ones. They decided to eat breakfast and arrive late, they called in sick for the first time in years, they had flat tires, or ran into unexpected traffic. The father of a good friend left his office on the 95th floor of Tower 1 at 8:30am for a meeting in mid-town Manhattan, a meeting he hadn't originally planned to attend. I believe that there are just too many coincidences to write it off as pure happenstance. I have also become much more aware of my mortality and of the privileges enjoyed by simply being an American - not in the sense of being morbid or disdainful, but more thankful for each day, and the opportunity to live the life that I do. I also find that I am much more aware of my surroundings and the people around me. Not to say that I have a siege mentality, just a heightened awareness. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? This is a hard question to answer. My knee-jerk reaction is to say "Everything." I think what most needs to be preserved is the individuality, the personal nature of the attacks and the life stories of those who died. Being in New York a month after the attacks, I was touched to my core by the 'missing' posters throughout the city, the subway, and on just about every flat surface. The September 11th snapshot project also created unforgettable memories, being able to see the attacks not just from the view point of one or two people, or the national networks, but from thousands of individuals. As much as it has been repeated over and over in the press, I do think it is incredibly important to remember the hard-work and sacrifices made by firefighters, emergency response and law enforcement personnel on that Tuesday and the weeks and months to follow. I hope that people also remember, and hold onto the sense of national unity, of national community that was forged after September 11th, and the outpouring of support from people around the world. Seeing tape of "The Star Spangled Banner" being played in Buckingham Palace still brings a tear to my eye. I fear that the goodwill and togetherness is being slowly forgotten. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I flew the First Navy Jack - a field of 13 red and white stripes with a sea snake and the phrase "Don't Tread On Me," a flag first flown in 1775 by the vessels of the American Revolutionary Navy - for six months. Since the attacks, I've been much more reverential towards the American flag, regarding it as a symbol of pride and honor, displaying it as much as possible. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah5658.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 4.64.190.148 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I witnesed this event on TV. In advisory class when the teacher turned on the tv. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life has changad by taking more precautions for any thing i do, and by helping others whose familes were in the buildings. When the plans crashed into them. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that September 11th has taught other nations that America can pull together through anything. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes i did fly the American flag after September 11th. My feelings has changed, becaus i now know what my acestors went through to free this country. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah680.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-08-30 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 208.191.87.61 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I witnessed the history of September 11th because I was sitting in the Main Office waiting to make a phone call. Other students were talking about what happened on 9/11. I did not know what to believe so i just asked my Father. He told me what happened. I wanted to cry because the thought of knowing how many people lost their life, made me feel like maybe I should have been one of them. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life changed from the history of 9/11 because like I said before, maybe i was meant to be one of them. I had that thought for a while, but then i figured out that if it was meant to be me, then I would have been on that plane. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? What I think should be remembered about 9/11 is how many people lost their life, and how many children are without parents. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? No, I did not fly a flag after 9/11. Yes my feelings have changed from the history of 9/11. Some of those feelings that have changed is going on a plane. I was scared to go on a plane untill I actually went on a plane. Now it is not that bad. Another feeling that changed is appreciateing more of what I have. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah1839.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.75.122.141 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I remember it was a Tuesday. The sky was clear and brilliant blue. A perfect day. It was my regular day to work as 911 operator for Nassau County on Long Island. I started work at 7am as usual, getting the usual calls for car accidents, disturbances, etc. Later that morning, I began to hear my co workers murmuring about an explosion at the World Trade Center. None of us had clear information, we all had to stay focused on calls that were coming in at the time. I got up at 9am to take a break. We have a TV in our lunchroom and I wanted to see what was actually going on. I saw a gaping hole and a pillar of smoke rising from one of the towers. At the time I thought it was a terrible accident. Did the pilot become ill? Was there a catastrophic mechanical failure on the plane? I stood there in shocked silence as the tower burned. Then I saw another plane flying in from the left side of the screen, "What the hell is that plane...?" Before I could finish my thought the plane crashed into the second tower. I felt like I was watching a movie. I thought for a second this was some incredible stunt with special effects... This can't be real! I finally snapped out of it and ran out of the kitchen to the Supervisor's Desk. I told my Boss that another plane crashed into the second tower. After that, the rest of the day is a blur. People kept calling 911 to find out what was going on at WTC. I remember ALL highways and parkways were shutdown. When the towers fell, we lost all communication with NYC Emergency Operations. Meanwhile, the usual calls kept coming in; cardiac, domestic disturbance, auto accident, etc. I remember taking another break sometime during the day. I went outside to get some fresh air. I jumped when I heard the sound of jet engines above; It was a lone F-16 heading west towards New York City. Seeing that plane made me realize that the U.S. was going to war. It was not until later in the day that the "ripples" from the attack began to be felt. People started to call 911 for missing person reports. One of the first reports I took was from a woman who said her husband was not home from work. I took all the information and asked what company he worked for. She replied, "Cantor Fitzgerald". I thought to myself, "This guy isn't coming home." I felt really fortunate that I did not know anyone working downtown. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes. I don't feel that freedom means the same as it did before the attacks. Now everyone has to have an ID around their neck. There are soldiers carrying M-16's in airports and train stations. There is a Department of Homeland Security. Everything feels restricted and cut-off. The U.S. still has more freedom than anywhere else on earth, but I feel like our freedom is being taken away little by little in the name of national security. I often think of Orwell's "1984". NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? All the children that will grow up without parents. Will they ever understand the hatred that caused a small group of fanatics to cause such devastation and pain? NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I have always flown the flag. I have tremendous respect for what it represents. I see the flag and I think about all the people that have died to keep it flying high. What kind of world would this be if the United States weren't here? Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah6269.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-15 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.136.27.60 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was living in Marion, ARkansas. My daughter and I had taken my son to school and was back at home doing our daily thing....watching Blue's Clues. My friend down the street called and asked me if I knew what was going on? I had no idea what she was talking about. She told me to turn the TV to CNN and I couldn't believe what I was seeing at first I thought that it was an accident, but it only took a few minutes to come to the conclusion that the United States that we knew would no longer be. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think of course we should remember the ones that passed on that day and their families, but also how our country came together. That is something that we as Americans should be proud of. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? YES, and it is still up to this day. Flown with pride. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah5078.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-17 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.209.108 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I decided to write just a bit more--of course. In "Vanity Fair," I read an article about Ashcroft that said how racist he is--the "Justice Department" is not the diverse organization it once was, for one, under Janet Reno, whom I liked better. Apparently only white men occupy the high posts, and before people of color and women did, too. I'm wondering if it is considered "perjury" to write the truth this way, because I learned one more thing--that you can get searched for no reason, and you aren't even allowed to complain to your Congressperson! I left the Democrats, however, for the Greens, since I am opposed to the death penalty, and both major parties are in favor of it, though I heard Kucinich is not. I do not know whom I'll vote for this November, but I voted for Peter Camejo for governor. That was such a farce, that "recall." I was in favor of recalling Gary Davis, who is a conservative and wanted the prison industrial complex expanded and did a lot towards that, as if we don't have enough jail cells already. The sentences are longer and longer for less and less offensive crimes--often drug-related charges, which used to get a fine and a misdemeanor charge. These people need rehabilitation, not imprisonment, which is punitive and doesn't help. However, the recall was engineered by Schwarzenegger's team, and so many people ran for governore--about 150--that I found it traumatic to vote! I had a hard time finding my candidate, and the people at the registrar's office were not very helpful, either, when I needed assistance. Plus, they didn't like that I called Arnold a Nazi. And his father was a Nazi officer, so that is not far off the mark. Not only that, he is known for fondling women other than his wife, and he never answered to that in a public way, other than to order an investigation, and then drop it. I used to love living in this state, but I do not, now. I don't feel "safe" here, and I'm probably not at this site, either. But something in me "prodded" me on. The article on Ashcroft said too how, when he was governor of Missouri, black prisoners with "privilege" got to serve him and his guests at the mansion. And he'd remark in their presence how untrustworthy they were, and they must have heard and were mortified, was the report from one guest, who was not impressed. And he is notoriously anti-gay, and even lost an election to a dead man, as the people didn't love him so much! I have twice now seen stickers on pay phones in moderate-to-low income neighborhoods that read that they are being tapped, "courtesy of the Patriot Act," as if that's OK. In previous times, this would not have been allowed by law, but under the new one, it is, apparently, though some people I talk to say it's a hoax. I don't believe it is, because I've seen them in places as disparate as Lee Vining and Marin City, hundreds of miles apart. I don't own a cell phone, as they are known to give people brain cancer, so it is definitely an inconvenience, since I'm in those places, occasionally and others like them, too. I am not so "rich" as I was before the terrorist attacks. While my financial advisor and mother both say the market was up last year, I get less from my late beloved Uncle Felix's Trust via my parents, because they are making up for losses, due to the terrorist attacks and subsequent wars for oil Bush waged in the Middle East. I am tired of this fundamentalist, right-wing coup, and I am afraid to write any of this, as if freedom of speech is not guaranteed by the Constitution anymore. It is, from what I understand, still, and that is good. At least some of it wasn't rescinded by the ungodly Patriot Act. I read there was a Patriot Act II, but it got subset into a lot of other laws, since even the reactionary Bush government didn't like that one! It's been like a nightmare to live here. I have loved this land--how beautiful it is, especially in places like where I live here at Muir Beach--my "claim to fame." But you know, in earlier times, I never even went to places like Hawaii or the Grand Canyon or Bryce Canyon, and these are places I have really wanted to visit very badly. Now, financially, it is less feasible, since I have only about 10,000 dollars to my name and about 5000 dollars in debt from credit card bills from previous trips and things. Compared to, say, Bush, who has raked in millions with his oil wars, I'm a pauper, which I'm sure was part of his and his administration's plans. I do hope someone else wins the election--here, since we have a law that says that our votes count, as if that was not a given before--it will be impossible, I think, for the same type of coup that occurred in Florida to occur again. I wrote in more detail of this before at this site, no? I will vote my conscience, though, and I hope everyone does. But as before, I'm quite sure that some of the people I know will vote to keep Bush out of office. It always seems like a contest between the lesser of two evils, with half the people eliglible voting, so we need a three-party system, definitely. And I would really like for voting to become a civic duty, as I proposed to Senator Feinstein's office--but she never got back to me about how to introduce that bill to Congress, when I asked her about that on-line--everything else, just about, she did address. I wanted to write, too, that one reason why I don't feel so "child-like" with Amma anymore is because I've had breasts most of my 42 years, and I am quite susceptible to breast cancer, since I live where the rates are the highest in the nation, and my Mom just had it, about a year ago. Amma calls us all her "children," but this doesn't sit well with me, sometimes, for this reason. I've actually seen small children behave better than her adult "children" do, so I'm a bit amazed she continues to call us that, despite "the effect." I guess it shows that I'm not so devoted to her anymore, and I find that sad, frankly, because I met her going on three years ago, and that is apparently how long it takes to become "spiritually liberated" in her community. I don't feel so "liberated" yet, but we'll see, won't we? She has said that we are on an "express train" to spiritual liberation. I used to find that more appealing than I do now, since I find I have "motion sickness," let's say, and I've wanted to "get off." My question is, what if that is true, and you still can't leave? That's how it's felt, being devoted to her, at times, I'm sorry to say. Did I write of UNOCAL? I read, some time after the terrorist attacks and the war in Afghanistan started, of it. It's an American oil conglomerate that wanted to lay a pipeline across Afghanistan from the Caspian Sea, which holds $6 trillion of oil, to the Arabian Sea, where tankers, like Chevron's, which named one for Condoleeza Rice later, would be able to transport it. Well, an Argentinian company got the contract, but after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Bush used that as an excuse to wage war on Afghanistan, where none of the hijackers were from, actually. Then, when the Taliban fell, UNOCAL got its contract, and work has been in progress ever since, I imagine, though it gets little coverage in the morbidly fascinated mainstream US press. What is more is that the Carlyle Group, which invests in big oil, has both George Bush Sr. and Bin Laden Management on its board, so go figure. If George Jr. wanted to really find him--and notice, he hasn't--all his father's oil conglomerate would have to do is hold a meeting, I think. I think a "turning point" came for me with Amma when a man named Steve Fleischer, who is on the M.A. Center board and also called himself her "lawyer," harassed me for asking who complained about my forwarding emails about this sort of thing to people in her community. I felt a shift occur then, but I didn't want to accept the alienation until Lawrence came in and said he had terminal cancer and needed to get to a hospice in Oregon and no one believed him but me. The fact he then showed up at a soup kitchen in San Francisco, some months later, does not "prove" he doesn't have the need, which was real, whatever his story that night. And the fact that the M.A. Center board found celebrating Dr. King's birthday in a big way "too political" was another "tip-off" that this is run uethically, especially considering Amma won the Gandhi-King in 2002 and she and Yolanda are now good friends. Why no one gets back to me from The King Center about all this is, perhaps, another Amma "lela"--"divine play," but I don't know. Maybe they are just too busy or don't want to "impose" the holiday upon the men at the ashram who were appointed by Amma to run it. I have nominated Yolanda to the board, unofficially, but no one acknowledges this, when I write on-line to anyone about it or make calls. I think she'd be a good addition, if she can handle it with her schedule. I don't understand why Amma gives men such power within her own organization, when she is actually opposed to such things, in general. My "guess" is they make a good show of being devoted to her, either monetarily or in person, and so they are granted this. It isn't fair, actually. That is definitely where much of my "irrational anger" towards her comes from, but that is another, though related, matter. Amma has been compared to both Mother Teresa and Gandhi, regularly, in the press, and I believe she is actually more like Gandhi was, since both are considered "great souls" by their followers. Mother Teresa wasn't pro-choice, as Amma is, for one. Or at least, Amma has expressed a pro-choice belief, after I asked her specifically about this on retreat, during Q&A in Rhode Island, in the summer of 2002. She said, through Swamiji, that killing a chicken is not the same as breaking an egg, but he got it wrong, and said she said that killing a chicken is not the same as having an omelet, which we didn't "get" right off, but eventually, yes. Later, after she served everyone dinner herself and I got darshan from her, she called me over to clarify--this time through "our hero," Dayamrita, who apparently did interpret correctly for her this time. See what I mean about the men? They don't even get her words right--why does she give them such power? Later still, after he and I had our "differences," which continue to this day, he asked me if it's OK if a woman interprets my question--last June, in fact, when I asked if I could go to India and get the health care I like, and she said yes. I never went, though, and now, I wonder if I should go, considering my devotion to her has waned and never really waxed, again, completely, at all. Anyway, at that time, in Rhode Island, I then told Amma I'd tell my mother, as I wasn't sure she'd come, and that was where we left it. Mom had had an abortion in the 50s in Ecuador, when it was unsafe and illegal, which it still is, no doubt. Ecuador is notorious for conservativism, and I'm sure this extends to abortion rights, as well. My entire family there is anti-gay, too, which makes matters worse, since last time I went there, in 1998, I got harassed for "coming out" as bisexual, as I'd gone to various groups in Massachusetts to this effect and nearly all my friends were "out" then, too. Anyway, I told the story of Mom meeting Amma for the first and only time--with me, outside DC, and Amma being so delighted she nearly jumped out of her chair. I do not know, though, if Amma offers abortion services in her various health care centers, and that would be "radical" for her to do, since she is considered a saint by many in an underdeveloped country, which is notoriously conservative in politics, too. But another reason Amma is not like Mother Teresa is that she is not poor, from what I believe. I think all the vast real estate holdings, such as the ashram properties, world-wide, are in her name. If so, she must be very wealthy, and I think that too is part of her appeal for many. I'm not 100 percent sure about this, but that is my guess. Mother Teresa, on the other hand, owned very little--her order, the Missionaries of Charity, owned vast holdings, though, worth many millions, as well. Amma, for instance, has a villa her board member Ron Gottsegen, built for her on the ashram property in San Ramon, which he donated, too. And the temple. And a swimming pool she almost never uses, as it is too cold, even in the summer, there. And Amma is there three weeks out of the year, only. So when I hear her say to be "selfless," I think of these vast holdings that are for her, and I pause. Why should I be, when she herself is not really, in this regard? I also tend to think that much of her "self-actualization" comes from people telling her things, since I myself have done this, and I've seen my words or intentions reflected back in hers, such as when she spoke out against female genital mutilation (FGM) at the UN's first conference for women spiritual and religious leaders in Geneva in 2002, when she won the Gandhi-King Award. Actually, she didn't speak out about them, there, but attached a list of oppressions against females she's opposed to, at the end of the printed version of her speech, available for a donation at her ashram later, and that was one of them. I'd given her a book on the subject that previous summer, so I guess I made an impression, as most people don't give her such things to keep, as I did, but to "merely" bless and return. I met an interfaith minister at Deer Park early last year--when I began to "try" to integrate into Thich Nhat Hanh's community there, as a resident--Maria Franco. And she said that I have my own power and don't need to rely on these other people to do those kinds of things for me, such as speak out against FGM. It is "food for thought." This past year, however, I did just that with my last free copy of the latest edition of "Cherry Tree Lane." I gave it to Amma only to bless, and it was returned to me. I may send it to Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, as her biography came out, recently, and I am reading it. Early on after Diana died, I wrote her in Scotland, and she sent a lovely prayer she wrote for Diana, then. I keep it on my original altar to the Goddess--the only one I have intact, after all this "loss of faith." But what with the state of affairs in the world, right now, isn't it "natural" for me to feel that way? Our rights to an abortion have been badly restricted, due to Bush and his administration, too, I'm sorry to say. That was about the first thing to go when he took office, though he said he wouldn't do that in his campaign promises he broke. I sometimes feel that if I hadn't "shut Amma out" of my heart the time poor Lawrence came in and said he had cancer and no one believed him but me, then she probably would have "come to my rescue," and stood up for me, since part of her text in her books, "Awaken, Children!" is about this, directly--being compassionate and not "kicking" the vagabond outside the temple, asking for alms. If only Lawrence knew what he started there! I doubt he does, as no one I know has spoken to him, since then, though he's showed up at a soup kitchen where Amma devotees volunteer regularly. I used to, before all this alienation "set in." I didn't like ending up feeling like Amma's "servant," but that is, essentially, what doing selfless service for her and attending satsang in her honor has been like. Only we don't "get paid." I imagine she would feel "betrayed" if she knew how I feel, but then, I've felt betrayed, too, and this I don't think she acknowledges, as if that's not the issue. As if I'm not important. And that everything in her community is "for her" and not "for me," and that is the way it should be, when we need to get along better as people, and she's not addressing that. To be frank, I used to like satsang and seva more--I can't say they were all that "healing" for me, though. I remember one particularly bad night, when I was having "irrational anger" for Diana's sons, I listened to a particularly happy bhajan, Akattil Irrupavale," and when I got to the ashram in San Ramon, the satsang community there sang it after the talk--it's not that "well known," like some of her other ones. However, none of this "did the trick," and cured me of my dis-ease. I will go now. I really don't know what else to add. I feel I've written a lot--probably more than most people here, and I've been "brave." But really, we are entitled, by law, to freedom of speech, no? I believe it is an "inalienable right," still, right? I wanted to add, too, that a friend, Joel, from the Solar Living Center, and I discussed the rebuilding efforts underway, now, and I believe it is time to rebuild at the so-called site of the World Trade Center, now. In the summer of 2002, when I was on tour with Amma across the US, I made a special effort to get to both it and the the Pentagon, where the planes hit. And while the Pentagon was nearly re-built where the plane struck, the World Trade Center was not, and I believe a gaping hole where it once stood remains there to this day, awaiting plans. I have read of some good ones, including ones where all the victims' names are memorialized. Some families feel that rescuers' should be separate from those stuck in the building "by accident." Perhaps so, since it is a very emotionally sensitive subject. And I think that the remains of the victims should be there, too, somehow, but I'm not sure how. Buried or entombed, perhaps--and a nice place for people to come with their families--perhaps a garden. I read of one with a bridge of light that sounded nice. Another, I believe with altars to each victim. One thing is for certain, I definitely won't forget, but I believe that people in general do, and that shouldn't happen. I read of yet another in which the sun would hit memorials at the four exact times of the attacks, and given the fact I received "my calling" from my late Uncle Felix' spirit the moment the first plane struck on 9/11, that one definitely "speaks to my condition." Joel told me of yet another one that would be the highest building in the world, with wind turbines on top, providing much of the power the site needed. And while I am in favor of natural energy sources all the time, no doubt, I do remember the fear Larry Silverstein, I believe the owner's name is, had about the issue of height, saying in a TV interview, long ago, that he didn't believe very tall buildings were a good idea--the implication being that the Twin Towers were such "easy targets." But I definitely feel that it would boost morale if work on rebuilding the site begins now. And I like the many mementos across the street, at St. Paul's Chapel. I'm not sure if they should remain there for all time, but maybe, as a "reminder." I loved the millions of origami cranes of peace from all over the world, hanging in big bunches. I'd never seen so many in all my life, and I'd gather them up in my arms and hold them and feel their healing energy. I wrote a note then, saying how we are all survivors of the terrorist attacks, as they could have happened to anyone, and inviting people to come meet Amma, giving her programs at Columbia, uptown, but I wonder if anyone saw it and came because of that. There were literally millions of mementos, in all, not just cranes of peace. I also tried to contact people I thought would be interested in meeting her, such as Larry Silverstein himself, who could not have been a very happy man at the time. And people like Peter Martins, who ran the New York City Ballet, where Joseph Duell was principal, the time of his suicide in 1986. And someone at "Ms." magazine, then, an activist and contributing editor named Amy Richards, who'd been in touch with me via email for a long time in the 90s about issues I'd consult her about. But none of them came, as far as I know, though I never really met any of them, face to face. I met a New Yorker, as I took the public transit system down to the "site," as they call it, in NYC, who lived in Manhattan, but hadn't been to see the wreckage in all that time--almost a year, at that point. I cannot imagine such apathy, but I kept that to myself. And I tried to go to the top of the Empire State Building that day, but I got there five minutes after it closed, at 11:30PM. I'd never been to the top of that, either, and I regretted not going to the top of the Twin Towers, either. I'd never even been inside. I regretted, in particularl, not going to the restaurant at the top, Windows on the World, as I heard it was beautiful, and I even had a dream, post-9/11, about this, too. The woman from the Bay area I was "stuck abroad" with, Robin Fowler, had just been there that previous Saturday, and showed me a receipt with a clerk's name on it, when she bought perfume at one of the stores. She said, wryly, that she could be dead, by now, and that was true. I have never checked the entire roster for names I know, as I knew no one who worked there, but a childhood "friend," Maya Larson, she was called then, was at the Marriott there on business with her husband, and they escaped just barely in time. I wonder if they got compensation... And the Duchess of York was on her way there, for a meeting of one of her charity organizations, but was "late," I read, and therefore, missed being there when the planes hit. I read this in a tabloid given to us all on the replacement return flight from London on Virgin Atlantic, which I had a dream about returning to London on, prior to that, since Richard Branson was such "good friends" with the Princess of Wales and her two children. This was after my parents arranged for new flights both from Vienna and there, when my original ones on the 14th were canceled that September. I've written the Duchess of York since then, and I usually get a response from her office. But we haven't met yet--maybe one day... :) I wish I could say that I feel like I'm truly fulfilling my calling to seek enlightenment. I recently went to the San Francisco Theological Seminary, and spoke to a secretary there, at length, but that isn't the right place for me, either. I'm not sure what is. I keep thinking of returning to graduate school, one day, perhaps, and choosing a more "traditional" path, such as in an advanced women's spirituality degree program, and two schools have them here, that I know of. But I don't have money for that now, and last time I tried graduate school, in 1995, I didn't do well, because of PTSD I still have, though it's getting better. Maybe one day, it will be all gone. I really will go now. I will write more, as I see fit. Love, Vivian Taube P.S. I learned at the San Rafael Library that there is a website devoted to librarians opposed to the Patriot Act, since in it, our library records can be traced, too. Nice, huh? NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah6416.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-01-26 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 66.81.223.158 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. This from my personal journal: The world has changed dramatically since my last entry! The week following seemed normal until that Tuesday, when entering the Corporate Marketing open space and seeing people huddled around a small radio (or TV) I had the first inkling that something was amiss. Within an hour we were heading back out of the building in a forced evacuation. I had called [my wife] to tell her of the first two planes crashing into the World Trade Center, as I was talking to her the news of the plane crashing into the Pentagon was broadcast over the cubicles. We talked for a minute of what this meant to her and her charges; she determined that life would go on for the 3- and 4-year olds in the Cooperative and Day Nursery School. It was a surreal day full of images that play back often, almost without provocation: being the last to leave the cavernous office - shutting down the PCs and lights that were left on as if in a hasty escape; receiving an email from my brother in NJ just as I was shutting down "...I know the planes came from Boston - are you alright up there?"; the calm with which everyone walked in the streets of the city to the subway and the trains to return home (still in shock, no doubt); the construction worker in the subway who told me that the entire Big Dig had been shut down and cleared out in 20 minutes; coming home and parking in front of the TV before the kids got home, watching the footage of the second planes impact as the networks started to collect it - first some shaky home videos, progressing to the chilling view up over a mans shoulder of the huge plane slowly appearing from the left and crossing the remaining space to sheer into the second tower, which completely absorbs it; the discussion around the dinner table as to whether or not the Middle School teachers should or should not have told the students what was happening; the realization upon reading the Boston Globe the next day that Richard Ross, a man I had considered going into business with at one time, was on American 11 and had died in the tragedy. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The warmth and humanity we all suddenly found within ourselves. Our willingness to consider the needs of others. The rapid proliferation of flags in car windows, on porches, corporate facades and painted on children's faces. The surge of billboards proclaiming "God Bless America!" and the singing of patriotic songs at baseball games. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes! I hung my father's military casket flag across the front porch of my house. No - as a veteran and an Eagle Scout I have always had a great deal of respect for what the flag stands for and where it has gone in the interest of peace and freedom. I have been heartened to see so many others who were less cognizant of its importance in world affairs and history become even the least bit more aware, some even repsectful, of our flag. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah37.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-06-27 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.181.240.133 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. As i remember it, i was sitting in government class all ready to take notes on the bill of rights or something when a heard a rumor floating around of a bomb going off in New York. I didnt think much of it because most of the time i need the hard facts to believe something. I was instantly disheartened to hear a voice come on over the loudspeaker saying that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings. I was in disbelief. It was one of those moments were you dont know what to think so your left there wondering what is going on while in the meantime you have this goofy but yet eery look of surprise transfixed on your face. Throughout the rest of the day i was just moving through the motions as if nothing really mattered. When a arrived home i turned on the television to find every channel locked on the twin towers, or what were the twin towers. The stations repeatedly showed the inexplainable act of terrorism that halted the work of almost all of America. As i flipped through the channels watching the same thing over and over i couldnt help but wonder what was next. Were do go from here? What should we be thinking? But most of all, How should we be feeling? These questions would come to be answered in the days to come. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes. My life is now more valuable to me then ever. Before September 11th i think that most Americans, not all, took many everyday things for granted, inlcuding life. They forgot, or should i say, we forgot the value of life itself which is the most important of all. As i learn that in may other countries things like this happen everyday i begin to realize how much of a rude awakening this was. Every morning when i wake up, no matter how i am feeling, i am always thinking of what is going to happen during the day. I think that everyone does this in there own sort of way. People think of how they will dress and what they will eat, some also think of when they are going to get there unfinished homework done(me). The one thing you dont think about is death, what if i die today. It is just unnatural to think of something like this because we take life as a given, we believe we are guaranteed life so we think about all the minor aspects of our everyday activities. I am almost positive that no one that died on September 11th 2001 woke up to the thought of death. They woke up in a usual routine, and drove to a usual flight out of boston, and waited in a usual line in the airport. What happened next surprised not only them but the entire United States. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Of course the people who died and their families, every firefighter and police officer who helped save lives, and every civilian who gave up is safety to help others. As a student at Boston College High School it is required of us to be men for others. Many people who lost there lives for others gave up their most sacred possesion for someone else. If that isnt being a man for others, or rightly so, a person for others, than i dont know what is. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? At one point i had a flag on my wall. I remember my friend strapping a giant flag to the top of his jeep in order to show is support of the united states. I believe that the American Flag should always be respected and flwn high by everyone no matter what the cicumstances. It does strike me as odd that it takes something like this to make everyone unite through the flag but at the same time i dont think it is a bad thing that people are sharing their patriotism and supporting their country even more than before. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah4277.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 66.31.235.44 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. Well I was in Gym class at the time of the events, during a game we were playing the Gym teacher brought us in to a class room and turned on the T.V.And when it came on we all saw a building on fire with black smoke coming out of it at first I thought this couldn't be happening, but then I saw the next one hit and my mind went crazy.My life felt like it stopped,but that wasen't the first time it stopped the next time was wen they began to fall down.I watched in horror as they disapeared in to gray clouds,and from there on my soul was changed.Ever since then I've been writing a book called Red,White,And Blue all about the days of September 11th and one I hope to get it published so that everyone knows how horrible that day it always be remembered........... NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes, because an event so big and so heart breaking is something that should have changed everyone in their own way.Like December 7th Americans have changed because of fear, because of death,and because of the destruction. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The way all Americans came together and helped out to help people they don't know anything about. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes and No. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah131.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-08-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 208.23.9.56 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I experienced 9/11 watching what had accured and whats was happening through watching it on television. I remeber seeing people jumping out of the world trade center, the planes crashing, and the buildings collapseing. I watched and felt as if it were a movie. It didnt really affect me when I first heard about it because I didnt really understand what was happening. When I got home from school, and turned on the television was when it really hit that we had been attacked. Seeing the emotinos from the people in New York City, seeing the people jumping from the building to escape the fire, the horror on their faces as they hung from the windows before they jumped is what really made the whole experience sink in. People critisize the media for showing some of the images of people jumping from buildings, but I feel we needed to see things like that to let us know that this was real, and actually happeing to us. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life hasn't really changed phyisically since September 11th, more changed emotionally. Since the attack I felt so proud to be an American. Seeing the firefighters, police officers, soldiers, and other men, and women who have taken part in the clean up, the rescue ,and now the war being faught. Seeing these peoples bravery, and kindness has given so much pride to say, "I'm an American." I know now that I am part of the greatest country in the world. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that everything about September 11th should be remembered. I think if u forget or exclude one part of what happened, I feel u direspect those who died, and why they died. Just because people were jumping from buildings doesnt mean it shouldnt be seen. How can we say that is to horrific to watch or remember? We werent there how dare us to judge and direspect anyone from the Spetember 11th attacks. If you choose to forget any part of what happened you are choosing to forget the people who died. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? You bet I flew a flag at my house after September 11th. My feelings about the flag since 9/11 have changed, now I feel a an American flag should be flown everyday at my house just to show I am proud to be an American! Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah2262.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-10 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 66.144.13.254 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. While the attacks on the 11th were significant in so many ways, I found myself most affected by the events following them: A walk home, in lieu of our normal subway ride. Not a single plane in the sky, heading to or leaving O'Hare. Silence in a city of millions. A moment of silence observed by thousands over several closed Chicago blocks. Security teams on rooftops. Then other things, reassuring in various ways: Successful phone calls to friends in DC and NYC. "L" trains rumbling past our apartment. American flags strewn across almost every window on our street. Dinner with a cousin stranded in Chicago when his flight to California (from Logan) was diverted. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. No, my life hasn't changed. I fly. I am proud to be an American. I wonder why so many people have such anger with others. I wonder why people let religion create such powerful standards of justness that they fail to recognize the justness of others' standards. There is little difference between an extremist terrorist and an anti-abortionist doctor-killer. There is little difference between the attacks on the WTC and a nuclear bomb on the city of Nagasaki or Hiroshima. Perspective is in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps the attacks can lead us and all peoples of the world to consider broadening perspectives. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? September 11th is a day that people died for their values. Fanatics died trying to make a point. Heroes died trying to save people. Workers died while trying to provide for themselves and their families. Travelers died trying to visit friends, families, colleagues. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I absolutely flew a flag after the events of September 11th. My feelings about the flag have always been strong although I still respect the expression of protest by someone who burns it. But, I hope it's harder for people to burn it today. It represents a little more than it did before... Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah3498.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 159.53.32.42 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I am a teacher in Westchester county, New York, about one hour north of the City. During 3rd period, I gathered with my colleagues for our team meeting when someone said that a tower had been hit by a small plane. Not having access to cable television, one teacher rounded up a very old radio and we crouched around it to listen to the events unfold. When we heard that the Pentagon had been hit also, my knees went weak and my heart sank. I went right to the phone to call my husband to tell him that the United States was under attack. Within minutes, however, the bell rang and I had to go to class to teach my freshmen about the Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal man. This day and the days to follow were very hard for us as we struggled to maintain "normalcy". We had no knowledge of the collapse until lunch time. Since many parents of our students work in NYC, we were very concerned. By the end of the day, two of my students had not gotten word from their parents, but one did get relieving news during class that her parents were accounted for. Afterwards, I advised my students not to watch television alone when they went home. I wish I had taken my own advice. About 6:30pm, my cousin called to tell me that she had flown into JFK that morning for a convention and was coming over a bridge when she saw the planes crash. Frantic to get out of NYC, we decided that she was better off staying in her hotel for the evening. I then spoke to my friend who lives on the upper west side who informed me that we had lost Tom McCann, the Fireman in the collapse. He was the only firefighter I knew and we had just celebrated his birthday in February at a Knicks' game. It was a long, tragic day. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I cried for many months after September 11. I also thought a lot about my family when they had to go through the events of Pearl Harbor. My Grandfather, Wallace Kampney, was a Pearl Harbor Survivor and their motto is "Never Again". Did we not heed their warning and what would he think now? I was glad that he had died a year earlier so as not to witness this. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that we should remember that we are vulnerable. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? No, I did not fly a flag. They were in short supply and when the local store did get them in, they wanted an extraordinary price for a flag made out of cheap material. I exercised my American right and said, "No, I will not support your profit from a tragedy." Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah471.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-08-28 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.184.170.98 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life has changed in the respect that i no longer take life for granite. I live each day to the fullest & I say wha needs to be said because you never know when you waon't see that person again. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think all the brave citizens, firfighters, and others who gave their lives. And we should also remember those who lost loved ones on that day. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah5581.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-07-30 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.208.44