story433.xml

story433.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-04-17

I have been thinking a lot about how I could express the emotions I experienced on September 11th. I admit to viewing my own memories as insignificant compared to the way so many people must remember this day. I feel in some way detached, and almost silly sharing my own personal pain. After all I wasn?t there, I didn?t lose anyone. There is however something different about this tragic day. It seemed to be the day that affected the world. Even the people who didn?t lose a loved one could feel the grief. It was as if there was so much pain that it was split between everyone so that we could all help each other to heal. So these are my memories, still clear in my mind, the way I experienced it.
Like many people I was asleep when the first planes hit. I was ignoring the phone ringing in my room until the answering machine cut on and I could hear my mom?s voice telling me to call her. ?Don?t drive into school today Amy? she said. Half awake I dialed her number at the hospital where she works. She told me that terrorists had attacked the Pentagon and the World Trade Centers, and that I should turn on the TV. She told me she had talked to my Dad and that he was fine. I hung up and started to watch the news. It really did look just like a movie, people running down the streets, buildings on fire, and then the second plan hit the other tower. I decided at that point to get on the computer and see if my Dad was online. He told me that he could see the smoke outside of his window from his office building located close to the pentagon. In the background on the news I could hear them saying they weren?t sure if there would be more and I was scared for my Dad. He said he would have to wait a few hours before he tried to leave or he wouldn?t be able to get out with all of the traffic. I told him I would see him when he got home, and I went back watching the TV. My Mom called and said she would be late coming home because they needed all the doctors and nurses to stay at the hospital to help in case there were a lot of victims. She ended up coming home on time, most of the victims where of course beyond help so the hospital staff wasn?t needed as expected.
I can remember the relief I felt when my whole family came home that day, even if I knew they where safe. I felt awful for the people whose parents never showed up. For the next few days I watched an extreme amount of TV. It was mostly the same images over and over. The planes crashing into the buildings repeated constantly on every station. I had seen them a million times but I stayed tuned in, like many people I guess I just was in such disbelief that I needed to see it was real. Over the next few days we herd from our extended family in Australia, they sent us touching e-mails and letters wishing us, and the country well. I found the support people offered from all over the world to be very moving. I think everyone felt this day, each in their own way.