September 11th memories

Twins

There is so much I could write about the World Trade Center. I have lived my entire life within 30 miles or less of Manhattan. I remember watching them being built over 30 years ago, wondering just what those two towers were and and how tall they were going to be. The above picture is how I best remember them-gleaming golden in the sun. They were a spectacular sight.

The morning of September 11th 2001 I was at work. We usually listen to a New York radio station, but on that fateful morning one of my co-workers had brought in some cd's and we noticed that among them was one by the Bay City Rollers. So a few of my other co-workers and I thought it would be funny if we put on "Saturday Night" and dance to it in front of the guy who had brought the darn thing in. Our supervisor goes to a meeting every morning at 8:45 so that is when we turned the radio off and put in the cd. The first plane hit the towers at 8:46 am and here we were, less than 30 miles away, dancing like fools.

We found out moments later what had happened as we were making our way up front for our morning break. We pretty much spent the rest of our workday huddled around the radio listening to the news. Some people left work to take their kids out of school and many of us thought we were about to be nuked at any moment since flight 93 was still unaccounted for and it had taken off from Newark. Some people formed prayer circles as many of us knew someone that worked in the World Trade Center. People that hadn't spoken to each other for awhile were shaking hands and hugging. There's nothing like a tragedy to bring people together.

I remember the drive home from work later that afternoon. It was a beautiful clear sunny day and there was this eerie calmness all around. There was hardly any traffic on the normally congested roads. And then I saw it-the long plume of smoke across that sunny blue sky. And that's when it really hit me and I started to cry.

I live right across the river from Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of NYC. There is a bridge near my home which connects New Jersey to Staten Island. As I got closer to home I remember seeing these abandoned cars everywhere. All the bridges and tunnels to New York were closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles and I assumed people left their cars and walked over the bridge to reach their destinations. I never really did find out for sure.

I drove to our local Home Depot where there is an excellent view of New York City from the parking lot. I got out of my car and could not believe what I was seeing in front of me. To see the NYC skyline enveloped in a shroud of smoke has to be the most unreal thing I have ever witnessed-I will never forget it.

The smoke lingered here for weeks. I remember yanking out what was left of my vegetable garden because everything was coated with this fine ash and I did not want to ingest whatever was in that dust. After seeing what many of the rescue workers are going through, I think I made a wise decision.

Tonight depending on the weather, I may be able to see some of the "Tribute In Light" from my front porch. It's not a full view like the picture below, but you can make out two lights if the conditions are right. And even if they're not, I will still be outside at 9:11 pm like I have done for the past six years, praying for the victims and their families.


World Trade Center Memorial Lights, New York City