09-11-2008, 09:28 PM
I was sitting at my desk, tapping away at the keyboard. I hadn't yet donned my headphones, as the ambient noise in the cube farm hadn't yet reached a level that would distract me from my work. The co-worker over the wall from me mentioned, matter-of-factly, that a plane had just struck the WTC. That got the attention of his boss, and together they watched/read the news on CNN.com. Looking back, I can't believe that this news barely registered on my internal RADAR. I instantly assumed that a Cessna had accidentally clipped the building or something similar and my thoughts of the Cessna landing in Red Square some time before that entered my mind, then quickly exited as I returned to my work.
My co-worker and his boss continued to monitor the situation. This particular co-worker had just returned from Manhattan, where our company was installing a system, so he had a vested interest in what was happening. A couple days earlier, he had shown me pictures of the towers that he took from the cafe across the street, and tried to describe to me the awesome immensity of them as I feigned interest.
I had nearly forgotten about the plane incident when suddenly he loudly exlaimed, "Holy shit! Another plane just hit!".
Instantly I knew this was much bigger than I first realized. From that point on, I tried to get onto CNN.com, MSN.com, or any other news outlet, but all attempts timed out. So I scrambled over to my co-workers desk to see the North Tower on fire and smoking for the first time. My mind spun. How could a Cessna cause so much damage?
Quickly I learned this was no accident, and this was not the work of a pair of Cessnas. When my co-worker's connection to CNN would no longer refresh, I went back to my desk, put on my headphones, and tuned into Howard Stern, who did a remarkable job of broadcasting the news as it happened.
I didn't see the actual footage of the planes striking the towers and the collapses until I got home several hours later. My mother was visiting, and as I was soaking the footage in for the first time, she was trying to steal my attention away by complaining about some insignificant problem happening in her life. I clearly remembered snapping at her and saying, "Shut up for a minute! I know you've seen this all day, but I'm seeing it for the first time! My country is under attack, dammit!" Sounds overly-dramatic now, but I was pissed off, in a BIG way.
To this day I hold no guilt for biting her head off at that moment. Whatever her problems may've been, they were petty compared to what had happened to our nation that day. I will never forget that day, as long as I live.
My co-worker and his boss continued to monitor the situation. This particular co-worker had just returned from Manhattan, where our company was installing a system, so he had a vested interest in what was happening. A couple days earlier, he had shown me pictures of the towers that he took from the cafe across the street, and tried to describe to me the awesome immensity of them as I feigned interest.
I had nearly forgotten about the plane incident when suddenly he loudly exlaimed, "Holy shit! Another plane just hit!".
Instantly I knew this was much bigger than I first realized. From that point on, I tried to get onto CNN.com, MSN.com, or any other news outlet, but all attempts timed out. So I scrambled over to my co-workers desk to see the North Tower on fire and smoking for the first time. My mind spun. How could a Cessna cause so much damage?
Quickly I learned this was no accident, and this was not the work of a pair of Cessnas. When my co-worker's connection to CNN would no longer refresh, I went back to my desk, put on my headphones, and tuned into Howard Stern, who did a remarkable job of broadcasting the news as it happened.
I didn't see the actual footage of the planes striking the towers and the collapses until I got home several hours later. My mother was visiting, and as I was soaking the footage in for the first time, she was trying to steal my attention away by complaining about some insignificant problem happening in her life. I clearly remembered snapping at her and saying, "Shut up for a minute! I know you've seen this all day, but I'm seeing it for the first time! My country is under attack, dammit!" Sounds overly-dramatic now, but I was pissed off, in a BIG way.
To this day I hold no guilt for biting her head off at that moment. Whatever her problems may've been, they were petty compared to what had happened to our nation that day. I will never forget that day, as long as I live.