8:45am, September 11, 2001

[icemaster]

We all know that our lives can change in an instance.   At 8:45am, September 11, 2001, I was on the phone talking to a friend (a fellow law school class mate) about passing the bar while making some eggs for breakfast.   60 seconds later, she told me to turn on the news to confirm what SHE saw was actually happening.   A few minutes later, we both witnessed the second plane strike the other twin tower.   We all know life can change in an instant but as we remember the people who we have lost on this day 19 years ago, let us embrace each other and say a prayer for those we miss.

[nylawyer]

I was in the shower in my apartment in Brooklyn Heights when the first plane hit. I was running late for work because I'd been out the night before, the Giants had the opening Monday Night game against the Broncos.

The weather was beautiful that day. It was the day for the NY primaries, with the Mayor being the most important office on the ballot, and there were lines at polling places.

I walked to work, and everyone was streaming out of the building. A co-worker told me what had happened. You could see the Twin Towers from our building, so while a few people had seen the first plane, everyone saw the second.

My wife was 7 month pregnant and was at work at the WTC. Cell service was wrecked. It would be hours before I heard from her. About 15 minutes after I'd concluded I never would again.

I remember clearly the moment the first tower fell. I was watching the news and they were talking about something, and you could see the top of the building collapse. It looked almost like it had sunk under water as it disappeared into the smoke. The people on the news kept talking for a minute and I thought I had to be imagining it, that the smoke had shifted. But then they realized what happened.

I remember seeing a shot of a firefighter who slammed his helmet into the ground in despair when it happened. He knew how many men had gone in.

The island of Manhattan was closed off, but I was able to drive in. Going over the Brooklyn Bridge into downtown was a sight I will never forget. Everything by city hall was covered in gray soot, and the air was full of smoke and dust. I was able to collect my wife and get her back home.

Then, for the rest of the day, I was like everyone else, watching it on television.

[icemaster]

Sept 11, 2020 8:23:51 GMT -5 nylawyer said:

I was in the shower in my apartment in Brooklyn Heights when the first plane hit. I was running late for work because I'd been out the night before, the Giants had the opening Monday Night game against the Broncos.

The weather was beautiful that day. It was the day for the NY primaries, with the Mayor being the most important office on the ballot, and there were lines at polling places.

I walked to work, and everyone was streaming out of the building. A co-worker told me what had happened. You could see the Twin Towers from our building, so while a few people had seen the first plane, everyone saw the second.

My wife was 7 month pregnant and was at work at the WTC. Cell service was wrecked. It would be hours before I heard from her. About 15 minutes after I'd concluded I never would again.

I remember clearly the moment the first tower fell. I was watching the news and they were talking about something, and you could see the top of the building collapse. It looked almost like it had sunk under water as it disappeared into the smoke. The people on the news kept talking for a minute and I thought I had to be imagining it, that the smoke had shifted. But then they realized what happened.

I remember seeing a shot of a firefighter who slammed his helmet into the ground in despair when it happened. He knew how many men had gone in.

The island of Manhattan was closed off, but I was able to drive in. Going over the Brooklyn Bridge into downtown was a sight I will never forget. Everything by city hall was covered in gray soot, and the air was full of smoke and dust. I was able to collect my wife and get her back home.

Then, for the rest of the day, I was like everyone else, watching it on television.

I don’t why but it took a serious minute for my brain to process what I was seeing.   I remember seeing the smoke coming out of the tower and then literally, with no advanced warning, seeing the second plane.  It was a delay because it was the reality that a plane full of people slammed into building.  And then watching the buildings come down was just as you said it.  Watching a building sink.   By the time I heard about DC and the other plane, I literally didn’t know WHAT the hell was going on.   It was at that moment I started calling all of my friends who had loved ones in DC and NYC.  

[acttwo]

I remember how we thought they were coming for the Sears Tower and how they rushed us out of the Loop. And yes, it was a beautiful Autumn day. Almost cruel how lovely it was.

At home, watching the endless loop of what happened, all you could do was ache for NYC, DC and the other plane of heroes. I had a sister and a cousin in the Pentagon and my aunts and my mom were inconsolable until we heard both were ok.

And when we ventured away from the television screens, slowly returning to work, I remember the lines of people going around the block of City Hall, all there to give blood because we knew we were all in this together and each of us just had to do something, anything, positive. Still start to cry thinking of it, think I always will.

[kylearan]

I was in college, I slept in and skipped my Ethical Problems in Law class (I still got an A). When I woke up I logged in to my computer and a friend sent me an AOL Instant Message about it.

[senex]

I was driving to a remote site in the Midwest, for hearings on 9/11/01, and pulling off the interstate to get coffee when they reported on NPR that a plane had apparently flown into the WTC.  In the doughnut shop, a radio was playing and the customers were speculating that a small private aircraft was involved.  As I continued on, the terrible story unfolded on NPR.  I tried phoning my son, a student at NYU living on 4th Street, but couldn't get through.  A reporter on NPR put me a bit at ease by remarking that her cellphone wasn't working in Manhattan.  At three in the afternoon (CDT) my son finally got through to me.  He was alright, but talked about the sights walking home from his cancelled classes.  

Two months later my wife and I went to visit my son.  Ground Zero was still smoking when we visited it on Veterans Day.  On 11/12, American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Queens.  We kept encountering people muttering, "I hope it was only an accident."  Surreal!!

Two months later, on All Things Considered, NPR ran a feature  story about The Fantastics, which was to close in January 2002.  They interviewed the actor then playing El Gallo.  He talked about how the long-running had to suspend performances for several days after 9/11 because the theater was within the security perimeter around Ground Zero.  When they reopened he had formidable challenge on singing the opening line of the show:  "Try to remember the kind of September . . . ."  Really surreal!!

[christina]

Sept 11, 2020 8:23:51 GMT -5 nylawyer said:

I was in the shower in my apartment in Brooklyn Heights when the first plane hit. I was running late for work because I'd been out the night before, the Giants had the opening Monday Night game against the Broncos.

The weather was beautiful that day. It was the day for the NY primaries, with the Mayor being the most important office on the ballot, and there were lines at polling places.

I walked to work, and everyone was streaming out of the building. A co-worker told me what had happened. You could see the Twin Towers from our building, so while a few people had seen the first plane, everyone saw the second.

My wife was 7 month pregnant and was at work at the WTC. Cell service was wrecked. It would be hours before I heard from her. About 15 minutes after I'd concluded I never would again.

I remember clearly the moment the first tower fell. I was watching the news and they were talking about something, and you could see the top of the building collapse. It looked almost like it had sunk under water as it disappeared into the smoke. The people on the news kept talking for a minute and I thought I had to be imagining it, that the smoke had shifted. But then they realized what happened.

I remember seeing a shot of a firefighter who slammed his helmet into the ground in despair when it happened. He knew how many men had gone in.

The island of Manhattan was closed off, but I was able to drive in. Going over the Brooklyn Bridge into downtown was a sight I will never forget. Everything by city hall was covered in gray soot, and the air was full of smoke and dust. I was able to collect my wife and get her back home.

Then, for the rest of the day, I was like everyone else, watching it on television.

My gosh. A friend of mine was at city hall and ended up walking to upper Manhattan along with many others. I believe he talked about the grey soot too.

How traumatic with ur wife being at wtc. I’m glad she and baby made out ok.

I remember beautiful weather that day too.

[2rvrrun]

My co-workers and I were taking a break when the scene on TV caught our attention. I can still remember the sense of disbelief then shock. There were no words, no conversation for the longest time.  I am sure having a loved one there that you could not contact was so difficult.  So many lives lost--a day that stays with you forever.