9/11: The Rest of the Day

The rest of September 11th is a blur. I remember sitting on the couch and watching the TV. Mostly staying on NBC but jumping around to the other networks, MSNBC, FOX, CNN, Headline, etc. I remember the phone sitting right next to me. I remember some of the calls (as detailed below) I remember talking to the wife often. But it really is a haze.

When the boy got home from school I met him at the bus stop (our driveway) and brought him in and explained what had happened. As an 8 year old, he took it like everything else; OK, can I have snack. We did his homework, played a little then he went next door to play with the neighborhood kids. I did not let him watch the TV or any of the replays for sometime. When the wife got home it all hit me. I gave her a hug then went to our bedroom. I was so tired, just so drained that I laid down for a second and it all flooded out. I started to cry for everyone and everything that we had lost that morning. With dinner on and wife and the boy going over homework I had a moment to myself. But the boy heard me crying and came to our room and asked what was the matter. The wife told him that bad men had did something very terrible and that it happened in New York City and that made Dad very sad. He came and gave me a hug and then we had a nice dinner with a friend who had come over.

Later that night I needed a drink and the wife and I and our friend had some drinks and watched the TV. Eventually the wife went to bed. I stayed up with friend and we talked and I decided to call in sick the next day. I really did not what to deal with this and have to work at the same time. I went to bed after midnight and slept in the next day.

September 12th I watched a little on the TV but did make lots of calls to family in New York. My cousin was fine at NYU and my Aunt was OK. My parents had lost several people they had known in the Towers. My In-Laws happened to be in New York that morning, seeing a Yankee game and a Broadway show. They woke early on the 11th to go to the WTC to sightsee but traffic is a big issue with my FIL and they decided to leave. According to them they were one of the last cars to cross the bridge out of Manhattan. They could not believe the confusion and hysteria on the ground and hauled ass back to Albany. My Grandmother was still upset and really pissed at "Arabs". To this day she wears a little Twin Towers pin she got years ago. She worked nearby the WTC for 30 years and was devastated that the buildings she saw go up everyday, little by little were now gone.