Today...

6 years ago today, where were you?




*Danielle*
I was in bed sleeping when my ex-bf called me and said i hope you arent going on any interviews today in the city because a plane hit one trade center...I got up and turned on the news, and there it was, burning...I was just there the thursday before...And was supposed to go back on an interview the week after across the street. I called my mother and she made it out on the last train on the LIRR. It has to be one of the saddest and scariest days of my life. I lost a dear friend...And I will never forget him.

*Diane*

About to get ready to get a hair cut...i was supposed to start my 2nd year at pace university manhattan campus) but i didnt go back to school.
I was watchin the news and saw the smoke..and as i was watching and my mom was on the fone...i ws like OH MY GOD A HELICOPTER JUST HIT...and shes like no way and we saw the explosion...the view i saw on the news didnt look like a plane...but it ended up being one...and i went outside...and i could see the smoke from manhattan..heard the fighter jets above (i live by jfk) i

i was never more scared...more upset..in my LIFE.
i cried for DAYSsssss

I never went for the hair cut. needless to say then enxt schedule for a hair cut...was the flight that crashed in far rockaway. i thought i was a jinx

*Sandy*
I was at work. A coworker told me what was happening. My old boss was in Boston and was on the flight that left before the headed here. He was going to DC. He was stuck there for a week! He was a jerk that day, wouldnt let anyone go home, had to stay and do work. We had no phones in the office. It was a horrible day. My brother lives in the city and I couldnt get in touch with him until the evening.

*Amanda*

I was working. At the time, I was a 411 operator. I got a call, and the caller told me that a plane had hit one of the buildings. After the call was over, I stopped taking calls and told a few people..... after a few minutes, it was all over the news, and we nearly shut down, they set up TV's in the break room and most people sat in there and watched.

Then they told us we could leave if we wanted, and I did. I just wanted to be home w/ my family.

My dad had 2 guys in the building, and at 840ish, they decided to go downstairs for coffee.

The stories of the people who were late for work, ran out of the buildings for a minute.... etc. are so eery to me.

*Matilde*

I was sitting in English class at SJU. My friend Krystle was late so she passed me a note that said 'A plane just hit one of the twin towers.' Of course we thought it was an accident so we sat through two hours of class oblivious to what was going on. We were in a trailer class so we couldn't really see people passing or anything.

After class, we walked into chaos. People were running,screaming and crying. I had no idea what was going on. My friend Kim was freaking out and I explained to her that everything was going to be okay. She screamed at me: 'No it's not - the towers fell what is wrong with you!' I had no idea. . . and she lost her cousin that day. I will never forgive myself for not taking her seriously.

Then i was frantically trying to find my friend Laura, we drove to school together. Somehow, I found her and she helped me drive home as I was hystericall crying. People were telling me to pull over because I was so hysterical. After trying a million times I finally got through to my dad and just started screaming that he couldn't go to work. With Laura's help I got home. I ran in the door and made sure my father had not left for work yet ( he works at JFK). I made him pick up my mom from work and I told him I didn't care if he got fired he was NOT going to work today.

Then, I slowly got in touch with all of my friends. Anthony went to pick up a few of my friends from the 59th street bridge so they could get home. I couldn't wait for him to get back, I just wanted to be with him. The only way my brother got in touch with us was through email - he works in Manhattan and I didn't hear from him for hours.

Jenn and I went to the Crossbay bridge to see the smoke where the WTC was, it was surreal - I still can't believe that it really happened.

That night, FH got home after filling his pickup with people that needed to get home. . . he made me turn off the TV and just lay there for a little while. He knew that this would change our lives forever - but he also knew that was I nearing my breaking point and I needed to just sit in silence for a little while. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and thinking that it was a nightmare so I woke him to ask him if it was real.

*Denise*

I had just woken up to go to class and jumped in the shower, my mom knocked on the door to tell me a plane hit the World trade center. I remember just thinking it was an accident and how can a pilot do that. After I got out of the shower i turned on the TV and remember thinking OH god the WTC is gonna have a huge hole in it, i didnt expect it to collapse or knew what happened. After the 2nd plane hit , like everybody else I realized. My bf at the time worked there but on certain days so i kept calling and couldn't get through. Finally after a bit he called me, i called a bunch of other ppl who might be effected to see if they were ok.

For some reason i went to class, but of course it was cancelled when i got there, i still dont know why i went.

Then came back home and a bunch of ppl were there, family friends and we just watched the news all day. My dad also went to pick ppl up from the 59th street bridge since they had to walk the bridge

I was also supposed to fly out the next day with my parents to Florida and we never did. Thank god bc originally we were supposed to fly out the 11th bc my dad was closing on an apartment there but they had to change the date

*Danielle*

I was sleeping (I had off from college on Tuesday's and Thursday's) and my phone rang. my friend Tim was like, 'Put on the TV, a plane hit the WTC. I put it on and couldn't believe it. I went downstairs to tell my mom and she had the TV in the kitchen on. We were watching the coverage when we saw the second plane hit and both started to cry. After that, my granfather called to make sure we were all in the house and not going anywhere. The entire day my family was glued to the TV and couldn't help but cry for all the families that lost people. It was such a terrifying day and I remember thinking, wow, we are not invincable.

The kicker was that my brother, who was 4 at the time, was downstairs playing most of the day (we didn't want him to see the horrific scene), he came upstairs at about 6:30 and we had the news on. He looked at the TV, then at my mother and I and said, 'Why did the planes break the city?' I will NEVEr forget that moment as long as I live...

*Anti*

Matilde you were at SJU too, me too!!

I had just went to my sec class for the day, it happened when I was at my first class but didnt thing anything of it. I was in my Production class when I heard my friend say the tower fell, I didnt think anything of it, I said whatever it fell only half way the other one is still standing. I thought a little plane flew into the towers by mistake. So class ended we were all watching in shock. I had to walk home bec there was no buses or trains, then the news all day explained everything, OMG horrible!!!

*Dana*

I was in class at Cw Post (one of my film classes) And someone came into the room and said 'A plane just hit the WTC' So i looked around and was like are you serious?? They were like 'Yea that's what I heard, we should put on the news' So we were on our way into this small room with a tv, and I kept saying 'How stupid, how can someone NOT see that huge building in front of them! Why couldn't they avoid hitting it!' So the tv in the room didnt work so we decided to walk over to the student center to see if we could find out any other info. As we're walking there students were scrambling around. My professor grabbed one and was like what the hell is going on?? The student said that a plane hit the second tower

So now i'm freaking out, I run into a theatre where the other students were piling into. On the big screen they were showing the news. I think we managed to fit all the thousands of students in this one room. everyone was crying, screaming, and just in shock at what we were seeing. One girl who was behind me kept screaming 'my parents! my parents!!!' So I turned around and saw that a few members of the faculty were trying to calm down this one girl who was just so distraught and screaming for her parents.

A few mins later the first tower dropped and ive never heard such silence before. The girl behind me stopped screaming and everyone was just frozen...before the other fell we all ran out and tried calling our families, but no ones cell phones worked. I ran to my car and drove to see my parents at work...When I got there they were crying b/c they couldnt get a hold of me, so we all went home and watched the coverage on the news for dayssssssss

*Liz*

I was getting ready for a gym class my freshman year. I turned on the tv to see the weather (I went to school near Canada, so I wanted to know if I needed sweatpants or shorts) and the same thing was on every station--I was getting fed up because I just wanted to find the freakin weather, and then I realized when the same thing is on every channel, something's wrong. I sat on my bed and watched for a minute, and saw the 2nd plane hit.

I went to class, told my other friends from LI, and by the end of class, the 1st building collapsed. Classes were canceled for the rest of the day starting at noon. I remember trying to call my family to make sure they were ok, and couldn't get through for hours.

*Lori-Ann*

I was at home babysitting for two little boys who's father was a liutenant in the NYPD (he survived but he's retired now) was was just about 2 the other was 5 or so. We were watching Sesame Street and then the news interrupted and I started to yell at the kids cause I thought they were playing around with the television until I grabbed the remote to change the channel back and realized the same thing was on every station.

I just sat there and held them and cried as we watched the 2nd plane hit and both the towers fall. My parents weren't home, but my aunt was. The four of us sat there, my aunt was making phone calls (or at least trying to) and I was just crying. The boys had no idea what was going on. I don't think I'll ever forget the sound of little Peter asking me what was wrong and telling me not to cry, that it will be okay....the innocence of youth

Shante

Sitting on my bed in college, getting ready to go to class watching the news in disbelief

Calling my mom and other family members that worked within walking distance of WTC.

Kia

At the time I worked on 5th avenue and 14th street and would take the train from inside World Trade Center to get there. When I got off the train I noticed that there were alot more sirens than usual but didn't pay much attention, until I walked about a block and noticed all the people looking up towards WWC. I looked up and one the buildings had already been hit. I walked inside my job and went downstairs where we had a tv. I was shocked at what had happened. Everyone was watching as the second plane hit and then as they fell. I remember feeling very confused and shocked. I left work at 11am and started walking towards the ferry, hoping it might be open, but useless. I asked a cop how I could get to the brooklyn bridge since I heard it was open for people to walk over it, and he's response was 'They closed it again so get ready to spend the night in Manhattan'. I wanted to punch him. He was so insensitive. Then I hung out a bit with all the crowds of people...others covered in white dust, others on the ground trying to breathe...it was so devastating. Word got around that Williamsburg bridge was open now so I, among others, started to make our way there. Thankfully it was open and we were able to walk over it into brooklyn where friends came to pick me up. I felt so overwhelmed as I walked into brooklyn from the bridge...that area is predominently jewish, so there were a bunch of jewish people who had volunteered to hand out water to everyone that walked off the bridge, they would walk around asking everyone if they were ok or needed anything..it was so moving. I made it home at around 7 that day. I didn't go to work for a week after that and was considering quitting. It was such a devasting experience to hear all the stories of all the people that worked there and were lost. I will never forget that day

I just had to say I am sitting here almost in tears at work
*Catie*

I was a sophmore in HS at the time. I remember leaving our first period class heading to homeroom and the loud speaker came on in the hall and for this one time ever everyone in the halls were silent usually you can never hear announcements while in the halls. but that day was different. the principal told us that a tower at just hit the World Trade Center Building. Everyone started chatting to the person next to them and the principal said to go to homeroom. There the teachers turned on the TVs in the classrooms and we all watched. Homeroom was extended to an hour period where we watched the towers collapse and everyone was crying!!

I had a guy in my homeroom whose mother worked in the building and died. then i remember kids leaving school to go down there since they volunteered with the fire depts and also some kids left because their parents were down their either working or NYPD/FDNY. I just kept thinking about my dad and ran to the bathroom to try to call him or my mom and nothing no service. My dad worked in the Citibank building (i beleive it was building #7) but thankfully they evacuated everyone but he did see the 2nd plane hit and said it was devestating. he also saw people jumping and he said that image will never leave his mind. but i remember being so scared and wanting to leave school since we were doing NOTHIN in classes all day but the principal would let no one leave. it was definitely a horrible dreadful day in class with teachers crying as well as students and lunch was sooo silent it was crazy that day!!! thankfully though my dad was able to get home around 9pm after he walked over the bridge and a good samaratian picked him and a coworker up and drove them home since he lived near us!!!

ETA: it is kinda sad to say but i think it means more ot me now then when it first happened. of course i was devestated i could have lost my dad or family members and also just mourning for those who lost loved ones and family members etc...however now because FH is fighting for those who were lost that day it hits me harder. i know he will go to Iraq and fight for our rights here because of what happened on 9/11 and i could never be more proud of him and scared but def makes me grateful for what i have and makes me proud to know he is standing up for those who lost a loved on and for us because we dont want to lose anymore loved ones to a tragedy such as this!!!!

I was in college class at hofstra , and a student came in and said that a plane hit the towers. everyone thought it was an accident, i didnt. i know this sounds ridiculous but i had a gut instinct that something bad was going to happen in NYC and DC(didnt know about PA) and begged my friends not to go to college in these cities for a year prior, so my first thought was 'it is finally happening'.

then the same student announced that another plane crashed in DC and was headed to PA, the teacher cancelled class. some went to the top of the library to see it, i drove home. i was taken aback by how every single radio station had coverage and was in disbelief, it was truly a state of emergency. as i drove home on that beautiful day, everyone else drove slowly and ill never forget how each person in the cars next to me looked at me with empathy and saddness, as if we were in this together. it was surreal.

didnt lose anyone personally but as days went on i heard how many of my friends, and aquaintances were mourning personal losses and it took a major toll on me. i had reccurent nightmares up until about 2 years ago about it, major PTSD. everyday at 9:11 am and pm i would 'happen' to look at the clock. it was bizarre. i can only imagine what the victimes families went through.

*Evelyn*

It was a little after 8am on 9/11/2001 and a friend and I were circling around NYU looking for parking. I hear a a plane fly really low and make this incredibly loud sound - I looked up but didn't think anything of it. Then - looking forward I saw one of the most horrific things of my life - that same plane crashing into one of the twin towers right before my very eyes. We turned on the radio and heard countless speculations as to what was happening. A little while later, when we had already parked we saw the second plane crash into the second tower. We knew instantly that we had to run. The only problem is that my friends mom worked a few blocks away from the towers and it was impossible to reach her with our cellphones because EVERYONE was trying to use them at that moment trying to reach their loved ones.

We did the only thing we could do - we started running toward the towers while the rest of Manhattan was running in the oposite direction. I saw soooo many people crying, yelling, covered in dust and looking so frightened and exhausted. I stopped several times to offer my cellphone to those that were trying to make contact with thier families and friends. .....it was so awful to see so many people crying.

We finally arrived at her building and found her to be safe. I was finally able to reach my parents who had been worried sick because NYU is so close to the towers and they couldn't reach me for about 3 hours since it happened, and then I called DH (we had been dating for just a few months at that point). Then I spent the rest of the day sitting in my friend's mom's office wondering if this was the end of the attacks or if there would be more. I have never been so afraid for my life before.

Manhattan was closed down, there was no way to get back home but to walk back to brooklyn. We got our stuff ready and walked with a couple of hundred people over the Brooklyn Bridge to get home. Smoke was everywhere and the sight of the attacks was just too much for me to handle. I cried the whole 2 hr walk back home.

9/11 will never be forgotten. It angers me, sadens me, humbles me and will forever leave a lasting impression in my memories.

I'm praying for everyone that was affected by the attacks which is basically me praying for the whole world because I can't imagine anyone not being affected by what happened on 9/11. I'm sorry for anyone that has lost a loved one. Thanfully I didn't lose anyone but I know that I definitely lost something on that awful day - I lost a little part of me.

*Melody*

on my way to a job interview. I got on the wrong train and ended up in the city. Decided to go upstairs to 1 penn plaza coz thats where my mom works. saw everything happen from there and caught the last train running out of penn station

*Jennifer*

I was a sophomore at Curtis HS in Staten Island. The school is right across the river facing Manhattan so you can see the towers clearly from there.

I was actually cutting my first class with my one of my best friends and we were in the hallway waiting for our next class. A boy came running up the hallway screaming that a plane hit the tower.

My best friends mother worked in one of the towers so she immediately freaked out. She started crying and panicking so we took her to a school office and asked a teacher for the phone to let her call her mother. Luckily, her mother decided to take the day off that day.

We still panicked and ran to the lunch room to get my MOH and tell her what happened. From there it was chaos. News was spreading the school and everyone started running out. Teachers didnt dare try to hold us back so we all left.

We had to go down by the river to catch the buses home so we saw the city perfectly. The black smoke was huge. At that point one tower had fell. My MOH went home with me and on the bus people were crying and freaking out. By the time we got home, both towers were gone. After that it was just extremely upsetting watching only the news on tv and worrying about family members. My father was a NYC detective and didnt get home til real late.

One thing that sticks out of my mind is my grandfather that passed away last August. He worked at the towers for years and survived the 1st attack. When I got home he was in his room, bawling. It was heartbreaking to see such a strong man in my life breakdown.

That is all cuz Im starting to cry.

*MB*

Teaching an International Marketing Class at St. John's University in Sullivan Hall- which looks out at the Trade Center and the students saw the smoke & then we eventually saw the buildings fall. It was the scariest moment of my life b/c FH was working downtown at the time for IBM and had been in the building the day before.