9/11 Honor & Reminiscence Thread: Where were you, what were you doing, how did it change you, if at all?
I was making rounds at the hospital. The staff and hospital in general were eerily quiet.
It was like time stood still for hours as the details unfolded. Many staff members had far away looks in their eyes. Looks of concern that communicated a desire to stop working and call to check on loved ones.
Each patient that I visited, who was awake and lucid, was watching the news. It seemed like everyone was watching the exact same channel. The reports echoed down the hallways.
I remember one extremely upset lady in tears and having trouble breathing. She had been deeply affected by WWII and was just sure that her grandchildren were going to be forced to join the service and go to war. I tried to comfort and reassure her the best way that I knew how.
I honestly felt some of her same fears.
What did the future hold for us, I wondered.
After a few days, I found a flag pin to wear. Then, later, I started wearing an enameled pin in the shape of an apple that was red, white, and blue on my labcoat every day. For NYC, the Big Apple.
I put an American flag magnet on my car. Soon, American flags and other patriotic symbols were everywhere. On cars, houses, shops, jewelry, clothing. Everywhere.
It's difficult to think about how so many of us were forced to change.
Change goals, dreams, and senses of stability and security. The shock in the loss of the feelings of safety.
The monotony of the daily routine was erased by the fear of another unexpected disaster.
How the feelings of being untouched, undisturbed, trusting of almost everyone just disappeared in a single day.
All of the unnecessary lives lost on that day and every other day since as a result of it.
It was a day that never really ended, still living in my heart.
Where were you?
— (@2diamondeyes.bsky.social) 2025-09-11T09:19:38.091Z
= new reply since forum marked as read
It was early morning in the Rocky Mountains, and NPR was on and I heard Bob Edwards suddenly turn serious and took a call from an eye witness who was on the phone with Bob when the second plane hit.
I had just received my Master's degree 30 days prior and was negotiating a really good position with a great nonprofit that dissipated into thin air a few days later. I never recovered professionally or financially from the setbacks that took place thereafter. All these years later I am retired with far less than I had tried to plan for all this time.
I no longer plan ahead any more than a couple weeks into the future anymore. I decide to avoid international travel, embarrassed by my USA passport.
His fire company was first due, and he helped evacuate the the south tower. They were getting ready to go back in when the tower collapsed.
Among his most vivid memories are the sounds of the tower floors falling one upon the other and the sounds of bodies hitting the ground, not with a thud, but with a pop, like an explosion.
My family was very lucky that day. Today we remember those friends we lost.
God Bless Us All.
❤️
❤️
Still being affected.
It must have been really disorienting just waking up to so much chaos.
I'm sure it may not have seemed so at the time, but it was a blessing that you were there to help gently break the horrible news.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Bettie.
❤️
Hat Tip to pat_k
https://democraticunderground.com/100220636788
I thought the same thing at the time...
"...airplanes used as weapons."
Thanks so much for sharing, IzzaNuDay.
Touched by that day in ways we'll never know unless we share. Thank you for sharing this.
❤️
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