Where were you?

September 11, 2008 – 9:34 pm by JP

I was on 31st Street and 8th Avenue.

I was on the subway when the first plane hit, and in my office when the second one hit. Once I found out the towers had collapsed, my first thought (through tears) was “Osama Bin Laden”. I ended up walking all the way to and across the 59th Street Bridge to get home (along with thousands of others).

I’d like to repeat something I heard on Howard Stern’s radio show today: just like Pearl Harbor, people already seem to be forgetting about the September 11 attacks. But it seems to be happening in a dramatically shorter time.

While I don’t recommend excessive dwelling on grief, it does seem striking how small the crowds at the memorials are becoming, how much less attention is paid to the ceremonies at Ground Zero, and in PA and Washington. They seem to be getting smaller, and shorter. The corresponding news coverage seems limited to a few news pieces, a broadcast of the reading of the names of those lost, and a front page headline. Other than printing the date, the New York Times failed to mention the memorial on its front page today.

I can easily imagine tomorrow’s adults treating September 11 the way we treat Pearl Harbor today: something long ago that happened to some other people.

Never forget.

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This post has 50 views since September 11, 2008 – 9:34 pm.

7 Responses to “Where were you?”
I was in a hospital in Brazil (visiting - long story). The nurse walked in and said that a plane just ran into the world trade center. I flipped on CNN in time to see the second plane hit. It was eerily surreal. I watched the coverage for 4-5 hours, just couldn’t bring myself to turn it off.

Truly something I will never forget.

By Jayson on Sep 11, 2008
Thanks for sharing, Jayson.

By JP on Sep 12, 2008
I was at my second day of a new job in a new state (MA), where I didn’t know anyone yet. I spent hours watching videos of the carnage on the internet. Nobody got anything done all week.

My family was still in NJ, within view of the towers, though they were in school. The 200 miles separation seemed much further. My wife tried calling me all day, and didn’t get through until after 7 that night, because all phone circuits in the greater NYC metropolitan region were jammed. Fortunately no children in the schools in my old town lost parents, but most of the surrounding towns lost a few.

My sister-in-law was in tower 2, 65th floor, when tower 1 was hit. Her company’s policy since the first attempt was, everyone out, and sort it out later. So she was in the stairwell, down to about the 19th floor when the plane hit her office. They were all knocked down, but got up and exited with even more speed. (Her company lost only 8 of several thousand.)

She got out of the building and was several blocks away when the towers came down. She was covered with debris as she wandered to her apartment in midtown. My brother-in-law worked in midtown, saw the reports on television, and didn’t know his wife had survived until later that night.

By Jon Peltier on Sep 12, 2008
Glad to hear it, Jon. Thanks for sharing.

By JP on Sep 12, 2008
I was not living in the US at the time, but remember watching the footage for hours thinking life will never be the same again. After I moved here I wanted to go see Ground Zero because I felt this was a tragedy that touched all humanity, because it just reminds how mortal and vulnerable we all are.

By mary on Sep 15, 2008
I was in my house getting ready for work, I live in Cd Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico, the border with El Paso, TX.. I was watching the ABC news that morning… I saw the second airplaine on live… I was paralized couldn’t move from watching tv.. then I start driving to work (RCA Thomson at that time)… the people was driving like crazy to the border International bridges… all of them closed later that day. I had some friends in NY never heard of them again….

By Sarai on Sep 24, 2008
Thanks for sharing, Sarai.

By JP on Sep 24, 2008