5 of 40

Write now Article Tools

Memories of 911

A few weeks ago, I watched the movie "World Trade Center". It's amazing how many memories flash through your mind, even after six long years; the fear, the panic, the thought of world war and all the other emotions that consumed every waking moment in September of 2001.

It was a beautiful, clear sunny day in the Chicago area. September 11, 2001 may have been one of the most perfect days all year. The sky seemed a more intense blue and the air seemed cleaner than usual. While driving to work that day, I was struck with a bizarre thought. "What a great day to die!" What? Where the hell is that thought coming from? It's a beautiful day to live and enjoy, yet I had this crazy thought about dying. Oh well. Such are the thoughts of my crazy brain sometimes.

A few minutes into my commute, I got a call from my Mom in Connecticut. She was telling me a plane had struck one of the World Trade Towers. Yeah, it was probably some idiot in a Cessna trying to get a closer look at downtown New York City. After all...it was only a matter of time before a high rise building would be hit by a plane. Didn't someone hit a building in Florida around that time? Not much time passed before the second plane hit and without a doubt we knew something more sinister was unfolding.

As soon as I got to work, I got busy trying to get information. I think CNN.com was the first source of information. If I recall, we found a TV and tuned to live coverage. When I heard news of the Pentagon crash and another crash in Western Pennsylvania, I suspected a larger, nationwide attack was imminent. Rumors began spreading about a possible attack on the Sears Tower and the fact that Western Pennsylvania is between the East Coast and Chicago, I suspected the rumors could be true. It was those rumors that led me to call my oldest son and tell him to pick up his brothers at school and take them home. Maybe, I was panicking unreasonably, but I didn't want my kids in a public building if our country was under attack. In my somewhat paranoid state, I reasoned attackers would skip individual homes and concentrate their attacks on public places.

I went home pretty early that day. I don't think most Americans were in any mood to work or conduct business. It was also a good opportunity to bond with the kids and remind myself how important they are.

Our house is on the edge of the flight path for Chicago O'Hare airport. It isn't noisy at all, but we are usually aware of the planes in the sky. It is quite

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Memoirs: September 11, 2001?
We want to hear your view. Write now!