Writer's Block: 9/11

[gemfyre]

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I was mucking around on the computer after my sister's birthday gathering (I'm sure I've told this tale before). Matt ICQs me saying "A plane has flown into the World Trade Center" I replied, "Oops". I had no idea what the World Trade Center was, I just thought some person in a light aircraft had been careless.

Then I remember reading the MLPTP and someone (was it SkyeSurfer) had a post "OMG THE TOWERS!" or something. She was in New York. Now, I'm not sure if she posted before or after my brother rang and told us to turn on the TV.

I remember seeing the first tower go. It was like a banana unpeeling. We were all watching TV until about 1am when I finally went to bed. I was also refreshing the TP over and over and the posts just multiplied exponentially. It was amazing.

The next day it was all anyone could talk about at uni. A few American students talked about how they had to remove themselves from all the doom and gloom and some ended up singing "It's Raining Men" just to ease the tension (which of course offended some people - but hell, you have to laugh to keep from crying). Everyone bought the newspaper - their own little piece of history. I bought it for about a week after. Then I'd had enough. No more. I must have seen the footage 200 times by then.

I'm still amazed by the logistics of the thing. It's no secret that I'm fascinated by disasters of both the natural and man-made kind, and this was a doozy.

And despite it all, life goes on. Isn't it amazing? Yesterday I found myself giggling at a few macros made about the event.

Comments

[lsdiamond.livejournal.com]

This post actually means a lot to me. I'm not a very political person (I can debate with the rest of them, but when it comes to particularly American politics, it's all just kinda "meh" to me.). Unpatriotic of me, maybe, but oh well. I didn't even really KNOW what the WTC was until the day they were destroyed. I don't remember what I was wearing that day. I'd slept in late so it wasn't til I got online and saw on the 'TP what had happened and turned on the tube.

The loss of life was tragic, but to this day I don't understand the fascination with such an event. Life goes on; why, seven years later, are we still dwelling on the past and "remembering what happened that day"? Seriously, America, move on.

[jayed.livejournal.com]

There was an interesting programme last night which I was going to post about. It was about the 9/11 faker and how the survors of the event were forgotten about, it was only the dead who mattered. So yes, dwelling in the past is right.

Seeing those people though, it was really really sad. 900 people who were forgotten about, who's stories did not count, who were refused access to the ruins where as families of those who lost someone were treated like heros and given support and access. I know it changed a few years later and they were given a change to speak up... but still...

[honeyjubilee.livejournal.com]

I think my initial response was similar to yours. Something along the lines of "Haha! How blind/stupid/etc. do you have to be to fly into a building that big?!"
I didn't realize the WTC was intentionally hit until I got to school and everyone was watching the news in the library before class.

Now I'm getting a little sick of hearing 9/11 this and 9/11 that all the time. Sure I feel bad for the people who lost family and friends. I'm tired of all the politics and pretending it was a completely unprovoked attack, though.

[mistress-wench.livejournal.com]

Did you giggle at the Benny Hill themed ones?

[princessapphire.livejournal.com]

That day is quite a memory for me. I hate to sound sadistic, but I'll never forget it...not because of the towers themselves, or the people who lost their lives or anything like that. Though I DO feel awful about all of it. But I'll always remember because that was supposed to be the day I met Joey McIntyre.

He was supposed to have a concert in Yakima, Wa. later that evening. But that morning, at 5am, we drove to Seattle to stand in front of Kiss106.1 and wait for Joey to show up for an interview. We had been out there for awhile and they called my friend to come inside for a little interview before hand. So we were outside listening to her talk and them ask her questions when all of a sudden the DJ said something about an airplane hitting one of the towers. Huh? I didn't even know what the towers were. So instantly the conversation shifted to the tower. They talked all about it and how it all happened. Of course they were watching on tv. We had no access to that so we really had no clue the true effects of it all.

Fast forward a bit...the second tower goes and they announce that the Joey interview is cancelled. Joey was currently living in NY mind you, and could see the towers from his apartment windows. We left the radio station and went searching for Joey's hotel. We somehow found it and talked to his manager who called us all insensitive for not realizing how horrible this really was. (we STILL had not seen anything on TV so really did not realize how horrible it WAS) We asked if he was still performing that evening and his manager said that no, he probably wasn't.

My friend was not 21 and the club he was performing at was 21 and over only and over 3 hours away. She did not want to risk driving 3+ hours only to have to sit and wait outside, or to be sent away because it was cancelled.

So we didn't go. And he did perform. For about 15-20 girls who had his full attention and saw the most wonderful performance ever. He said that he wasn't going to let some terrorists scare him into hiding. That the show had to go on no matter what.

So yeah....I'll never forget that day.