I was in my car driving to work, which was only 2 minutes away from my house, when I heard the DJ say that something had happened in New York at the Twin Towers. I couldn’t get enough information from him, so I sped down the road and rushed into the bank where I worked. I told them all what I heard on the radio, and ran to the back to turn on the news. I heard Peter Jennings say, wait oh my…and all of a sudden, there on the screen was the second plane flying right into the tower! I was in shock, I couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t the replay, and it happened 10 seconds after I pushed the power button to ‘on’.

My co-workers were oblivious to what was going on, because they had no radios or tvs on around them, until I came in to the main lobby and I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath fast enough to tell them what was going on. Then, we locked the bank doors, went to the back and were glued to Mr. Jennings the rest of the morning. We all watched as both towers fell, live, on TV. Then, when everyone panicked over the gas gouging, we had to shut the bank down again, because there were so many cars in the gas station next door (we were attached to the station externally) that they were blocking our parking places and drive-thru windows. It was pure mayhem.

I kept crying all day and I just imagined how it must have felt to be in the building, in the plane, in the area breathing the debris and dust and smoke and not knowing what the rest of us knew.

I also appreciated all of those who risked and gave their lives to save others, the firemen, the passengers on United 93, and police and regular people on the street who were so selfless that day.

God Bless You and Keep You Safe.
~This too shall pass.