September 11th - 5 Years After

[BlackArcher101]

Truly a significant event, that in some way or another affected every single person on this planet.

I remember waking up in a grogy state, late for class at 8am @ SAIT. First class was an aerodnyamics class. Arrived there, only to find out no one else was there. Waited 10 minutes then left for home (rez). On the way, I overheard others talking about a bomb going off in New York. With my free time decided to check out the internet for info. No news pages would open, as all were too busy.

Went home and turned on the tv. Watched to my horror the events unfold in front of my eyes. I sat there on my couch, in the same position for at least 5 hours, with my backpack still on. All I could do is sit, watch, and soak it all in.

9/11 personally affected every aspect of my life. At the time, I was studying aeronautics. Although I finished it, the industry took a dive with very little jobs left. Planes sat unused, projects were cancelled, airline travel took a sharp decrease. I had to choose a different career path because of this.

Another area is my hobbies. I am involved with high powered rocketry, which is heavily goverened by government. To fly, we are required to have insurance for damage/injury. Our policy was cancelled after 9/11, and even though we are a not-for-profit org. we still do this day cannot find a company to even give a policy quote.

I'm sure nothing will be the same ever again.... I just hope it will be.

[socalwingfan]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

The interesting thing about those next few days was zero jet traffic in the skies overhead. Nothing. Everywhere.

A rare moment for scientific study:

http://edition.cnn.com/2002/TECH/sci...ate/index.html

Cowperson

That was so surreal, especially in LA where there are always helicopters and tons of planes in the air - those next couple of days were very spooky

[the_only_turek_fan]

I was getting ready for school that day and saw the second tower get hit live. It was like something from a movie. Unreal. I was watching the news the rest of the day at school and pretty much the rest of the week. Still can't believe that something like that could happen in real life.

[V]

The golf course was pretty empty that day. Quickest round of golf I've ever played.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Barnes

I was working at Crappy at that time too. (which one BUFF)

Lethbridge #441 (Northside)

[4X4]

Was late for work that day (clock didn't go off) and got downstairs to my ride and realized that I forgot my faceplate. Drove to work in silence and got the news dished to me by an Iranian co-worker with a most serious look on his face.
Almost nothing got accomplished that day. Someone went home and grabbed a TV that we set up in the boardroom and watched intermittantly.
Iranian co-worker (well, pretty good friend, too) was pretty shaken up as he was in the process of sponsoring his parents to immigrate to Canada. His mom had cancer and he wanted to gether to canada as soon as possible for obvious reasons.
The process ended up taking quite a bit longer than it originally would have, but she ended up getting treatment in time and survived.
Funny how you remember certain things about certain days.

[Ozy_Flame]

Sept. 11/2001 was the third day of my first year of university, and solidifed my interested in pursuing a Political Science degree. 9/11 was one of the main reasons I became interested in politics, and certainly one of the main reasons why I am pursuing a career in policy and research.

[CaramonLS]

My dad was supposed to fly to NY the day before, and was booked in to be staying at one of the hotels downtown next to the WTC, it just happened to have half of the hotel blasted off during the explosion.

It was very foturate his meetings were cancelled.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by pepper24

Living in Calgary I feel the same in terms of safety as Sep 10, 2001 which I feel no threat. The only difference now is inconveniences at the airport and higher fare prices due to the security tax.

If I was living in a major city in the United States I might feel a bit different but at the same time if you live afraid you're playing into these cowards hands.

*ding* *ding* *ding* And *THAT*'s the right answer.

I was at work, working for a computer consulting firm, when we heard about the towers. Some people in the office started to panic and worry about us being hit. Umm, yeah, the terrorists wanted to hit the Pentagon, the WTC and a small consulting firm in Halifax.

I had an airplane ticket for the 13th. Fortunatly, domestic flights were back to normal and, other than a very long line-up for security, everything seemed okay. Friends and family asked if I was scared of flying then. I told them the same thing as I tell you now: "Statistically, I have far more to fear from lunatic drivers when I'm crossing the street than I do from any terrorist organization."

Stupid me used my lunch bag from work as my carry-on. Had a fork and a knife in there. Obviously they had to confiscate them; lucky I wasn't strip-searched.

-=-=-=-=-=-

As a Devils fan, I've made a lot of friends down in that area. Some have lost friends and family. It's a tough day for them. Three thousand people lost their lives that day, but my heart goes out to the hundreds of thousands who lost people close to them.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

*ding* *ding* *ding* And *THAT*'s the right answer.

I was at work, working for a computer consulting firm, when we heard about the towers. Some people in the office started to panic and worry about us being hit. Umm, yeah, the terrorists wanted to hit the Pentagon, the WTC and a small consulting firm in Halifax.

I had an airplane ticket for the 13th. Fortunatly, domestic flights were back to normal and, other than a very long line-up for security, everything seemed okay. Friends and family asked if I was scared of flying then. I told them the same thing as I tell you now: "Statistically, I have far more to fear from lunatic drivers when I'm crossing than I do from any terrorist organization."

Stupid me used my lunch bag from work as my carry-on. Had a fork and a knife in there. Obviously they had to confiscate them; lucky I wasn't strip-searched.

-=-=-=-=-=-

As a Devils fan, I've made a lot of friends down in that area. Some have lost friends and family. It's a tough day for them. Three thousand people lost their lives that day, by my heart goes out to the hundreds of thousands who lost people close to them.

My wife and I flew home from Hawaii on September 11, 2004. Sure the thought was in the back of our minds, but it wasn't worrying us. It worried a lot of other people though. The flight was probably less than half full.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Wow... Has it already been five years?

I remember meeting up with a friend at the registrar's office because I was planning to take care of my student fees that day. He explained to me that two planes had hit the WTC. I just remember exclaiming "cool!" because I didn't think it was true. Anyway, my friend told me to just go home because classes were essentially cancelled anyway. I still had no concept of the magnitude of the situation.

On the bus ride home, had a conversation regarding the attack with a business man who was sent home. It was only then that I started to realize the events were actually real.

Got home, and like most of us, just sat there in front of the TV for about 8 hours, in this total daze, watching the repeated replay of the attacks.

My prayers go out to all those who lost loved ones that grave September day.

[Stan]

From that time the world, for me has, become a much smaller place.
Today we seem to be more aware of what is happening in other countries, how other cultures see the west. There is also a sense that problems in other places are not as far away as they once seemed.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Teh_Bandwagoner

Wow... Has it already been five years?

I remember meeting up with a friend at the registrar's office because I was planning to take care of my student fees that day. He explained to me that two planes had hit the WTC. I just remember exclaiming "cool!" because I didn't think it was true. Anyway, my friend told me to just go home because classes were essentially cancelled anyway. I still had no concept of the magnitude of the situation.

On the bus ride home, had a conversation regarding the attack with a business man who was sent home. It was only then that I started to realize the events were actually real.

Got home, and like most of us, just sat there in front of the TV for about 8 hours, in this total daze, watching the repeated replay of the attacks.

My prayers go out to all those who lost loved ones that grave September day.

You know, it's kind of crass, but remembering back, sept. 11th is one of my more favourite days to look back on. I felt terrible watching the attacks and the buildings fall, but for the first time that I can remember in my life, people all over the city were talking to one another. The buses were loud with conversation, deli's, restaurants, parks and sidewalks were all bustling with conversation. It was almost like a real community. I thought things would be different after 9/11, all this outcry of support, the ease of conversation, the sort of 'appreciation' of the city and the people again. Healthy discussion didn't seem to be taboo anymore, and people seemed a little more in-tune with other people.

Sadly, things have gone back to the way they were.

[Got Miikka?]

I was on the observation deck of the WTC in June of 2001, on my first trip to NYC. The towers were an iconic symbol of the city that I took home with me. And what a view. The WTC viewing deck was on the roof - a rectangular catwalk - so you could literally stand in one spot, turn your body 360 degrees, and take in 360 degrees of skyline and horizon. I imagine there aren't too many spots on earth that could/can afford you a panoramic view like that. So high up, looking down the giant ships roaming the Hudson river were just specks, their wakes just wisps of white against the water. Even the Empire State Building, a few dozen blocks uptown, looked small from the roof of the WTC.

The morning of Sept. 11, I was sleeping late. A buddy of mine called me and woke me, told me to turn on the TV, and I'll never forget his words: "The sh-t is hitting the fan." I couldn't believe what I saw on CNN - by the time I tuned in the first tower had gone down, and the other was close - I thought for sure I was still asleep at first. The sick feeling I had in my stomach as I watched the events unfold is one that I will never forget. It's still surreal, when I think back to it. I was pretty traumatized for a while after, and I remember for the next few days putting on goofy cartoons at night before bed to calm myself down. I wonder if everything would have hit as close to home as it did if I hadn't just been in NYC a couple of months prior.

[Displaced Flames fan]

I was a little ****ed off this morning.

Saturday we had a short meeting at work and part of it was to notify everyone that the US Postal Service would be observing a moment of silence at 7:46 AM CST on Monday in rememberance. We clock in at 7:45, so it should've been a no brainer for everyone to get on board. So I clock in, and go to my area and not one single person stopped.

These are postal workers...many of them military veterans. Unbelievably disappointing.

[Hemi-Cuda]

i was asleep at the time only to have my father come in and wake me up saying that the world trade center was gone. i didn't understand what he meant until i got up and watched the TV. then i spent the next few hours in complete shock, splitting time between the TV and my computer talking on another main forum i visit sorting through all the different reports of other hijackings or bombings that no one knew if they were true or not

it was the most emotional period of time in my entire life as one month earlier, on August 10, my mother had taken her own life. dealing with the emotions from that and then taking in such a monumental tragedy turned me into a virtual zombie for the next few weeks. i'm just thankful that a few months after that i left home in BC to attend SAIT here in Calgary which put my attention in another direction and gave me some focus. if i had stayed back home i don't know where i would have ended up

[Displaced Flames fan]

Other than the obvious irrepeairable damage done by the trauma of watching a plane crash into the North Tower live on TV the events of that day had 2 profound effects on my life.

1. My Mom was working in Tel Aviv at the time. She had just started a year long assignment there about two weeks before 9/11. Things got very tense for our family for about 10 more monts. Many will remember a significant increase in suicide bombings in Israel over the next couple of years. It was not much fun for her or for us.

2. I worked for Boeing back then. 3 days after 9/11 I was given a layoff notice. We still haven't fully recovered financially and this city is just getting back to normal. Other than New York City, perhaps no other city in the US was so dramatically affeced by 9/11 than Wichita, Kansas.

[peter12]

You know, it's kind of crass, but remembering back, sept. 11th is one of my more favourite days to look back on. I felt terrible watching the attacks and the buildings fall, but for the first time that I can remember in my life, people all over the city were talking to one another. The buses were loud with conversation, deli's, restaurants, parks and sidewalks were all bustling with conversation. It was almost like a real community. I thought things would be different after 9/11, all this outcry of support, the ease of conversation, the sort of 'appreciation' of the city and the people again. Healthy discussion didn't seem to be taboo anymore, and people seemed a little more in-tune with other people.

You know... as crass as that sounds you make a great point.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by peter12

You know, it's kind of crass, but remembering back, sept. 11th is one of my more favourite days to look back on. I felt terrible watching the attacks and the buildings fall, but for the first time that I can remember in my life, people all over the city were talking to one another. The buses were loud with conversation, deli's, restaurants, parks and sidewalks were all bustling with conversation. It was almost like a real community. I thought things would be different after 9/11, all this outcry of support, the ease of conversation, the sort of 'appreciation' of the city and the people again. Healthy discussion didn't seem to be taboo anymore, and people seemed a little more in-tune with other people.

You know... as crass as that sounds you make a great point.

very true. It was awesome to see how much people helped each other in the aftermath of that awful day. All the people who took in stranded travellers. The people of NYC, showing up in Manhattan and saying "I'm here to help, what can I do?" Sadly, it usually takes horrible things to bring out the best in people. then things go back to normal.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by habernac

very true. It was awesome to see how much people helped each other in the aftermath of that awful day. All the people who took in stranded travellers. The people of NYC, showing up in Manhattan and saying "I'm here to help, what can I do?" Sadly, it usually takes horrible things to bring out the best in people. then things go back to normal.

It isn't just that they go back to normal. Sometimes I worry that we learn the wrong lessons from these kinds of events as we move forward. Down here in the states, it seems like the lesson people take from this event is too often something like this:
1. Terrorists hate America
2. America is special.

Dis already pointed out in another thread that people from many countries died in these attacks--it was an attack not on the U.S., but against civilization itself--in my opinion, at least. The actual "reasons" for an act of violence like this are irrelevant. What I think the appropriate lessons from this are:
1. Religious fundamentalism is morally empty. If a fundamentalist can completely invert the fundamentals of religion to the point where they do the opposite of what their creed instructs, and nevertheless claim to be pious, then fundamentalism is useless as a source of moral truth.
2. The way to win the war on terror is not to defend our material possessions or even our lives. It is by defending our moral values--our belief in a liberal democracy, our belief in the principles of egalitarianism, individualism, and secular government that we will be victorious. They may attack us, but ideas cannot be killed. We will lose this war if in attempting to win it we sacrifice those principles which made us a target in the first place.
3. There is strength in unity against a common foe. There is also strength in discourse, and strength in freedom. These are our most potent weapons against all forms of fascism--including that religious brand of fascism that this wave of terrorists espouses.