I still remember when my boss walked into our office and said, "A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. We are closing the office, and get home to your families."
My friends and I just looked eachother. We didn't completely understand what he was talking about. After all, we had just gotten in. We were in the middle of returning client emails and calls. We had work to do. But he insisted.
Fifteen minutes later, T called and said, "Get out of town. Don't take the T (Subway in Boston). Avoid going under ground."
I reply, "Are we in danger?"
He said, "Get out. I love you. I'll talk to you as soon as I can."
I could hear the terror in his voice. He had served in the Gulf War. He serves and protects as a member of the thin blue line. He doesn't get scared and he had terror in his voice.
I immediately called my friends whom I had just left. I was heading for the commuter rail, with very few tunnels. They were going underground.
I continue towards South Station. And the only way I can describe the financial district in the middle of Boston - chaos. People were running out of the tall buildings, and all of us going torwards trains. Getting the heck out was our only thought.
Once on the train, I started calling my family. Then I remembered my roommates from college. Three out of the six of us worked in New York. In my limited knowledge, I had no idea where they were in relation to the Towers.
By the time I got a hold of my friend J, my heart was in my throat.
Luckily none of my roommates worked in that area. The only one that did, was on a business trip. My friend J's then boyfriend worked in the Towers, but his sister was in the hospital and he was by his side.
But my friend Erin's boyfriend wasn't so lucky. He called to tell her he loved her, and it was the last they heard of him. He passed away that day.
Like so many I was glued to the TV. The images are still very real in my mind's eye.
Sadness. Loss. Fear. Terror.
The days that came after, I heard of more friends who were not so lucky. One friend from college lost her brother, and another her cousin.
Equally the stories of relief - of people who were suppose to be there but weren't. Like my sister's fiance's brother. He cancelled his business trip and meeting because of his daughter's birth. Her life, probably saved his.
That day and the days that followed are still vivid in my mind. I will never forget.
To the men and women who lost of their lives, I will never forget. To the men and women who died serving our citizens, I will never forget. To the men and women who found bravery and courage that they never new they had, I will never forget.
May G-d continue to grant your families comfort, peace, and grace to deal with your loss. And may we never forget.
4 comments:
I am South African and can't really say that I understand what any of you went through on that horrid day. I can however remember exactly where I was when we got news of this terrible event. No one in our office worked that day, we were all in shock. I mean this is America for goodness sake. Nobody could believe what the telly was showing
So my thoughts are with you on this day of remembrance.
That gave me chills and brought me to tears. I live in the suburbs of D.C. And it was a scary place to be that day. I'll never forget either.
Thank you for posting that wonderful tribute to the many, many brave souls that were lost that day. It is still such a nightmare that plays in my mind and I pray that we never have to live with that terror again.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I, and most of my family, were very happy to live in the midwest that day. We were a bit freaked though because we lived just outside Chicago, another possible target. I can't even imagine the fear and panic that all of you who lived near where the planes hit experienced. I kept going to the break room at work to see what was going on on the tv.
Post a Comment