On the second anniversary of the worst day of my life bar none (thank God I never had a death in my family so far), I have to take time to hope that all of you in CC.NET land will take just a few moments to think about what happened right down the block from many of us who live in the NYC area. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember getting my coffee and hearing the distant "boom" thinking "there is another fu**ing pothole that a truck ran over!" I remember getting back to the office and watching the news and thinking "What dumb b*stard would not see a building right in front of them?" I know it sounds mean. But you would never think that in a few minutes, you would see the side of a building and the "swoosh" in the air right before hitting the building. I get goosebumps thinking how I saw this on national TV...Good Morning America actually while having some stupid coffee. My goodness, I thought that someone at the airports was screwing up. And then, we found out we were being attacked. Watching in horror, I just couldn't believe it. It was so...surreal hearing that the President was actually in his doomsday plane. Or something to that effect. I thought it was a movie. I couldn't believe what I was watching. To this day, I thank my boss for immediately sending everyone home. Almost to the minute of the second plane. I had time to catch a company car downstairs, picked up the baby at the daycare and got home within 35 minutes or so. But it was just in time to see before my very eyes the tower collapse. I remember watching in AWE as that first building came down. I was holding my then 8 month old daughter in my hands and hearing the announcer saying "Oh my God! Oh My God. The second tower has collapsed!" and the silence afterwards. I called my girlfriend who was in Rockefeller Center and screaming for her...begging for her to come home. My girlfriend is so brave. She is in charge of security at AOL Time Warner at the time and they gave her an option to stay or go home. She decided to stay to ease the people out of the building and secure the area. I was so angry at the time. I just kept hearing how all the flights were suspended in the air. I couldn't believe what happened to the Pentegon. I just to this day can't believe any of it. That day changed my life. It really did. I cry typing this because my brother is a Marine and I thank God so much that he is not in Iraq because I was being tortured when he went to Afghanistan. God must be looking out for him because out of the 4 platoons he reports to one weekend a month, his was the only one that didn't get called. The day after, I remember being with my family and thinking that if I could, I would sign up to fight YESTERDAY. I wanted blood. I wanted to know how can anyone or anything be so cruel. I remember seeing the Presidents face during an interview and with tears practically coming out of his eyes saying that "He had a job to do and he intends to do it". God, that was hard to take. Listening to the call my brother got and seeing him practically transform from this goofy 19 year old person whos diapers I changed to this killing machine on the phone just saying "Yes sir! Yes Sir! I understand sir!". And in one month, he was off to war...just like that. This day changed my life...changed everyone. This week, I walk by the Port Authority and see the pictures of the heroes again. And there is a picture of a fireman who had gotten married on Sept 9th! that Sunday and didn't go on his honeymoon because he couldn't get away from work at the moment. Times were tough around that time with the NYC budget and I remember many threats of strike around that time. He went to work. And in his picture, you could see the tears in his eyes...tears of joy. I can't look at that picture too long because he passed away that day saving lives. One more picture I can't look at that was there last year was the one of a little girl whos picture with her daddy is there and she writes a note to her father asking him "When you coming back, daddy?" Just 6 years old. Its hard to take if you live in NYC area. It really is. I can imagine Washington DC. Even in Pennsylvania. Memories all over the place of that day. I am sorry guys. If I am bumming you out. But if you are feeling like I feel and will feel for many, many years to come, then remember that this struggle is going to go on for a long time. To see this b**** again (Bin Laden) have more videos out than Britanny Spears is a fu**ing joke. Another video today and we can't catch this b****? I wish I can just have 3 seconds with this man so that I can just...the PAIN will never leave. No matter what your political side is...no matter what you think of our president and his decisions, remember why we are all here in the first place. Its not the President. Its not the Government. Its the men and women out there who kill themselves literally so that we can have Yao Ming dunk on someones mug and talk crap after it happens. Its those people who make it that we don't have to worry about what Israel and Palestine go through on daily basis. Whether you agree or disagree on Iraq, support the troops. They are the ones out there. Not Bush. No Clinton. None of them *****s are out there. One last thing and forgive me if I am typing too much but this is a special day....if you see a cop or a fireman or better yet, you see a vet from a war...any war, thank that person. He is a true hero to us and our country. These people allow my baby girl to grow up safely and allow your children to grow in a place where they can be whatever they want. I never use to see these people like I do now since that day. Some are pigs. Some are nasty. But if in an instant they can take a bullet for you or go into a burning building to save your ass for a measly 35 grand a year, then they are better people than I will ever be. I teach my daughter to love her country now more than ever. We are all Americans. And it pisses people like Bin Laden off when they see us UNITED. Just pisses him off. My step father is from Egypt. A good man indeed. If Bin Laden was here, he would spit in his face and say he wasn't a true Muslim. He fails to understand that my step dad is married to a Christian woman who had 4 Christian/Catholic children who love his 6 Muslim kids to death. Sh*t like that pisses him off. One nation. Under a REAL GOD. Indivisible. GOD BLESS AMERICA! Thanks for letting me vent on this rather painful day. Going to the site tomorrow again, hopefully. Everyone should go at least once. I would like to hear how people in CCNET land felt and where were you that day when you heard the news. PS...I might of posted in the wrong area, admins. I don't think what I said is political so I figured it was like a "special" thingy that really can't be classified.
That was a real heartfelt post. I still remember everything I was doing prior to hearing about the World Trade Centers being hit. I thank God everyday for His goodness and mercy towards us all. People say "God bless America" all the time but they dont realize that God has blessed America. I know our country isnt perfect but no place is.
Almu - thank you so much for sharing this, I cannot imagine how scary it must have been to be so close to that horrific scene. I'm sure everyone can still remember pretty much what they did that whole day. The day the world stood still and gasped. But they couldn't break us... These colors will NEVER RUN. One Nation... (exclude this if you must, I don't) Under God... Indivisible... With Liberty... and Justice... FOR ALL.
Very well said from start to finish, Almu. Thank you. I had an afternon job interview that day, so I set my alarm for about 8:30. I set it to music instead of alarm. When it went off, instead of hearing music, I heard a reporter saying "Oh my God, it's just gone. The whole tower is just gone". I knew something was terribly wrong. Got up, turned on the TV and just watched all day in shock like everyone else. I wanted to call someone and talk but I remember there was no one to call. My folks were out of town, my sisters weren't home. I felt very alone for some reason. On the day of the memorial service in Washington, I was driving down 1960 listening to it on the radio. I remember hearing the boys choir singing and having to pull over to a parking lot and just cry. I haven't cried since I was a kid. It was a horrible day that we should never forget. Ever.
great story, loved your account at the time and value it again see ya soon Almu btw found a place to stay, chelsea star hotel
Man, it comes back to me so vividly. I had pulled an all-nighter at work and had been in bed for 2 hours when my wife called. She told me to put the news on. I watched for 4 or 5 minutes when I watched the 2nd plane crash into the other tower on live tv. I was glued to the news all day. I cried and screamed, " you Mother F__kers!" repeatedly. That day changed everything. I can't go too in depth b/c I am walking out of work right now, but I have not forgotten.
I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting ready for work when a co-worker called me and told me to turn on the TV. I asked him what channel and he told me any channel. My first thought was that the Olive Garden that we work at must been on fire or something, so I asked him what was going on. He told me that the WTC towers were gone and that a plane had hit the Pentagon. That's when I turned on the TV and saw the huge cloud of dust over New York City. I had to go to work that morning and wait tables. It was incredibly difficult to put on a happy face. My usual greeting to tables is "Hi, how are y'all doing today?" but that just didn't seem right to ask. Our boss turned on a TV back in the kitchen so that we could watch the news coverage. I was actually a double that day, so I had to go back to work at 5pm. We got the word aroun six that we were going to close early that night, at 8pm (instead of the usual 10pm). Around seven pm I got a large group that came in to celebrate a birthday. The table was joking around and laughing the whole time, and it felt totally inappropriate. The worst part was when we had to sing our OG birthday song, which starts off with "Buona Festa, what a joyous day..." I've never had such difficulty singing a stupid song like that before. I remember when I finally left the building. My manager walked me out to the front door and told me to look at the sky, that I would see someting that I had never seen before and would probably never see again. And sure enough, I looked up and there wasn't a single object moving in the night sky (which is VERY strange considering how close we are to DFW airport)...
I walked into the office having not tuned into anything yet that morning at 8:15 AM... And two weeks later I was still tuned in, glued to the TV or AM 740. Most surreal time of my life to date. And it still seems so strange to think it actually took place on our soil.
Was talking with Jim Litke, the AP columnist, via AOL about Jordan's comments from around 10pm on September 10th. To Litke, Marty Burns (igh), and Jay Marriotti (double-igh) he came clean about how he was going to send out a fax on September 11th announcing his return to the NBA. Went to bed a few hours later, slept until 11am, then puttered around my apartment (which had recently suffered flood damage) until 3pm without turning on a TV or getting on the Internet. Didn't know what was happening until every plane was down, in the early evening. Had to actually bartend at a Laurie Anderson concert that night, the 11th. She was the only national act to play a show that evening. The worst part of that was that I had to be the one to break the news about "what happened" to three or four co-workers that night. At a boss' request, we had to go around to everyone working at this club where Laurie was playing to make sure everyone knew, so they could convey the proper somber tone to the patrons ... just, no words for it. Cranked up a Max Roach/Clifford Brown tape in my Walkman for the bus ride home, bought a bottle of cheap vodka before hitting home, finished the b*stard a few hours later, still didn't sleep a wink before September 14th or so came around.
Thanks Almu, The people that made 911 happen effected me in another way. Strangely enough, my friend from Pakistan, my best friend, is leaving tomorrow. He had a respectable job over here but they said he had to leave. He has become a part of my family, we treat him as our brother and his family treats me as such. I'm going to miss the big fella'. He's all that I've ever wanted in a friend and didn't know it. If you told me that my best friend would be leaving on a plane tomorrow to be seen rarely 10 years ago I would have called you a liar. If you told me that I would have gone to Pakistan myself I would have called you a liar. If you would have told me I'd be crying right now I call you a liar. It has and is happening. I'm gonna miss the guy like nothing else. Try being best friends with someone moving across the world and you'll understand. We have different color skin but we are brothers. We are completely different but we are brothers. I would take a bullet for this guy. Almu, I'm hurting like you. I wish my friend could stay. He is my best friend and I won't see him for a long time. I wish these men on 911 would have given the mission up. I wish they could have known how they could break up this pair of a Christian and a Muslim. I wish they could have known how I feel right now. I'm going to miss my brother and it is their fault. I love the guy. His name is Usman. I wish you all could know him too.
I was in the middle of shooting my first movie, and I was staying up late during that time (as is apparently the case now, too). I had fallen asleep with the television on, and I woke up at about 11am to Peter Jennings (I think) talking about the airplanes. I couldn't make out what he was really saying, though, and I was trying to read the scroll on the bottom of the screen that was listing the flights and what had become of them. The list seemed to go on forever because I couldn't fathom how so many planes (and four seemed like a whole lot, especially since they still didn't know if that was all of them) had been hijacked, and that all of them had crashed. And then they start talking about the World Trade Center buildings having collapsed, and I couldn't wrap my mind around that at all. It was like "Whadya mean by 'collapsed'?" And then they showed the live video, but even then, it wasn't hitting me (the smoke was still rising, and it was hard to tell that the Towers were gone.) It was just so weird. I ended up turning off the television and listening to the Ticket on the radio. Their coverage was strangely comforting, though I don't know why. That afternoon, I got an email that I remember pretty vividly. It was from one of the actors in my movie. He didn't mention the tragedy at all. He just said he thought the coming weekend would be a good one for shooting some certain scenes. And I actually wondered if he just hadn't turned on his television set so far that day (but I didn't ask). But other than that, I don't remember having any real contact with anyone that day. I didn't talk to either of my parents or to my sister. I didn't even talk to my kids. I don't remember talking to the girl I was kind-of dating at the time (though I probably did talk to her some time that day). What I hated the most, though, was that I was away from my sons. All I wanted that day was to hold them in my arms and squeeze them tight. Oh, and I also remember reading the Clutch BBS and reading the posts looking for all the New Yorkers we had all come to know and love through the BBS. It really wasn't until several weeks later that it really hit me, though. It wasn't until I could put human faces and life stories with the death tolls that it really affected me. The day of the event, I was stunned, but it really didn't hit me as hard as it did most people. As a matter of fact, I remember being struck more by Columbine on the actual day of the event. I think that's because I didn't see a lot of people in the videos on the television (I mean, other than the bystanders and spectators). It was almost like watching a special effects laden movie. It was too big to really seem real. It wasn't until I could read the stories and find out about the victims that it truly hit me. And you know, I still have yet to fly on an airplane since 9/11. I'm not sure I could, even though that's an irrational fear.
I was puttering around the house, hadn't even turned the TV on that morning when I got an excited call from one of my sons. He came right over, and I got a hold of my other son, and had him come join us. We cancelled everything that day, and sat here in my study, together, watching in disbelief. We just watched the tapes they showed, over and over and over until every image was forever etched in our minds. One of the calls I had to make that day was to another attorney. We had been working on a deposition schedule for a bunch of witnesses, and I remember we just talked about the event and decided we would talk again the next week. We couldn't even talk about the case, or think about it. I didn't work the remainder of the week, and we must have watched the news around the clock for 3 days. It's a day to remember all those who died, their families, their friends, and the brave civil servants who ran towards the trouble. Here's my salute.
Great post Almu. On the way to work today, I noticed every single detail that makes this a great country. The different people, their pride, and the love of our nation. I actually had tears in my eyes.
the world as we know it changed two years ago today. almu, thanks for mustering up the courage to write your account. I feel like I can't even explain my thoughts into text, so close yet so far away. i remember it like yesterday, and every time I cross the Brooklyn Bridge, my heart is heavy , those beatiful towers are gone, thousands of lives lost. i find solace these days looking at women with their newborns, knowing life is being created. yet, every day, i fear the worst. take it day by day, and before i know it, another year has passed.
Man, Almu...thank you so much for posting that. I don't know why, but the remembrance of this event seems to be hitting me harder than it did last year at this time. The worst day...
WTF? Everyone here at work is just laughing and joking around like it's just another day. Last year at work, we had a company wide rememberance with a very touching media presentation, a choir and brass quartet, flags, red white and blue ribbons for our lapels, the whole works. This year, absolutely nothing. Just doesn't seem right.
Almu, Thanks for the post as I know how hard it had to be to type that up. Kelly, Great taste in music man with the Clifford Brown/Max Roach CD! As for myself, I will never forget that day and the days after it for the rest of my life. I was at work and a co-worker down a few cubicles from me had the radio on and that is how I found out about it. It was so bizarre; it just didn't seem possible that this could happen to us! My first thought was that something horribly went wrong; I never imagined that it was a terrorist act. Then, about an hour later, we heard about the Pentagon and the plane in PA and I'll never forget the feeling that came over me. Bewilderment can't even describe it and for the first time in my life, I was truly scared about a war and dying. That night when I went to bed, I was so scared that I wouldn't wake up in the morning because we would get nuked or something. But before I went to bed, I was angry, no I was extremely pissed off angry. I took my frustrations out on some people on the BBS like haven, Puedlfor (back when he was known as Tolpatsch Verkinder), and JAG. I was unreasonable and I shut my mind off to any idea or opinion that differed from "we need to have immediate retribution to these bastards and show them that they can't get away with this **** to the US". Then I remember the concern for the NY guys like Almu, across, and especially for mc mark. I was constantly checking the BBS to see if mc mark had posted so we would know that he was okay. For the longest time, I did not want to see the footage because it was just too painful to watch. I remember about 3 days later after 9-11, I turned the TV onto the Today show and they were interviewing a woman whose son died on the plane that went down in PA and she was relating her son's phone call to her (he called from his cell phone) about how the plane was hijacked and that they were going to try to overtake the hijackers. Seeing that woman cry was too much for me to handle. I came so close to flat out bawling right there, that I quickly turned off the TV and headed onto work. Just remembering that causes a tear to come to my eye. I will NEVER, EVER forget that day and I continue to pray to God that the people whose lives were destroyed or completely turned upside down by those events are doing as good as can be expected and I also pray to God that the b*stard Bin Laden will get caught someday and get what is coming to him and if not that he will somehow get his retribution.
