Artists Registry

Remembering 9/11/01. I remember getting ready for work on that terrible day. And then I heard my mother scream from the living room. I rushed in to find her staring at the TV and the morning news. The scene was one of bedlam, chaos and shock. The first plane had already hit the North Tower and smoke was billowing forth. I remember standing there with one hand on the hairbrush still in my hair and the other clutching my throat in choking disbelief. It is one of those moments you never forget when you witness something horrendous. And as I watched, the second plane rammed into the South Tower. My mother just kept repeating, "Oh my God, oh my God", over and over. I felt totally overwhelmed. I called in to work and my boss said to report an hour late because everyone was too upset at present. I tried to eat but couldn't. At shortly before 10 a.m., the South Tower collasped! I started shaking and crying. I asked my mom if it was REAL. She just barely shook her head and whispered, "I don't know". I felt numb. It made me remember the day President John F. Kennedy was shot when I was a child. It is such a blow to your senses. I thought it had to be a nightmare or perhaps a stunt on TV like the Orson Wells radio show. I don't remember the drive to work because as I was walking out the door at about 10:30, the North Tower went down. It was on almost every radio station and there was no other topic that day. I can't remember working and I drove home later, still unable to digest the events but those awful images fresh in my mind almost every minute. The smoke, the fire, the dust -- people jumping from windows, the screaming and crying. In the months that followed, we learned about the terrorists and how they devised their plans. But we also learned about the people who had perished -- the intended victims and the first responders. We learned about many acts of kindness and heroism. We, as a nation, responded as well in the opposite action of hate and destruction. We gave our help, strength, support and solidarity. In the time that has passed, I have expressed what we felt and continue to remember that terrible day and all the lost lives. But most of all I hope and pray we will continue to honor their sacrifice and bravery and NEVER forget.