Monday, September 10, 2007

Afternoon Edition - 9/10/07

The Scar; Six Years and Still Visible
We’ll never be the same again. For those of us from the NYC or DC areas, we will forever have that flinch that comes from someone struck when they weren’t watching. I still remember that fateful day. I was living in DC at the time and was already in my office when I received a call that one of the Twin Towers were struck by a small plane. As I was watching the news report on our conference room television, I witnessed the second plane hitting the towers. My hairs still stand on end thinking about it. I ran back to my desk and grabbed my bag. I called my friends in my building and we agreed to meet outside. It was then that the third plane hit the Pentagon. Terrified, I exited the building with my friends and rather than taking the Metro, we were directed to walk out of the city. We walked for miles – bewildered, shattered, confused. The rest of the story is similar to that of so many other folks that day. We struggled to connect with our loved ones – most of mine in NYC - and for the first time in our history, we experienced an attack on our soil. Even those who saw the tragedy on television will never know the first-hand shock and horror those in the NYC and DC area suffered that day. I don’t think six years has done anything to minimize that pain – don’t think six years more will. With every horror story comes a positive spin. That day America knew unity and solidarity. We sincerely cared for our fellow man and joined together as Americans to survive – physically and emotionally. Today, as we cross the six-year mark of that tragic attack on our nation, I hope we can all conjure-up that feeling of unity. You see, whether you’re White, Black, Latino, etc., it doesn’t really matter; you’re living in America; sharing the American dream and therefore privy to the American nightmare that was September 11. We are a living testament to the triumph of a proud spirit. We are the scarred Americans who will forever remember that day. Hopefully we all realize how precious our country is and how strongly those who don’t understand our blessings feel about us.

On Blast
What was your first thought when you realized what was really happening that dreadful 9/11?

Keep passin’ the open windows…

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mine was ... is this for real? I was in my last semester of college in my 9 am class. It was art, and we our prof told us he went to his office and that there had been an "accident" at the WTC. So, we turned the radio on, at which point we heard the rest unfold. I remember being skeptical because the station we were listening to is notorious for gags and jokes - I just knew they were fucking with us. But, we were wrong ... pretty scary stuff. That had to be the oddest day of my life. I was living in VA at the time and the area is heavily military ... and it seemed like the city shut down. It was so eerie. With the shipyards and bases being in the area, everybody was scared. It was later revealed that Hampton Roads was in fact on the list of targets. I'll never forget that as long as I live.

fuzzy said...

My cousin! He worked in the first building that was hit. I was like oh my God! I was a nervous wreck for some odd reason (wasn't close to him much) but still cared. I called my aunt and she said He was sick and didn't go to work that day! I was like Thank God! Then right after that phone call, I went to my next class and some classmates hadn't heard. My friend went crazy, her mom worked in that same building! She didn't make it out. Sad...

Anonymous said...

sorry, that was me Cas608. I am still suffering from PTSD for various reasons, including 9/11.

That Dude Right There said...

I had just awakened and was seeing my boyfriend off to work and sat down to watch the news as I normally did. I sat in front of that television for 10 hours straight crying and saying "Oh My God". I'll never forget that day.

Anonymous said...

The American dream is quickly fading due to those who claim to love America.

Darius T. Williams said...

Um, I guess I was kinda young...didn't really know what was really happening. I just remember working in Downtown Chicago - going to work hearing people talk about something in NYC and there were people all over the streets in Chicago. I got to work, they closed the office, I got two days off.

Anonymous said...

Captain -
America is the greatest country in the world. We are all spoiled children, but we have the FREEDOM to do and say as we please.
The only Americans who would sit back and not do or say anything if someone attacks us are people who shouldn't live here, but, for the most part everyone I know is GRATEFUL to be American.
Peace and God Bless America
Cas608

Anonymous said...

P.S.

Jesus is Redeemer. He Loves all of us. ALL.

cas608

Anonymous said...

9/11 was a very sad day. A day that I don't think anyone will ever get over. I will admit that there were two people with me on that day that minimize the fear for me. Sissy I love you with all my heart and if anything ever happened to you I really don't know how I would move on. Hector, you are so special and so strong and it seems that it took you to move back to NY to realize that. I love you dearly Papi and it was wonderful seeing you after such a long time in August.

On another note: As tightly as Americans gripped each other on that truly horrific day. We still seem to lose sight of a lot of things. First Jena 6 and the noose hanging on a tree now U of Maryland and another noose hanging on a tree outside of a commonly known black students hang out. Please people remember this day not just for what happened but for what it allowed us to do as Americans (come together)no matter what race or religious preference.

Peace & Blessings to all of you.

Hey Caspar!!!!

Donya

Dayne Avery said...

All I could think was it couldn't be real. But, it was.

Mr. Jones said...

Tough day for me and everyone around me. I wrote a post recounting my experiences that day. Feel free to check it out.

bLaQ~n~MiLD said...

Wow great post yo!

Man I was in DC attending HU sitting in my accounting class when the professor stepped out. Upon re-entering, she says "I have terrible news... A plane has hit the World Trade Center....... Ok who has the answer to number one?" We all looked at her like she was crazy and some started going into the hall the see the TV. After a couple of minutes, she canceled class in frustration that students were exiting class. I am from NYC and my mother at the time worked in Manhattan consulting. She was supposed to be in the WTC towers in 93 when the building was initially bombed! Thank God she was not.

As I walked back to the dorm, I realized there was smoke coming from across the river in Va. Little did I know at the time that the Pentagon had been attacked too.

That day was crazy fa real, but it should serve to further our resolve that where ever these bastards are, we should hunt them down and take care of them. No matter what it takes!

**Captain, I've seen your comments on various blogs and I concur...you are intellectually inept!!!**

~Damnit!

Anonymous said...

I know this is fucked up and remember I was in college but my thought was dayum I knew I should tried to have get with my roommate...lol. Then is was thank god I'm in Bumble fuck, USA cuz hey are not comming here. But in all realness it ook days to really process. I'm a small town boy and had never even seen the WTC live in person, so it was still rather distant to me...

Anonymous said...

It is still so painful. Some feelings simply can't be put into words. Nonetheless, we move on (hopefully forward) and pray never to experience anything like this ever again - not us, our children, nor our children's children. For some, the Earth rumbled, while for others, it stood still and we knew that all was not well in the world.

Be good to eachother.

ATL

yet another black guy said...

i was working a convention meeting and was asked to switch from a powerpoint presentation to CNN. i switched the image just in time to see the 2nd bldg get hit.

the meeting was for a major national consulting firm. pretty much everyone was hysterical. on the show headset, a guy named Dave Weld ( a well known Socialist) said, "I just hope Americans know how much they contributed to this."

6 years later, we can all acknowledge the truth in his words, but at the time i had to ask him to leave the room.