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 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: On the morning of September 11th I had a terrible feeling in my heart and for a couple of days before that I kept thinking that my boyfriend was keeping something from me. Being a woman, it's the first thing that comes to mind when you get that weird feeling in your heart. I had just gotten off the phone with him when I hear my co-workers screaming. When I walked to the back of our office I could see that the first tower was in flames. (I work 3 blocks from the Trade Center). My first reaction was to call my friend Sean who worked on the 102nd floor of the first tower. A lady picked up the phone and after asking if Sean was there she said that he was, but they weren't picking up phones anymore because a plane just hit their building. I told her that I could see it from my window and I told her to be safe. She said we'll try. Then she said she had to get off the phone in order to evacuate. I never asked her what her name was but I could never forget the sound of her voice. My best friend called me and while I was on the phone with her, the second plane hit. At that point I made the decision to leave my building. I met up with some people from my department downstairs and we just waited and watched. Then it happened. Tower 2 collapsed. We heard another explosion and when I looked up I saw just the top of the Tower coming down. I remember trying to run and stopping to cry. Then a co-worker tripped and fell and another lady trip and fell over her. So I went back to get her off the floor and we just ran. I work across the street from the Stock Exchange and as we ran down Exchange Place and towards Broad Street a huge cloud of smoke came towards us and a woman yelled "Oh my God, they bombed the Stock Exchange!" We ran back in the direction that we were coming from and the same cloud was coming towards us from that direction. We were trapped. The cloud caught us from all directions. I remember the feeling was like millions of little needles pricking my skin. You couldn't even see your own hand in front of you. Luckily we were holding hands so the person in the front of the "line" lead us into a clothing store on the corner of that street. We went in and I cried. I cried like I've never cried before. I was so scared. I thought I was going to die that day. I thought I would never see my family or my friends or the love of my life again. The people in the store were so wonderful. They gave us water napkins to wipe our dusty skin, they let us use their phones to call our families. They were just wonderful. We waited and watched from the television in their basement as Tower 1 came crumbling down. A couple of my co-workers cried for their siblings because they thought they were still in there. I kept reassuring them that I had called Sean over an hour and a half before and that they were trying to evacuate so they had nothing to worry about. Five of us walked 2 hours and a half back to my house in Brooklyn. We kept watching on my TV and I had so many phone calls. The phone lines weren't working so it was difficult for me to get through to anyone. But I able to get through eventually. What worried me the most was that I couldn't get through to my family in Puerto Rico. My mother and sister and brother all live there and I couldn't get through to them until about 5pm that day. At some point my co-workers left to get themselves home. And there I was. Alone. With no one to talk to. No one to hug. No one to cry to. (Except over the phone).Then I thought to myself, "I need to get in contact with Sean". I never did. After watching an interview that the president of Cantor Fitzgerald gave on a news program a few days later, I realized that Sean never made it out. I called my mother and cried. I was in a daze for such a long time. I couldn't even smile. I felt like I lost my mind. Luckily my two co-workers' siblings made it out alive. To this day the events of September 11th, 2001 still effect me in the worst way. I still cry for no reason. I still get depressed. I still remember Sean. I still have nightmares. The memory of the fear is still so strong in my heart. But everyday, I am grateful. I am grateful that I'm breathing and that I get to see another birthday. I get to call and see my loved ones. I feel like I've gotten a second chance. So I started singing again and performing. I'm following my life long dream. I love with all of me. I wish with more thought. I don't stress over much. I feel better about myself as a person. I'm able to give more of myself completely. I am thankful for all things small and large. Today, on the anniversary or these horrible tragedies, I give thanks to all those who gave their lives for the rest of us and I also give thanks to those who joined together to help. Seany, I miss you and I will remember you always. 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 story2910.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. 160.254.20.253