I remember
Posted By Kathleen David on September 11, 2004
Behind the cut is what happened to me on September 11th 2001.
I remember
I remember where I was when the first plane hit. I had just gotten my breakfast smoothie and was on my way back to my desk. I was going through a secured door when the door came back at me and knocked the smoothie all over my right shoe. I cleaned up the mess and went back to the cafeteria to replace my breakfast.
I remember
I remember Luiz gave me a free smoothie that day even n told her I would pay for it. It was an accident she said no need to pay. Luiz was from Guatemala. She had two boys. One born there and one born here. She had been very lucky in the immigration lottery and was grateful to be in the United States. One of the kitchen personal can running out and was talking rapidly in Spanish. A small plane hit the World Trade Center came the translation. I went back up stairs.
I remember
I got back up stairs and Shelly told me to come with her. We went to the head of publicity
I grateful and happy that you’re safe Kath.
But I have to tell you home just isn’t that safe anymore. Yesterday, I was at work all night, and when I pulled up to my house that morning, My house was surrounded by flashng police lights, CSI investigators amd yards of yellow crime scene tape. I pulled in front of my house in a panic. I couldn’t even get into my driveway. When I ask the police officers what happened, they looked at me and asked where I lived. I pointed to one of the houses they had taped off and they told me I could go in.
Turns out they were looking for evidence. My next door neighbor, a man in his early seventies had just been stabbed by another guy from the nieghborhood. They were looking for him and the knife. They had taken my neighbort to the hospital and weren’t sure if he would make it. He didn’t.
I don’t know how to react to my next door neighbor’s widow. She and I have never had more than just a casual conversation, and never for very long. I’d always tried to be nice to them because years ago when I was in college, they lost their daughter to a senseless killing.
I’m not really trying to rain on anyone’s 9-11 parade. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day. I was out of work, no job prospects and facing another day of being told “no thanks”.
So everyone hug your loved ones and be grateful that you can still do so. A jetliner doesn’t have to slam into a building for terrorism to hit home.
BTW, I hope you don’t mind me using your blog to write this, but I really, really needed to let someone know how I was feeling right now.
EClark-
Don’t worry about it. Vent all you need to here. It is as big a tragedy to those involved as the worst that happened on 9-11-01. I read this and went and gave Caroline lots of hugs and cuddles.
Kath
This is a compelling first-hand account, and I appreciate you sharing it with us.