A 9/11 story
It's warmer in here today. Even though son complained about the furnace noise again, I had turned it up to 72F. Once I'm snug and warm in bed, if he truly can't sleep I'd let him turn it back down. He has long days of work and school and needs his rest, too. But I don't think he did turn it back down, either that or it's warmer outside. It never did get that close to freezing like someone had told me, I looked it up. The weather "only" dipped to in the 40's. In the daytime, though it's glorious! The past few days have been a perfect 60-70F.
Now that I can think of something besides shivering, here's my story of what I was doing on 9/11:
I was working in the library as a temp at the place where I work as a real employee now. In fact I was sitting exactly where our temp sits and doing much of the same things I'm having her do for me. The receptionist, who always kept a radio on suddenly came rushing around the office, "A plane hit a building in New York!" Nobody paid much attention to her, but I turned on my little radio and listened to the events onfolding. Nobody at work seemed to take it seriously and kept working and going in and out of the office. I felt a growing horror and disbelief as I listened to the news. The receptionist was the only one who was distraught. She took an early lunch and came back crying, "It's bad, really bad PBS."
I had a job interview with the school district in the afternoon. People at work knew I was going, the receptionist wished me well. I walked over to the HR office and sat in the waiting chair. A friendly woman who did the calling for subs chatted with me as I waited (we later became good friends!). We didn't talk about the news at all. Soon the HR person who had called me on the phone came to get me for the interview.
We had to pass through another large set of office suites and it was deathly still. They had a little TV turned on and were watching the news. I excused myself for having to walk right past the TV, and as I did--they were showing the towers coming down. It was the first time I'd actually seen that footage. It all suddenly became so real to me and my knees got weak, but I kept following the HR person into a large board room.
I was introduced to many people in the board room and couldn't remember a single name. I botched the first couple of interview questions, I was so shaken by what I had just seen. I started answering the third question and stopped, "Sorry, I've forgotten the question...." and then I explained that I hadn't actually seen the news until just now, listening to the radio hadn't had quite the impact. (also that nobody in our office seemed affected or concerned except for the receptionist--but I didn't say that)
The rest of the interview went much better and I was offered the job a few days later. It was the job that I only worked four-and-a-half months for a crazy boss who later had a nervous breakdown. The place where I had worked as a temp wanted me back desperately and made a new job especially for me. I'm still at the same place, but not working that same job. We all have memories and a story about what happened to us on that day, where we were when we heard the news. Some of the stories are much sadder than others. The world has certainly changed since that day.
Now that I can think of something besides shivering, here's my story of what I was doing on 9/11:
I was working in the library as a temp at the place where I work as a real employee now. In fact I was sitting exactly where our temp sits and doing much of the same things I'm having her do for me. The receptionist, who always kept a radio on suddenly came rushing around the office, "A plane hit a building in New York!" Nobody paid much attention to her, but I turned on my little radio and listened to the events onfolding. Nobody at work seemed to take it seriously and kept working and going in and out of the office. I felt a growing horror and disbelief as I listened to the news. The receptionist was the only one who was distraught. She took an early lunch and came back crying, "It's bad, really bad PBS."
I had a job interview with the school district in the afternoon. People at work knew I was going, the receptionist wished me well. I walked over to the HR office and sat in the waiting chair. A friendly woman who did the calling for subs chatted with me as I waited (we later became good friends!). We didn't talk about the news at all. Soon the HR person who had called me on the phone came to get me for the interview.
We had to pass through another large set of office suites and it was deathly still. They had a little TV turned on and were watching the news. I excused myself for having to walk right past the TV, and as I did--they were showing the towers coming down. It was the first time I'd actually seen that footage. It all suddenly became so real to me and my knees got weak, but I kept following the HR person into a large board room.
I was introduced to many people in the board room and couldn't remember a single name. I botched the first couple of interview questions, I was so shaken by what I had just seen. I started answering the third question and stopped, "Sorry, I've forgotten the question...." and then I explained that I hadn't actually seen the news until just now, listening to the radio hadn't had quite the impact. (also that nobody in our office seemed affected or concerned except for the receptionist--but I didn't say that)
The rest of the interview went much better and I was offered the job a few days later. It was the job that I only worked four-and-a-half months for a crazy boss who later had a nervous breakdown. The place where I had worked as a temp wanted me back desperately and made a new job especially for me. I'm still at the same place, but not working that same job. We all have memories and a story about what happened to us on that day, where we were when we heard the news. Some of the stories are much sadder than others. The world has certainly changed since that day.
9 Comments:
Yes, changes. The world for my Lily is much different than the one I grew up in. Better in some ways and much, much worse in so many others.
And last night was the first time I put on the electric blanket. YUCK. I feel your pain here in Nebraska.
Warm is good. The other night we left our window open by mistake, after opeing it to air out the house, and I woke at 2:00am nearly frozen to death.
He'll get used to the noise very soon anyway. It's amazing what our brains learn to filter out.
I remember 9/11 at work mostly because my company showed it's true colors by trying to exploit the tragedy WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING by using it as an excuse to get more unpaid work from us in the guise of battling terrorism.
I was talking on the phone to a friend in the States and he told me the news. I put the tv on and couldn't believe my eyes :((
I was at work too...and kept running to the front office to watch the TV to keep up on it. Everytime I went in there something new happened until I finally found out about the flight 93 going down in Pennsylvania. Four flights...4 too many.
i remember hearing the news at work and getting home to see the footage and just sobbing uncontrollably, it still makes me cry now...
and its colder here too, i kinds like it...
My sister called me and told me to turn on the television.
"Does this mean there's going to be a war?" she asked.
All I could think of was my Daniel going off to fight.
*
I was sleeping when I was told. Like waking up to a nightmare instead of having one
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