I didn't know what to call this topic. The day after? What's next? I don't know. It's September 12.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Answers

You know, yesterday I was merely heartbroken. Today I'm mad. And I am only a little ashamed to admit that I want revenge.

I heard an interview on the radio this morning with a lady whose husband hadn't been found yet. It was nearly more than I could take.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

You know what made me cry?

NBC last night (and again this morning) ran a feature on a guy who's mom was 64, couldn't breathe very well and having chest pains. He flagged down a passing car, begged the woman to bring his mom as far north as possible, tried to follow on his rollerblades but lost sight of the car. He was frantically searching for his mom at hospitals, schools ... everywhere.

Finally, he checked his voicemail and heard that she had left a message. She was safe, at a friend's apartment, actually in his building.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I couldn't take the interview with the mother in California whose son called her from the hijacked plane.

Mike, my cousin was in the same traffic jam as you - she told me that the first thing that hit her was the fact that her husband was at work at the Capitol, which was surely next.

I didn't find about the attack until about 10:30 yesterday morning - I was in a meeting in Tallahassee (I had flown down the night before) and I had a voice mail from Chris telling me not to get on the plane in a few hours, that he would come to Tallahassee to get me, and that his family was alright. The hell? I called him and he explained the situation. Thankfully, my boss and I had rented a car, so we hightailed it back to Atlanta (his wife is nine months pregnant).

Chris had spoken with his mother several times - she owns two preschools in Northern Virginia, and many of her parents work at the Pentagon. No orphans in her school yesterday, thank God.

Another story I couldn't take: Father Judge, the NYFD chaplain. Several firemen found his body. They took it to the nearest church, wrapped him in sheets, and put his body at the altar, where they knew he would be safe.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

There are so many stories. So many. And if anything, I hope they bring us joy at the inherent goodness people are showing. All the blood banks nationwide having to turn people away yesterday. The volunteers. The firefighters, covered in snowy dust, just telling the reporters, hey, it's my job. I won't stop till they make me stop.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

her husband was at work at the Capitol, which was surely next.

It might have been. That plane that crash-landed in Pa. was pretty definitely heading here, either for the Capitol or the White House.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Yesterday I was in shock. Today I hurt. Physically. There is a heaviness in my heart - a physical sensation to all this horror.

I keep seeing the CNN footage of the second plane going in - in my mind. Over and over again.

And the firefighters and police that were killed in the collapse. Insult to injury.

And I saw stupid jerks stealing gas from a mom and pop gas station last night - mom and pop hadn't raised prices. Driving away without paying - two times while I was there.

I cannot watch any more coverage today. Maybe later. Not now.

Take care of yourselves.

Steph

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I can't seem to absorb enough information.

From 3wa:

The New York based US poet laureat was interviewed on NPR and spoke of the loss of the towers from the skyline. He said that everyone who knew NY would notice their absence for life. It would be a monument, he said, a monument of air.

A monument of air.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Mike, absolutely. She knew about New York, and her first instinct wat that something else would happen in DC, probably at a very symbolic place like the Capitol.

I spoke with her last night - she and her husband had just gone for a run to get rid of the day. They wanted to get on with their lives. That's what Americans do.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Hannah, this morning I was looking at my pictures from a trip to New York. I had taken a picture of lower Manhattan with the towers in the center. It's a postcard-type shot. It was bizarre to realize that they no longer exist.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

It's funny ... if the plane hadn't been going so unbelievably fast, I wouldn't have thought anything of it, because National is a really hard airport to land at. My first thought was that it was just a horrible approach, but I was listening to the Trade Center coverage, plus I drive that route to work every day and I have a pretty good idea of what the flight paths are.

My next thought was to wonder how many planes would be dropping out of the sky. And for how long.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I'm deeply relieved to hear that you all are physically OK. Mentally...I think we have a lifetime to be OK mentally. My body is heavy with saddness for the loss of life, the loss of security, the loss of my peace of mind. I'm afraid to be alone, because that is when I think too much and cry. Many of my daughter's friends parents work in or around the WTC. We, thankfully, had good news last night on some of the families. I hope she comes home with more good news than bad. This is a sad, sad time.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Yesterday was the first day I was glad that I moved away from DC to come here. My row house is 10 blocks from the Capitol, I used to walk to Union Station every day to catch the metro.

Today is at work is all about scrambling to remove all materials for some films that are being pulled due to the storylines being too close to yesterday's events - Big Trouble (suitcase bomb on a plane). Although WB hasn't officially pulled Collateral Damage we are sure they will. It makes me sick to my stomach, I hope they never make another "someone is blowing up a building/airplane and Bruce, Arnold or Denzel is going to save the world" movie again.

Because in real life the heroes aren't people like Bruce, Arnold and Denzel, taking on the bad guys, out smarting them, making the world safe for democracy.

The heroes are the police, fire and emergency workers who went into the mess time and again even though they knew it could collapse, that it already had and their brothers and sisters were lost.

The heroes are the thousands of Americans who immediately went to give blood.

The heroes are the people offering food and shelter to strangers in need.

And the heroes are those people still alive and trapped, making phone calls, hoping to get out alive.

Can there ever be enough prayers?

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Like Die Hard III, where the worst they could imagine was an exploding subway in the financial district (if I'm remembering correctly). Never anything like this. Never.

Even though I only ever saw the Manhattan skyline from a distance, whether it was driving to Long Island from CT or from the air, taking off from/landing at Newark, it's a memory I'm glad I have.

Oh,and Dear Mr. President -

We need more Texan. Less Washington. Just talk to us. Say "Listen y'all, Good will prevail. You can bet your boots."

Love, Hannah

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

See, here's my take on Bush:

His second speech of the day should have been more "this is what we're going to do" than patriotic rhetoric. I understand that Presidents do what they're told during a crisis situation, but during a Tom Clancy crisis (and I'm sure the Tom Clancy thing is a cliche by now, but whatever), we need more of a Jack Ryan-type speech than the obvious blather. I mean, OF COURSE the government will do whatever it takes to find out who did this and retaliate accordingly. OF COURSE it was an attack on democracy. OF COURSE it's a tragedy. But how are we to proceed as a nation?

Every major network has an affiliate in Shreveport. He should have said something to the nation at that time. Cheney & company should have gone to ANWAR in Nebraska. Bush should have gone directly to the White House.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Let me edit that to say that while President Bush was in Shreveport, he should have said something other than the repeat of his statement in Sarasota yesterday morning. I don't think I was clear.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

They just evacuated us -- or rather, we just evacuated ourselves -- because of that unidentified plane. I guess it's from FEMA, as it turns out.

Yeah, we're a little jittery here.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

The Pentagon is apparently about to collapse.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

...or maybe not.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Wait, what? There's no tv at my office. And I forgot my radio. Mike?

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

There was a false report that a plane was headed to our building.

They evcacuated the Pentagon briefly, but now apprently they're going back.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I imagine that since no planes should be landing at National, it's terrifying to see anything in the air near your office.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Yeah, National might be closed for awhile...

I'm going to a wedding this weekend in Pa. The groom and his family is from Texas, and while they'll drive up if they have to, the groomsman might not be able to make it.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

They're making arrests in Boston and Daytona Beach.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Ah, what? I went home for lunch, but nothing new was reported. All I heard was that all planes will remain grounded today.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Early word is they may have found some other people from the flight school that may have trained the terrorists.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

i couldn't write yesterday because i couldn't process it yesterday. i still can't, but i can think a bit more clearly.

i was in new york city sunday night and monday for a meeting. i was supposed to go home monday night but my flight was cancelled because of the rain.

i left new york city, the city i grew up in and have loved and related to and called home my entire life yesterday morning at 6:15. i shut my eyes as we took off, shut my eyes on the skyline and bridges and the water and that city. i slept.

i got off the plane, safe in columbus, drove to work, and then i heard. somehow, it was crazy that i was on a plane that morning. it was crazy that i made it out. yes, i made it out, but i will never see it again as it was, as it will forever be in my memory and my heart. it crushes my soul. i can't imagine that place now.

and it didn't even seem real until i spoke to a friend of mine who is a new york city cop. he called from the hospital where he was staying because of the injuries he received while saving people from the destruction. he couldn't speak and he couldn't think. he sounded as if a part of him was deadened and will never be revived.

god, it's tragic.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

from 3wa:

1:37 p.m. from Boston--

Boston Police (jillions of police, SWAT team, Bomb Squad, etc.) are, according to our local news, "apprehending suspects" at a downtown hotel.

The current word on this is that five people bought one-way tickets on the flights that crashed into the World Trade Center minutes before the planes departed. With cash.

Also, the police found an abandoned rental car with Arabic-language flight manuals and textbooks in one of the Logan parking lots. That, apparently, provided the connection to the downtown hotel.

This is from WBZ Channel 4 (the "staid" news, not the flashy news).

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Y'all. I am totally sneaking this.

This nearly killed me: http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/opinion/luckovich/index.html

And, I know it's cheesy. But it did make me cry. Again.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

The newscasters at Channel 11 have what is very obviously a backdrop of the city skyline. I kept squinting at it to make out the Twin Towers.

They have also been broadcasting, all day, individuals with photos who take the camera for a moment because their cousin or brother or fiancée worked on the 73rd or 94th or 105th floor and hasn't been heard from in over 24 hours. One girl was due to get married on December 1st. She kept saying, "I know he's going to come back to me," but you knew she knew she was failing to convince herself.

I just got into the office; I didn't want to come in first thing. The hospital nearest my apartment isn't accepting blood donors till Thursday. Citicorp Center, the blood center nearest my office, is telling people to hold off till Friday or the weekend. Down at Chelsea Piers they are now sending out pleas for socks, clothes, etc.

My roommate's father's boss and several of his co-workers are missing.

When I got home last night I could smell the ash and gasoline in the air. The sky is still somewhat hazy over south Manhattan.

I don't know, y'all. I don't know.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I wonder if WriterGirl didn't go in to work today? I hope she made it home safely. Has anyone heard from her?

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Just an FYI ... I have a random night shift tomorrow and then am off for the weekend (to a wedding, although it'll be a lot smaller than originally planned). So don't get all worried if you don't hear from me, although I'm sure I'll update again Thursday.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I was supposed to go to Boston this weekend; I probably won't. I may join some friends volunteering at Chelsea Piers if I can. I'm trying to stay off my cell phone, both because the networks are still jammed and because my battery has been acting weird.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

For those who want to give to the Red Cross and have Paypal accounts.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Okay. That was weird. I posted that as soon as you showed up. WG!

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

It took me a while to write that.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/12/victims.list.ap/

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

A coworker grew up with one of the men who was on a hijacked plane with his wife and daughter. The Hansons, I think.

WG - C went to the Red Cross yesterday to donate (we both have the much-needed O+ blood) but they didn't need volunteers - the line was long. They did say that they hoped he would come back in a week, since a lot of the blood donated now would go bad. He made a donation - they emphasized that they need money as mucha s they need blood. It's great that they have PayPal.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Y'all watching the press conference?

This temp job is so ridiculous. I'm not supposed to use the web, but the TV has been blaring all day.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Which press conference? The FBI one?

I'm in love with Peter Jennings. Yesterday as I flipped back and forth and back I consistently stayed with ABC. As much as I love Dan Rather, ABC and Peter were on it.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I'm an NBC guy.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Y'know, someone mentioned -- oh hell, SO many have mentioned -- that what seems to be borne out of this tragedy is the reminder we all have of the true beauty of humankind.

What's bringing ME to tears now is hearing all of these stories about people who are willing to do whatever they can, whenever they can, to help out.

Look at how everyone -- each of you -- in the forums have been! It's amazing to see, it's touching and it's reaffirming.

I was emailing with a fellow journaler the day before this happened. He and I were chit-chatting about the cattiness among journalers that seems to rear its ugly head every now and again.

But now ... wow. Simply wow.

To see so many "strangers" put aside their differences and offer words of support ... it's just wonderful.

Thanks to all of you, and my thoughts are with all of you!

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Erin, I totally agree. I was talking with a co-worker who hangs out on music forums, and he said the same thing was happening there that happened on the journalling ones ... people offering their phone numbers in case total strangers needed assistance.

It's said so often that it's trite, but you see the best of America at times like this, along with the worst. And there are a lot more examples of the former than the latter.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

The diverted flights are allowed to fly to their original destinations.

From ABCNews.com:

The FAA said airports across the country would only be allowed to resume normal service once the new safety measures could be implemented.

These include a thorough search and security check of all airplanes and airports before passengers are allowed to board, a complete closure of curbside and off-airport check-ins, an increased number of armed sky marshals aboard airplanes and a close monitoring of all vehicles near airports.

Couldn't all that take forEVER to implement?

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

It sure could. They're also going to have a stricter screening process for the airport security folks who handle the metal detectors and the x-ray machines. That's something they've been needing to do for a while. I fly out of Hartsfield, one of the busiest airports in the world, at least once a month (now that I've started this job, it will average about once a week) and y'all, security there is a joke.

I don't think it's fair to make sweeping judgements of all airport security personnel, but it seems that for the most part, airport security personnel are poorly trained to the point where they would be of no use in a crisis situation. Really, anyone wearing a suit or who looked like a productive member of society could easily walk through an airport metal detector without attracting any attention, especially at an international airport like Logan, Dulles, or Newark.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I don't think it's fair to make sweeping judgements of all airport security personnel, but it seems that for the most part, airport security personnel are poorly trained to the point where they would be of no use in a crisis situation.

NBC did a feature awhile ago (and re-aired it yesterday) where they had someone try and get a job at -- I believe Newark's Airport. The guy was hired as a cart driver on the spot, and one day later was in charge of a security booth with no formal training.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

T - do you remember any extra security in the Madrid airport? I don't.

I've never checked into Newark so I don't know. But I know Columbus is a joke.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I'll tell you what ... there was a crapload of security at the Rome train station.

But here's something ... on my flight to Paris this July, we checked in in two seconds, carried our backpacks on, and were barely checked. On the way back, checking in at Orly took two hours, they scanned everything, made us check our backpacks and show our passports numerous times.

At the time, that annoyed me to no end. Now, I'd much rather see that every time I fly.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Flying to Spain, I remember that the gate attendant at Newark checked our passports as we boarded. When I flew arrived in Spain from Portugal, half of my friends got a passport stamp, but the rest of us did not, which seemed a little odd. When we left Madrid for the States, they looked at my passport and put little "cleared" stickers on my backpack. That's all they did, though.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

The only extra security feature in Newark is that they do not allow you to get into the gate without a boarding pass, and in several cases where I've flown AirTran, they've allowed me to check in at the gate.

(I'm supposed to fly out of Newark next week . . . we'll see.)

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Oh, Lord. Dallas security - Dallas being one of the most travelled airports in the world - is like, five guys from foreign countries who don't speak English or any other discernable language and a couple of former manicurists moonlighting with a night job at the airport. It is RIDICULOUS.

There's breaking news now. Apparently, One Liberty Plaze is collapsing. 59 stories. Jesus. The skyline is disappearing.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

59 stories. It's interesting - compared to the WTC, the 47-story building that collapsed last night and the building that apparently just collapsed seem small.

Actually, they're taller than any buildings here in Atlanta.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Actually, they're taller than any buildings here in Atlanta.

That gave me chills, but you're right. I think the tallest Columbus buildings top out around 40 floors, at most.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

This is too tacky to mention, but my journal typically gets about 50 visits each day. Today, thanks mostly to Al and AB, I'm up to 260.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Apparently a construction worker climbed into the rubble to tie an American flag onto a lightpole. Everyone applauded, and then went back to work.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

These people with their pictures - this is the worst.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

It's strange what will trigger me to tears, like just some random woman in Atlanta who said something like, "Yesterday I was okay but today I can't stop crying."

But seeing that giant flag draped from the Pentagon. . .

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

My friend Matt works in the same building as the Westin Copley Hotel. How scary to get to work the day after and then hear that the building is being evacuated by the bomb squad.

And my favorite airport security story is one time when I went to pick up Falafel at the SLC airport, I got to the scanner and remembered I had pepper spray in my bag. I asked the lady what to do- if I could just leave it with her, or what.

She said to put it on the belt and see if it looked suspicious. It did not. But, Hello?? I TOLD HER it was pepper spray.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001