Remembering September 11th

wavelandscott (Scott) · #1 11-09-2006, 05:26 PM

Just taking a minute to reflect on September 11th, 2001...

Without wanting this to devolve into a "political" thread, I did want to take some time to reflect on this anniversary of the event that helped "change the world"...

What were you doing when you heard the news about the World Trade Center?

I do not want this to become a someone is right and someone is wrong thread I have my opinions but will keep them to myself (where my opinion belongs)...If and when it does become "politicized" moderators please immediately lock...there is enough disagreement/divisiveness in the world already without spreading it to our own Astro community here.

For me, a part of the anniversary is being thankful that my family was safe in Australia...they arrived here to our new home on September 7th...

I was at the Crows Nest Hotel with vistors from Japan...it was surreal watching the planes hit the tower...I was sure that it was a "B" movie and not real...We immediately concluded our evening and I came home to my wife and two kids and our then rental furniture (our belongings did not arrive for another few weeks)...Everyone was asleep...I woke my wife to tell her the news and we stayed up the rest of the night watching the coverage on television and trying to make some sense of what transpired.

Over the following days as I contacted my family in the US it was a bit unnerving to hear them talk openly of the rumours and fear that had taken root so quickly across the country...as happens in America the fear quickly morphed into patriotism and then all of the events that have since happened...

On this anniversary it is my hope that people can reflect and learn from the events and build a better future for all...

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #2 11-09-2006, 05:55 PM

All I remember is going to bed about 10 minutes before it came on TV. I awoke the next morning and my jaw dropped seeing the first tower fall. I don't think that I remember my blood running that cold ever. I lived in New York for years, and I knew a lot of people as friends, customers and distant family in those two towers. I used to go up these buildings almost daily when I worked there.

The train trip in to Sydney was spent in absolute silence. No-one spoke for the entire hour.

I then went to work in what is known as the "World Trade Centre" in Sydney - the old AAP Tower. I think we were pretty nervous the whole day - especially when the lights went out accidently around 12:00 noon.

Brrrrrrrr.........

xelasnave · #3 11-09-2006, 06:08 PM

Where was I??? standing in front of my TV actually just ready for bed, tired as, went to bed thinking it was a small plane of course nasty but nothing like I woke up to.
alex

iceman (Mike) · #4 11-09-2006, 07:19 PM

Quote:

If and when it does become "politicized" moderators please immediately lock...there is enough disagreement/divisiveness in the world already without spreading it to our own Astro community here.

Thanks Scott, very wise words.

I didn't hear about it until driving to work the next morning.. where I was working at the time, we had a big screen TV - turned it on when I got to work, and it stayed on for the next few weeks!

Just incredible.. on that first day they just replayed the plans hitting the tower over and over and over again. I hope the media don't use this anniversary to replay it again and again and again. The kids really take those images to heart and it's not good for them!

netwolf · #5 11-09-2006, 07:36 PM

I watched it as the news cut in in the middle of the West Wing episode on channel nine. First reaction was that it was part of the episode, as similar events were dramatised in the X-files spin off show The Lonegunamn. As relisation set in i recall screeming for my dad to look at what was hapening. We watched in utter disbelif. For the rest of my life i shall not forget that night as i watched the whole night in horror. I recall praying many times for answers to why, and praying for those lost and injured, then praying for peace. Though i have watched many horror flicks nothing horfied me more than these events, i recalled my school days when i researched in disbelif the occurances of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and hoped that it would never happen again. And there before my eyes i saw it happen in real life.. A diffrent situation but the same evil, a lack of value for life. No desire, no belif, no purpose is greater than the value of life.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" Edmund Burke

Lest we forget that we are the infinite variety and combination of the universe and that we must stand united in the value of human life.

Regards

norm · #6 11-09-2006, 08:57 PM

I was lying in bed watching the Late news on Ten when Sandra Sully broke the news. Just watching her ad-lib it live and the whole thing happening was too surreal. Next thing I had the phone ringing from relatives asking me if I was watching the news. My dad thought it was some movie!

Ended up staying up till 430 - was so hyped up, just couldn't believe it. My wife went to bed, but that said, our twins were just 11 months old and she had a long day. There was this weird atmosphere on the trains, offices the next day.

This terrible event will always live in the back of my mind along with the day that Princess Diana was killed.

BTW: Recently I was doing a course in the city at the Hilton Hotel on the 4th floor, next minute we heard this loud, thundering sound, hovering and getting louder and louder, it ended up being a Blackhawk doing one if its anti-terrorism exercises. The noise for a split 2nd was quite terrifying and felt like something was about to hit the building , I could only imagine what those poor people felt during that horrifying moment.

Blue Fire · #7 12-09-2006, 01:34 AM

I was sitting comfortably in my office about 300 miles away from NYC in Western New York. I had the radio on for muted background and listening to a music station. I managed the office of an Internet Service Provider and had noted that phone calls had dropped off sharply - nobody calling to signup for new accounts, nobody calling with complaints, nobody calling for tech assistance. Then my boss called and clued me in about the first plane to hit the WTC and while we were talking, he informed me of the 2nd plane that had just hit. I was surprised at first that he suggested that I close up shop and go home and watch TV about it (which I finally did), but later understood just how shocked and impacted by the act of terrorism he was.

It all seemed so surreal as I watched TV and curiously it was like it was happening a million miles away even though I was only 300.

asimov (John) · #8 12-09-2006, 02:59 AM

I didn't find out about it until the next morning at work. I simply said to the boss I was going home again & walked out, went home & tried to call a few friends State side to see if they were ok.

CoombellKid · #9 12-09-2006, 06:08 AM

Same here I woke up to it, after doing the lighting for an all-weekend function. I remember waking from a partying induced coma, lying in bed with the bedroom door open and the TV was on. I saw what was building 7 colapse. And I thought oh' yeah' they filming some big demolition job somewhere. Then I could see there appeared to be alot folks hurt, it wasn't untill a littlle time later the showed the second plane hitting that I sat bolt upright.

The world just keeps getting crazier, sometimes I wonder what sort of a world there will be for my children in years to come.

regards,CS sunny days

Rob

Dennis · #10 12-09-2006, 07:39 AM

Choked me with profound sadness at man's inhumanity to man. Still choked all these years later, yet continue to live in hope of a brighter future for mankind. I cannot imagine what friends, families and work colleagues are going through right now. I truly hope that somehow, time and love can heal them.

Cheers

Dennis

Ric · #11 12-09-2006, 08:19 AM

I remember it very clearly, I was flicking through the channels and coming across it just as it all happened. I remember thinking that this looks like a good movie for about a minute or two until it started to sink in what was happening.

not a good period in world history

rowena · #12 12-09-2006, 06:13 PM

My boyfriends's bestfriend's husband was put in hospital that week, so my boyfriend came up to sydney and stayed with his bestfriend to keep her company while her hubby was in hospital cause she was freaking out!.. anyhow they called me at 10:30ish.. and said watch the news, america is under attack! They didnt know whether to call me or not. Im glad they did. I got out of bed and just couldnt beleive it was happening! I went to bed about an hour after the 2nd tower fell! I remember the train ride was so quiet. And everywhere all you could see was people with newspapers with the front cover page of a plane hitting the 2nd trade tower.
Very surreal.

I remember a few weeks later planes flying around sydney cbd at very low altitudes. a lot of people where frightened to go into buildings, but it was for a movie/publicity shoot. would of been nice if they would of told people before hand!

acropolite (Phil) · #13 12-09-2006, 07:19 PM

I was on the way to a job in the car, I still remember the shock at hearing the news on the radio. I still feel sickened at the sight of the video footage and particularly the sight of some people celebrating this mass murder. Unfortunately the people supporting terrorist activities are all too ready to blame western society for their problems, most of which are generated from within their own countries and often by their own governments.

RB (Andrew) · #14 12-09-2006, 08:22 PM

I was the first to wake up in our household that morning, made a cuppa and turned on the radio.
I happend to tune in to the middle of a report and all I heard was that they want to evacuate NY.
My first thought was that they had exploded a dirty bomb.
I called to my wife and we listened.......we couldn't believe our ears.

It felt like our whole world had just disappeared,

and in a way, it did.