Remembering September 11th...

So everyone has their own story, from being there to watching on tv....how it felt and still affects them today. For the past few days, actually years, this event stands strong in my mind...and spirit. Here is my story... It was 8am and I was downtown, working P.R. for a company and had just arrived at work....A little later on, one of my co-workers that had a sister working at a local hospital, called him to say a plane had hit a tower and they were getting ready to assist anyone that was hurt that would be rushed in. We ran out of the building to see for ourselves. Right in plain view...I looked up to see smoke billowing from one of the buildings and a gaping hole. I gasped...shocked and scared. I immediately called my father, he seems to know what to say to make sense of things....at this point we thought it was an accident. The phone call was hard to get through, we didn't realize why the cells weren't working. But finally I heard his voice and cried, "Dad, the people above the hole!, how will they get out?!" This comment sticks in my mind, I had no idea how bad it would get. I saw another aircraft coming towards the buildings...and in my mind all I thought was rescue....or something to put out the fire. Seeing the explosion of the plane crashing into the other building, I realized how wrong I was. We heard on car radios that we were under attack. My heart raced not knowing what would happen next! My coworkers and I grabbed our things and began to walk, there was no transportation...we just had to get out of the area. We were running...as we kept stopping to look behind us....it all seemed to happen so fast....people were jumping...falling...people were running covered in soot....everything was so surreal. I was passing hundreds of people on the street, I was walking fast...but felt like I wasn't moving...I saw a girl I went to highschool with....supermodels on the street, celebrities....just running past all of these people like a dream. I turned around again to look back....everything was quiet...all of our eyes on the same thing. We all screamed and dropped to our knees, and our hearts sank as we saw the clouds of crumbling debris as the buildings finally collapsed. I can't explain or describe what it was like to see it....nor can I describe what it was like for the people who were running out of these buildings. As horrible as it was to be there, I'm happy I was. I was part of NY, and I was here to support everyone and this city in it's time of need. I still love it here with all of my heart, its one of if not the greatest city in the world. I can no longer fly without having panic attacks...I'm not afraid of highjackers...just seeing planes explode has embedded a fear in my subconcious that I'm not sure will ever leave. The months after the attack were the most touching. The way people came together...New Yorkers helping each other, saying hello on the street...just a smile to let each other know how connected were are. I was so proud to be a part of that. So my friends that were there, and everyone in the country that shared our pain, we'll never forget, and thats a promise.