I remember waking up that morning
Felt heavy with grief
I was messing with this joke named John
And John was playing games the night before
The day was so beautiful
Blue skies and the weather warm
Yet I felt unbelievably sad
I remember wearing a blue knit sweater
Short sleeves
Black slacks
Black sandals
I rode the train to work
And I stood up the entire ride from the Bronx
As the train was passing 81st Street at around 7:50
Tears filled my eyes and fell straight down my face
I couldn't believe I was crying over some dude
But now I know it wasn't over him at all
My friend Kaci worked in Tower 2
She took my godson to school late that day
My friend's daughter attended school in the World Trade Center area
Her school was evacuated
My best friend's husband worked in Tower 1
He made it out okay
Another friend's brother worked in Tower 2 as well
He made it out but went back inside to help others
He perished when the tower fell
At work I cried hard when Kaci called to tell me she was fine
I was relieved
And distressed
My friend's daughter was picked up by an aunt
And were able to take buses before the city shut down all transit
My best friend left work when her brother came to get her
She met up with her husband
They traveled through Manhattan
Over the Brooklyn Bridge
My mother walked home from 80th & 5th Avenue
Through the streets
Over Macomb's Bridge and into The Bronx
If you're not from NY, that's about 5 miles
Or more
I stayed at work
And when I left my safe haven
Walked out to finally catch the subway which began working
2 hours later after the final tower, Tower 5, fell
The city was filled with smoke
Putrid air
Gloom
Humility and compassion
5 comments:
I was in the Air Force that day; a medical officer stationed in Texas. I remember getting an email from a friend stationed in California saying that some idiot has crashed landed somewhere in Manhattan. We kinda joked about those initial reports and then not an hour later, the first real news started broadcasting. I was standing with a group of my colleagues as we watched the broadcast of the second plane crash into the tower. I didn't know anyone in New York that day, but the feeling of anger and rage, mixed with abject helplessness and despair at that sight stays with me even today.
I was a medical officer; I didn't even know how to fire a weapon, but THAT day? I was prepared to die for my country!!
I wasnt even angry or scared, I was in mourning, sad. Felt like an old friend had died. No one I knew died in the Towers, but I felt like a part of New York had died. I wanted to go give blood, hand out water, stand out on Broadway and hug people!
Kiaya... I think a lot of people thought it was a joke at first. When I arrived at work, we all thought, What kinda idiot would ram into the World Trade Center?
Everyone definitely felt helplessness...
That day was solemn. Never in my life have I seen New Yorkers that cordial and empathetic.
Chezniki... My mama was petrified! I'm not scary though, I go into survival mode. Fight or flight.
After I was home, I was so drained. Like I aged 50 years in a matter of hours.
I was working At UPS that day...and I was horrified. we huddled in an office and called our boss who worked in KY. We stayed on a conference call with him off and on all morning. Crying and terrified. Not knowing what was happening...we had folks travelling who were stranded for days...trying to rent cars and get back to Atlanta. Because I had lived overseas and travelled alot, I knew that security in US airports was different than it was overseas...I have been in coups before and remember always thinking "once we get back home(to the US) everything would be fine. That Tuesday morning, I realized there was no longer a safe haven in the borders know as the US.
MzNewy... That's it exactly, no longer feeling safe in our safe haven. That day was too scary and has left me feeling even more paranoid.
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