Friday, September 11, 2009
Memories of 9/11
Well, here it is. What has Jeff the fat limey got to say about 9/11?
Actually, I don't really have anything deep or meaningful to add about it. What I can write about, though, is my own personal memory of that day in history.
Firstly, I should mention that 9/11/2001 was my 2nd wedding anniversary.
It was just another ordinary workday. I got up, showered, had a cup of coffee (natch) and got ready to go to work. I did not listen to the radio or watch TV before leaving for work, and I listened to a CD in the car, so I was blissfully unaware of any global strife. I worked at LensCrafters at the time, in the Colonial Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville. I was a Lab Technician. I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I stopped by the Atlanta Bread Company for a brekky sandwich.
While I was making my purchase, I overheard two guys chatting, saying something about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center, and the way they were talking, it sounded like some ignorant twot had lost control of a single-engined Cessna and smacked into a skyscraper. "Whatever next?" I thought, and left the ABC, brekky in hand, and went to work.
When I got there, I was let in by Glen Carter, our Retail Manager, and I remarked to him, "Hear about that plane crashing into the World Trade Center?"
"Two planes, I heard" says Glen.
"Two planes?" I replied, incredulous.
While setting up the lab for a day's eyewear production, I turned on the radio for a bit of news. I was surprised to hear Tom Brokaw. Evidently the radio station was re-broadcasting the TV news. Gradually it was ascertained that this was a terrorist attack.
As the morning wore on, and glasses were made, Glen would pop his head round the door every few minutes for more updates.
"The south tower's collapsed!"
"Some plane hit the Pentagon!"
Then, "Now the north tower's collapsed!"
We were all shocked, of course, and trying to focus on our jobs, but our hearts weren't in it. Long about noon, the mall management decided to shut down the mall for the afternoon. We finished up what we were doing, shut everything down as if it was 9pm, and eventually got out of there shortly before 2pm.
I had been considering getting a cellphone, and had decided the day before to run by RadioShack and look at some. Now remember, at this point the only news I had been exposed to was what I had heard on the radio. The sheer scale of it was still not apparent to me.
When I walked into 'the Shack' and saw what was on all the TVs I nearly fell over. Constant re-running of footage of the collapse of the towers, in slo-mo and breaking news about the attacks and footage from someone's camcorder. I immediately decided to wait until some other time to check out cellphones and go home to my wife and babies. When I got there she was sat on the sofa watching it, clearly numb from it all.
That's about all I remember from that day. What we did for our anniversary, if we did anything, I have not a clue.
It certainly doesn't seem like it was 8 years ago. It seems so fresh in the memory.
Let's hope it never happens again.
Bring the boys back home.
"The logic of war seems to be that if a belligerent can fight, he will fight. That leaders will not surrender until surrender is academic. How is a national leader to explain the sacrifice of so much for nothing? Well, relax, I can explain, I don't want to die!" -- Frankie Goes To Hollywood, War
Actually, I don't really have anything deep or meaningful to add about it. What I can write about, though, is my own personal memory of that day in history.
Firstly, I should mention that 9/11/2001 was my 2nd wedding anniversary.
It was just another ordinary workday. I got up, showered, had a cup of coffee (natch) and got ready to go to work. I did not listen to the radio or watch TV before leaving for work, and I listened to a CD in the car, so I was blissfully unaware of any global strife. I worked at LensCrafters at the time, in the Colonial Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville. I was a Lab Technician. I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I stopped by the Atlanta Bread Company for a brekky sandwich.
While I was making my purchase, I overheard two guys chatting, saying something about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center, and the way they were talking, it sounded like some ignorant twot had lost control of a single-engined Cessna and smacked into a skyscraper. "Whatever next?" I thought, and left the ABC, brekky in hand, and went to work.
When I got there, I was let in by Glen Carter, our Retail Manager, and I remarked to him, "Hear about that plane crashing into the World Trade Center?"
"Two planes, I heard" says Glen.
"Two planes?" I replied, incredulous.
While setting up the lab for a day's eyewear production, I turned on the radio for a bit of news. I was surprised to hear Tom Brokaw. Evidently the radio station was re-broadcasting the TV news. Gradually it was ascertained that this was a terrorist attack.
As the morning wore on, and glasses were made, Glen would pop his head round the door every few minutes for more updates.
"The south tower's collapsed!"
"Some plane hit the Pentagon!"
Then, "Now the north tower's collapsed!"
We were all shocked, of course, and trying to focus on our jobs, but our hearts weren't in it. Long about noon, the mall management decided to shut down the mall for the afternoon. We finished up what we were doing, shut everything down as if it was 9pm, and eventually got out of there shortly before 2pm.
I had been considering getting a cellphone, and had decided the day before to run by RadioShack and look at some. Now remember, at this point the only news I had been exposed to was what I had heard on the radio. The sheer scale of it was still not apparent to me.
When I walked into 'the Shack' and saw what was on all the TVs I nearly fell over. Constant re-running of footage of the collapse of the towers, in slo-mo and breaking news about the attacks and footage from someone's camcorder. I immediately decided to wait until some other time to check out cellphones and go home to my wife and babies. When I got there she was sat on the sofa watching it, clearly numb from it all.
That's about all I remember from that day. What we did for our anniversary, if we did anything, I have not a clue.
It certainly doesn't seem like it was 8 years ago. It seems so fresh in the memory.
Let's hope it never happens again.
Bring the boys back home.
"The logic of war seems to be that if a belligerent can fight, he will fight. That leaders will not surrender until surrender is academic. How is a national leader to explain the sacrifice of so much for nothing? Well, relax, I can explain, I don't want to die!" -- Frankie Goes To Hollywood, War
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