9/11 - what were you doing!!

[Rosefriend]

When we started GWD there were many topical/political /religious threads that caused a bit of a rumpus...possibly because we are all different and in some situations feel very strongly about things, emotions can run high.

However, I feel that nobody can remember 9/11 without feeling utterly helpless, angry, sad....sooo many feelings.

Whatever all of us do feel, I do know that no-one will forget what they were doing at the time that the first planes went into the World Trade Centre...

OH and I were in the kitchen when I suddenly heard on the radio that there had been an explosion at the Twin Towers....nothing else. I ran into the Lounge calling my OH and turned CNN on to get the English side and saw what - well what - the first plane had just flown into the first tower and whilst we were trying to realise what kind of horror was happening the second plane flew in....

OH and I, still standing, just stared at the TV - we couldn't believe what we were seeing - it was still unreal....then we saw people jumping out of the windows and we both went cold and realised that it was the most horrific thing we had even seen..

I rang my Mum and told her to put the TV on and she rang me back a few minutes later totally speechless - a woman who had seen WW11 but had never seen such horror.

I spent hours trying to find a friend that I knew was going to the Pentagon in Washington but Internet was blocked. 3 days later he finally got through to me to say that he had had a small accident and someone else had taken his place...

Had 9/11 been a Spielberg film it would have won ever Oscar available...it wasn't though - it was real life and I firmly believe we have not seen the last of such terror.

My heart goes out to all the people that lost their lives and to the people that still suffer and grieve for their loved ones.

Where were you??

RF

[Geranium]

In my Office at school - and my recently retired secretary rang and told me. We put the school TV on and all the staff came to see what was happening, so we shared the horror together. It seemed so unreal - like a disaster movie - but it wasn't. It was real.

It certainly doesn't feel like 10 years ago. My life has changed completely, of course, with retirement, but I do think of all the people whose lives were either wiped out, or changed by the loss of loved ones through dreadful acts of wickedness.

I'll pause for a few minutes tomorrow and bear them in my thoughts.

[Geranium]

Sorry - it's not tomorrow, is it. I got today's date wrong. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/embarassed.gif

[Jasmine]

I was at home and a Canadian friend who had flown home on September 2nd called me to tell me what was happening.

I am left forever with the image of people jumping from the windows because that was a better option than staying on the floors they were on in the WTC and the sheer bravery of the folk to went to try and rescue people knowing that there can't have been a good ending for them or the folk they were going to but it was worth a try because that's what they did.
I was listening to some Mums of folk who were on the plane that was retaken by the passengers and crashed into a field - they were so sad but so proud that they felt the plane hadn't reached its possible target.

My thoughts are with everyone who was touched by the horror of that day...

[farmersboy]

We were on holiday at Brean Somerset,and had gone to Chew Valley Lakes on a visit,i had just pulled up,and switched on the car radio,when the news came through,we didnt believe it,at first thought it was a hoax,but when we got back to our caravan,and saw the pictures on the TV,we knew it was for real,what man can do to man,if theres a god,why does he let this happen.

[Ladygardener]

I was in a friends house online chatting to someone and reports started to come through about what was happening. We turned on the tv and just sat there for hours watching the events unfold. I was, like everyone else, shocked and disbelieving of the horror of it all. We kept the news on for the rest of the day, sick to the pits of our stomachs.
I remember crying for those who lost loved ones, being proud of the firefighters and medical staff who had to deal with the results of the atrocity. I'm sure everyone involved will have flashbacks and never forget how they felt having to witness such carnage. It brought back to me my feelings of helplessness after I witnessed the effects of a bomb here in NI. I doubt any of us will forget. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/cry.gif

[Barbara]

I was in the kitchen with the radio on, the DJ said a plane has crashed in NY, I put the TV on and saw all hell letting loose on people just like us going about there every day stuff, and it stuck me to the spot.

later on in the year Manchester got it's two football teams together to raise money for the emergency service people, we went along and I'll never forget the rounds of applause given to the fire fighters that night.

[carolann]

I was working in a factory and we didnt have a radio and a girl came onto our floor in tears saying 2 planes had crashed into the towers 1 girl said dont be silly its just a joke or a film stunt but no she had just seen it on the TV in the office I didint know if it was true or what as nothing else was said again during the day then that night I went to the chip shop on the way home and saw it on the TV for myself I was stunned and tears appeared in my eyes I just felt empty, shocked and numb I just couldnt take it in, I didnt think of all the lives that where lost but of who could have done such a thing and why? in the days after the loss of life not just Americans but all the other people from around the world started to filter through on the news my heart went out to all of them and the men and women who risked their lives to try and help others.

[Auricula]

I was at work, and, to be honest didn't take that much notice. Our school finance officer came to my office and told me, but I just said "Oh, there's always something, somewhere in the world" if I remember rightly. I still don't think I've seen any actual footage of it.

[Jasmine]

I was reading the transcripts this morning about what was said by the folk on the ground (air traffic control) as they tried to keep order in between the first and second plane hitting the twin towers. No one seemed to be able to make sense of what was happening and I suppose that's the feeling that lingers now. I had to stop reading in the end - it was like an intrusion. No wonder the relatives of the folk on the last plane won't let those transcripts be made public.

[Sunnygardener]

I was with Mum and we watched TV for hours and we cried for all the people that died.

It's sad that some people don't seem to care about what happened and can't even be bothered to watch programmes about it. I'm glad that I care and will watch the TV on Sunday and I will cry again

[Auricula]

It's not a matter of not caring. We all deal with things in our own way.This thread is for what we were doing, not for criticising others.Some of us don't want to intrude in very personal moments . I respect all life, and am upset at every atrocity regardless of who commits it and who suffers it. Outpourings of grief ( or mass hysteria) over things about which we have no control, and affecting people we do not personally know, are not for everyone. I respect everyone's right to react and behave in their chosen way, oh that others would do the same.
The thought of people knowing they were going to die is just horrendous.

[Jasmine]

Sept 9, 2011 11:12:23 GMT Auricula said:

The thought of people knowing they were going to die is just horrendous.

I was thinking the same earlier. The folk on the first plane had some hope that they were going to be flown somewhere else and a ransom demanded. With the use of in-flight mobile phones and personal mobile phones the other flights knew what was happening....

[MamIDdau]

I was sitting at my desk and it came on the radio that a plane had hit one of the towers of the WTC. I thought "Bloody hell! That's awful". Then not long after it came on the radio again that another plane had hit the other tower... I started to think OK, this isn't an accident. Then there were reports of the other planes and it was absolute disbelief.

I grew up near Manchester and was meant to be going into town when the IRA bomb went off, so I was no stranger to terrorism, but this was something else.

I drove home (to near Manchester Airport) panicking that they would attack there etc. I got home and watched the news reports and I remember crying so much because it was horrific. Watching people jumping out of the high floor windows because it was a better option than burning to death etc. It still upsets me now to watch it.

RIP to the 2973 people who lost their lives that day xxx And also to those who have lost their lives since as a consequence of breathing in toxic substances at ground zero xx

[Tig]

I resisted posting on this thread, because I still find it impossible to comprehend mans inhumanity to man.

I know where I was, and I can resurrect the feelings that came over me. Not that I would want to, for there are so many things in this world that we cannot influence or change. Yet the tears still flowed for those who experienced the terror of that murderous event. I am perhaps a bit strange, for those who died my greatest sorrow is for their relatives, as the pain of death rests with the living. For those whose lives were blighted by this act of evil, the survivors and the relatives, I feel the greatest compassion.

Whichever religion, beliefs or otherwise folk choose to adopt - the fundamental sanity should be the respect for life and the acceptance of differences. We are all here for such a short time anyway, I cannot get my head round why people should want to end another persons life

x Tig

[Spruance]

I always used to record the Fifteen-To-One quiz show and normally set the video the night before but this time I had forgotten and so had to do it after lunch before heading back to work.

I switched on the TV and saw what I thought was another example of those trashy B-movies that were standard fare for daytime TV at the time. There was no commentary and then they replayed the first plane hitting and shortly afterwards the second plane hit. I was in complete shock and phoned work to say that I would be late back whilst I took in what was happening.

On arriving back at work one person was tasked with monitoring the internet all afternoon as we fully expected WW3 to kick off when we realised that the USA had been deliberately targeted. At the time I was also in touch with online friends in the USA and they were in a state of deep shock at what had happened, as was I.

I just hope that nothing untoward happens on the tenth anniversary this weekend.

[Ladygardener]

I was chatting to a friend last night who also said they thought it was the beginning of ww3.

[Jasmine]

Sad, sad memorials today - the list of names went on and on....

In amongst all the trees that have been newly planted at the Ground Zero site is a pear tree that survived the devastation 10 years ago.

[Ladygardener]

Oh my word that's amazing.

[Jasmine]

I know - what a sturdy little tree.

[Barbara]

It just goes to prove you really can't beat all of nature.

[Jasmine]

Absolutely Barbara