9/11 - 25 Years Later

Hearing stories- as you do on this day certainly makes me think about my own experience of it. And I suppose I have a Canadian take on it which fits this blog, so maybe it is something worth recording.

I was working at the time whereas most people I know and am friends with were at school. I was working at a retail computer store in an industrial area (in Ottawa, Canada). It is funny to think, at this time, even at a computer store- we really didn't have the greatest internet. There was no high speed internet available- only dial up in that area. Our computer store partnered with a company that offered satellite internet (download) and dial up modem for upload. So we uniquely also showcased satellite TV service in our store through that same system.

I note this because back then, cell phones wouldn't push you, or feed you, emergency information. And it wasn't like you could pop on the internet to watch video news or even really get super up to date information like you can now. Now, everyone having a cell phone can report on various things and we can get a better idea than we could back then of what might be going on in an emergency. With dial up internet in the area- you were only popping on the 'net to do some specific things then get off. At home there was high speed but we still looked to TV for any major news and information on what was going on in the world.

Back to the computer store, I came in to work to have a co-worker ask me to come over to see what was happening on the news, which we had on that demo satellite TV system. Initially we had thought, wow it must have been an accident- a plane flying into a building! The news anchors reported the same, they didn't know if it was intentional or not, but likely some kind of accident. There was great concern about the people, the building and if they'd be able to get it under control. I certainly felt great distress for all that were already involved in a tragedy unfolding before our eyes.

We soon after saw the 2nd plane hit the other building and I remember having a feeling of disbelief or disconnection from reality, was this really happening? How could this be happening? This can't be happening? Primarily those feelings were for the loss of life being witnessed and feeling compassion for all those who were in this chaos closer and within. Then, a strong feeling of- we're under attack, and surely this is going to lead to war, and we felt as much at risk as New York did, especially being in relatively close proximity to NY.

Also- I'll say, we had workers from the same building we worked in come over to watch this on TV- as they also had no way to get up to date news or a view of what was happening... though I suppose they caught wind somehow as they came over to our store. Perhaps they were hearing it on the radio. It was certainly a quiet day- I think if we had any customers, they were fully unaware. Some shops around us just closed for the day and went home.

I came across a post of this picture by the guy himself in it- saying he didn't even know who had taken that photo, and of course it was getting comments of disgust and shame. But he said they felt no separation between themselves and the people in the buildings. It was chaos, they heard people screaming, and as I mentioned- it was a different time with less availability of information - so there was a feeling for them that it could be their last moments- so they should capture it. I know we felt that eventual possibility too, and we were miles and miles away.

War and terrorism coming to your locale when we hadn't had that in a very long time is terrifying and intimidating.. I believe its something we should be much more careful about, but tend to currently ignore to a fault. This is why it is important to keep talking about, and remembering what happened that day- 25 years ago.