September 11, 2001

Four years ago this morning I was in my apartment putting my makeup on in the bathroom getting ready for work. At that time, I was working for Bromley Communications as a Traffic Coordinator. Roger was still there because instead of going into the office, he was going to a Microsoft training. He woke up and was in the shower and I turned the tv on to NBC to watch the Today show. There was a report about a plane that had just hit the World Trade Center. I was listening as I continued applying my makeup and now I will admit that I really didn't know much about the World Trade Center..where exactly it was or what people did in it but I was thinking what a horrible accident this was.

Suddenly, I hear a big commotion from the television and I see the second plane crash through the next tower. I was in complete shock and I tell Roger what happened. I found it difficult to continue getting ready and actually leaving for work because I wanted to see what was happening. I'm in my car listening to the radio reporting on this situation when they announce that a third plane has hit the pentagon. At this moment I was absolutely terrified. It was all so surreal, I could not believe what was going on. I remember sitting in traffic on Nakoma directly across from the airport waiting to get onto 281 when they reported that all planes were to be grounded. I picked up my cell phone and called my mom, I knew she probably didn't know what was going on since she worked at a junior high.

I arrive at the office and nobody was working. All of us on the 3rd floor were huddled around a small tv in one of the creative director's offices. This agency has many ties to New York including people that work over there and people who worked with us that have family in New York. We heard about the 4th plane that went down and watched in horror as the towers fell. Everyone was crying and hugging each other and because work seemed so irrelevant amidst the events of that morning, by 10:30 we were all told to go home. I went back home and was glued to the television all day long.

Now, I remember September 11, 2001 like it was yesterday and it makes me weep to imagine what those innocent people and the heroes who emerged to help during this crisis went through. All those who perished that day were just like you and me. They were husbands, wives, children and friends who were just trying to get home to their loved ones or were working at their jobs not knowing that life as we knew it would forever be changed that morning.