September 11, 2001

Every generation has an event that defines them. My grandparents can tell me where they were when they heard about Pearl Harbor. My parents can describe in detail where they were when they heard about Kennedy being shot. I could never understand that.

My apartment was across the street from my office. My hours at work were 9am-4pm. I remember going out to my car about 8:45 and driving over to the office. WRAL 101.5 reported a breaking news story about a possible airplane crashing into a building in New York, possibly the World Trade Center. That story passed around in my mind. There was a story on the History Channel about a few weeks earlier on the history of the Empire State Building, and how in the 1940s a B17 bomber crashed into the upper floors. Growing up in a small town, most buildings didn't get over three stories, so the news flash was just another news headline at that time.

As I arrived as work, the report was updated slightly, a jumbo jet had crashed in the building.
We kept a TV set in the helpdesk area, mainly for our after hours workers, when call volume was low. We turned on the tv and watched a few moments when we saw the second plane hit the other tower. It seemed like something out of a horror movie. I felt a chill run down my spine, and send what felt like someone splashing cold water on my face. There was no way this was happening.

We continued to watch the news. There was a report that the airlines were grounding all flights in the United States. This has to be a dream, right?

A new report broke in, amongst the video of the Twin Towers. Another jet had just crashed into the Pentagon. WHAT IS HAPPENING?

We watched at around 10am when one of the towers fell. It was like watching an accordian fall in on itself. Another report. A plane was spotted going down in Pennsylvania. There is no way this is real. The second tower fell as we continued watching.

It was like a warzone on TV. People in the office shouted in anger. Others simply cried. I didn't know a single person in those buildings, or on those planes, but inside, I cried out too. I silently held my breath and prayed as if a close family member had died. For some reason, it felt like it.

We spent the rest of the day watching TV in the office. As I later walked around the building, there were TVs in every area. Some areas even had prayer rooms set up.

Our office normally would handle up to 300-400 calls during the day. On 9-11, we had five calls.
Jeff Foxworthy said later that before 9-11, he would laugh at that old man at a ballgame who would fuss if you didn't take your hat off when they played the national anthem. After 9-11, he said he became that old man. I can understand that. All politics aside, that event united us all in a way not seen, in my opinion, since Pearl Harbor. Not long after that, it seems it was politics as usual, with both sides verbally attacking one another.

But for a brief while, no one in this country could listen to the Star Spangled Banner without crying, or at least wiping tears in pride for our country.

Now, you may ask, "Forrest, why did you ramble on like that?"

Well, I guess you can call this my way of showing respect and honor for those who died on that terrible Tuesday. I never knew any of you, but I will always remember you. And when my grandchildren sit on my knee many years from now, I can tell them in detail about that day.

Excuse me now, I have to go wipe away a tear.