#1788 | Sunday, September 8th 2002
One morning, I woke up and imediatley heard my Mother say "Oh My god." I sprung out of bed to see what was happening. I should of stayed in bed.

Every single channel, looped replays of a scene witch will stay with me forever.
The first plane, then the other one, over and over again, then the one at the pentagon, over and over again.

Andrew | 14 | Australia

#1786 | Sunday, September 8th 2002
I arrived in Chicago late in the afternoon of September 10, 2001 after a very long flight from Australia via Los Angeles. I was there for a week's holiday, staying with my friend Larry somewhere near Logan Square.

I woke up on the morning of September 11, still jetlagged, but awake enough to want to know what was happening in the world. I turned on his television a flipped over to the news, which was most out of character for me because I don't like the sensationalistic style of American news.

BANG! A plane flew into a building. "Larry, come here! Larry!" I was in total disbelief. For the next few hours we sat watching the television, numb and very scared. We watched a cataclysm unfold that made the best Hollywood films look amateur.

I wanted to be back home in Australia but I was glad I was with Larry, my net buddy, who very quickly became one of my best friends.

That week was an emotional rollercoaster for me for many reasons. I had to avoid watching the television because I would break out in tears everytime I saw footage of the devastation and tragedy.

September 11 is a day that will live with me forever.

Michael.

Michael | 33 | Australia

#1785 | Sunday, September 8th 2002
The Corpthorne Harbour View in Singapore. The event happened 10pm local time, I was watching 'Austin Powers, the spy who shagged me' on HBO and I missed the whole thing.
That is, until I got up in the morning to read the Straight's Times (newspaper) and spent the next ten minutes thinking I'd missed some Singaporean April fools day joke.
I left for London two days later and I've never in my life seen so much mayhem at an airport (and I travel ALOT).
Heathrow was astounding, everyone coming and going as fast as possible.
I went for a walk down Oxford St the next day and I could have swung a cat and not hit anybody on this usually most buys of English shopping strips.
I went home a week later and scored an upgrade to first class where the steward kept appologising for the plastic knives. We had metal ones from Singapore through to Melbourne.

Travis | 29 | Australia

#1734 | Saturday, September 7th 2002
I was in IRC (Internet Relay Chat) at the time of the WTC event. It was 11pm in Australia, and I was just getting comfy that tuesday night, as a friend from the chat told us the World Trade Centre had been attacked. I automatically thought "no way, not true". As it sank in, I began to believe and told my brother to turn on the TV. He had the same reaction as I did, and so did my mother and father. We finally turned on the TV and saw it. Here is the transcript of the chat which I logged and backed up on a CD (I won't censor out the swearing because it gives a better impression of what we felt, you may edit it though if it offends people):

[23:00] [@Nebz> shit
[23:00] * PanicC crashes off the pootah chair
[23:00] [@Nebz> a plane crashed into the world trade centre!
[23:00] [@Reapz> again?
[23:00] [@PanicC> lol
[23:00] [@Reapz> or are you serious?
[23:00] [@PanicC> geex
[23:01] [@PanicC> ITS ON MY TV!!!!!!!!!!!!1
[23:01] [@Reapz> no, you guys serious?
[23:01] [@PanicC> yes
[23:01] [@Reapz> No, i want actual truth
[23:01] [@PanicC> i swaer to god
[23:01] [@Reapz> you serious
[23:01] [@PanicC> cross my heart
[23:02] [@PanicC> FUCKING HELL REAPZY
[23:02] [@PanicC> YESSSS
[23:02] [@PanicC> no shit
[23:02] [@PanicC> on cnn
[23:02] [@Nebz> its true
[23:02] [@Reapz> where are ypou seeing this?
[23:02] [@Nebz> one tower is on fire
[23:02] [@PanicC> breaking news
[23:02] [@PanicC> yep
[23:02] [@PanicC> cahnnel 7 then..
[23:02] [@PanicC> but is over
[23:02] [@PanicC> check others
[23:02] [@Nebz> chan 10 for me like 10 seconds ago
[23:03] [@PanicC> sorry 10
[23:03] [@Reapz> ok
[23:03] [@PanicC> mmm 10
[23:03] [@Reapz> my brother says he reckons its bullshit
[23:03] [@PanicC> good ole sandra sully
[23:03] [@Reapz> haha
[23:03] [@Reapz> you guys were b/sin me
[23:03] [@PanicC> drat? tell him to check papers tommorrow
[23:03] [@Reapz> arseholes
[23:04] [@Reapz> nice try anyways
[23:04] [@PanicC> no
[23:04] [@Nebz> fucking dickhed
[23:04] [@Reapz> can i make topic bot it?
[23:04] [@Nebz> it's true
[23:04] [@Nebz> film too
[23:04] [@PanicC> er, were not
[23:04] [@PanicC> its true
[23:04] [@Reapz> ok... FALL WE ARE GONNA DIE
[23:04] [@Fall> why?
[23:04] [@Reapz> DIE
[23:04] [@Reapz> TRADE CENTER
[23:04] [@PanicC> do ya want me too or u?
[23:04] [@Reapz> i will
[23:05] [@Fall> huh?
[23:05] [@PanicC> THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE
[23:05] [@PanicC> IS BURNING
[23:05] [@PanicC> AFTER A PLANE
[23:05] [@Fall> what about em?
[23:05] [@PanicC> CRASHED
[23:05] [@PanicC> INTO IT
[23:05] [@Nebz> FUCK
[23:05] [@Nebz> REAPZ
[23:05] [@Nebz> CHAN 10!
[23:05] [@Nebz> NOW
[23:05] [@Fall> where'd you hear this?
[23:05] [@PanicC> NOWWWW
[23:05] [@Nebz> A SECOND PLANE HIT TOWER
[23:05] [@Reapz> hahah
[23:06] [@PanicC> DO IT
[23:06] [@Reapz> you guys suck shite
[23:06] [@Fall> i'm on?
[23:06] [@PanicC> FALL- U TOO
[23:06] [@PanicC> y
[23:06] [@Reapz> shit
[23:06] [@Nebz> lol
[23:06] [@Nebz> HOLY CRAP
[23:06] [@Nebz> DID U SEE THAT!?
[23:06] [@PanicC> clip news
[23:06] [@Reapz> FUCK ME
[23:07] [@PanicC> like cats game
[23:07] [@Fall> i'm going to watch cnn!!
[23:07] [@PanicC> exept crash
[23:08] [@PanicC> fuuuuuuuuuuucccccccckkkkkkkkkk
[23:08] [@PanicC> woah
[23:08] [@PanicC> serious shit dudes
[23:08] [@PanicC> jeez
[23:08] [@Reapz> this is fucked
[23:08] [@PanicC> mmm
[23:08] [@PanicC> god
[23:09] [@PanicC> oh sweet heck
[23:09] * PanicC is panicked
[23:09] [@PanicC> lol
[23:09] [@PanicC> cool but horrific
[23:09] [@PanicC> ahhhh
[23:10] [@PanicC> :O
[23:10] [@PanicC> they say it is deliberate
[23:10] [@Reapz> fuck
[23:10] [@Reapz> i hope so
[23:11] [@Reapz> cos i wanna be in New York right now
[23:11] [@PanicC> so who will post?
[23:11] [@Reapz> i already did
[23:11] [@PanicC> oh
[23:11] [@PanicC> u did
[23:11] [@PanicC> cool
[23:11] [@Reapz> yah
[23:11] [@Reapz> world trade centres
[23:14] [@Reapz> dude
[23:14] [@Reapz> you gotta think of it from my view
[23:14] [@Reapz> you just told me that
[23:14] [@Reapz> seems a bit weird
[23:14] [@Nebz> ok
[23:15] [@Nebz> but
[23:15] [@Nebz> LMAO
[23:15] [@Reapz> But seriously
[23:15] [@Nebz> lmao
[23:15] [@Reapz> I dont care
[23:15] [@PanicC> *********
[23:15] [@Reapz> so i went with it
[23:15] [@PanicC> speechless
[23:15] [@Reapz> i shit you not, i thought you's were b/sin
[23:15] [@PanicC> honestly speechless
[23:16] [@Reapz> fuck me
[23:16] *** Reapz changes topic to: 'I SHIT YOU NOT, THE WORLD TRADE CENTER... WENT BOOM'
[23:16] [@Fall> un be flamin leavable
[23:17] [@PanicC> urrr *shakes* urrrr
[23:17] [@PanicC> h-h-help
[23:17] [@Fall> it's on every cable news channel there is
[23:17] [@Reapz> i know Fall
[23:17] [@Reapz> its everywhere
[23:17] [@PanicC> how is this happening
[23:17] [@Reapz> it had to be terrorists.. this could NOT have been an accident
[23:17] [@Fall> bushy's been told
[23:17] [@Reapz> ermmmm
[23:17] [@Reapz> terrorists
[23:17] [@Fall> it's freakin terrorism
[23:17] [@Reapz> yep
[23:17] [@Reapz> im makin a poll
[23:17] [@Nebz> they think terrorists
[23:17] [@PanicC> ITS LIKE A MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!
[23:18] [@PanicC> DREAM
[23:18] [@Reapz> cool
[23:18] [@PanicC> DREAM
[23:18] [@Reapz> HEADSPIN
[23:18] [@PanicC> DREAM
[23:18] [@PanicC> TOTAL HEADSPIN
[23:18] [@PanicC> I am honestly wondering if tommorrow i will wake from this abyss of fantasy
[23:18] [@PanicC> ^^^^ no crap
[23:19] [Gummy> holy crap
[23:19] [Gummy> 'possible' foul play?!
[23:19] [@Reapz> YOU HEARD???
[23:19] [Gummy> they said the first plane turned
[23:19] [Gummy> it's like a movie!!
[23:20] [Fall> finally
[23:21] [Fall> i wonder if those planes had occupants...more than the pilot (sarcasm)
[23:21] [@crazycrap> cos my nick is what this news is
[23:21] [@crazycrap> wow
[23:22] [Fall> www.cnn.com
[23:22] [@crazycrap> THE MOTHERFUCKING BULIDING IS E-X-P-L-O-D-I-N-G
[23:22] [@Reapz> ok im going guys
[23:22] [@crazycrap> thx
[23:22] [@Reapz> im going to film this in america
[23:22] [@Reapz> Ciao
[23:22] *** Disconnected
Session Close: Tue Sep 11 23:23:18 2001

It shows how I couldn't believe what was happening, and I remember the night so vividly. The next day I wasn't at school, but I did stay up late just to watch it.

- Reapz

Heath | 17 | Australia

#1708 | Saturday, September 7th 2002
I had resigned from my job on August 31, and my husband and I took off on holidays - we hadn't had a holiday in 2 years. We had a restful and remote 2 weeks in surf and sun, with no tv, no phone, just dropping into tourist places and talking to the locals. On September 11 we went to a theme park, and we were chatting with the lady at the ticket entrance, when she told us that 2 planes hit 2 of the towers. She looked a little shaken, and I could see fear in her eyes. We couldn't believe it. But not having access to a tv, we didn't see any of the telecast until we reached our home.

September 11 was also the day we checked out of our accommodation, and began the drive home. The first minute in the door (around 5pm) we turned on the tv, and saw the images of what was happening, people running, ducking behind cars, crying, jumping out of windows.... It was like we had come from extreme peace and rest, to return to utter conflict, confusion and destruction. It took some time for the enormity of events to sink in.

There are so many emotions - even for someone like me who has travelled extensively, but never to NY. I have shed tears for people I do not know, and I have ached for those family and friends who have lost precious people, who were their heart and soul in life. I feel very humble, very human, very fragile, and almost vulnerable. These people just went to work on a normal day, and never came home.
Then, and now, I still cry when I read about widow, and children, and parents of the lost ones.

How many times do any of us silently and proudly congratulate ourselves on how hard we are working, how well we are doing, and how many things we are accumulating in life - the measure of success.

As cliche as this is going to sound - I have made a new motto in my life. To do a certain amount of good deeds every day, on the roads, in the office, in the supermarket, in our home... wave another person through first, smile at someone, make a colleague a cuppa when you make your own, give someone encouragment. Love and give. No, that probably doesn't help on a global scale, because people are still out there doing evil deeds - but us in our smaller lives have won - with love.

Sally | 31 | Australia

<< | < | showing 16-20 of 67 | >| >>
search again

welcome
view / browse
search
about


link us



website: wherewereyou.org
All entries are copyright their original authors.