Almost 2 years later, the events of 9.11.01 still hurt

[Qtrainat1251]

This Thursday it will be 2 years since the World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists. I never knew anyone that worked in there, or anyone that was lost. But, the World Trade Center was nonetheless a major portion of my life. On my weekly visits to New York I always used to stop in there, often to unwind at Borders, and walk around the great mall downstairs. When the weather was nice I'd be outside and stare up at the towers, which to me, were the best that modern architecture had to offer. Many claim they were bland, but their design is very New York to me. Ever since I was a kid I always loved the Twin towers. I could always see them while riding in the car to the beach. And the Mall was a great place to people watch, all the office workers and commuters, walking to their jobs or getting lunch. Dressed to the nines and showing how intelligent traders do business. I loved hanging out there. And the transit access was great, so many subway lines meant getting there was always easy.
The last time I was at the World Trade Center was a hot day in late August. I remember feeling dehydrated and getting something to drink in that Deli near the PATH tracks. I was also getting severe back pain that day and went outside and put my back against one of the huge steel columns of the towers and my pain went away.
I was upset that I wasnt feeling well as I couldnt enjoy my experience, but figured, I'll be back soon. Little did I know it would be my last time walking around the mall, looking at the towers, and browsing in Borders.
The day of Sept.11th I almost went to the city, but wasnt feeling well from the heat, and could not get up to make the bus. At 9am I get a phone call from a friend who said a plane hit the WTC. I put in the TV (I didnt have cable at the time) and all the stations were off except for channel 2. What I saw was horrific, the north tower was on fire. I figured that the fire would be hard to get out, but they'd get it out somehow. Then another plane hit, and I soon realized that this was no accident.
Still, in a state of shock, I figured that even though alot of people got killed, the buildings would be fixed. Then on TV they were talking when I saw what I couldnt believe, it was the south tower collapsing in the background. Even the Tv reporters couldnt understand what happened, they kept saying, I think the south tower just collapsed. I never thought that would happen. How could it happen? Then the dust spread and I thought about how Chinatown was being affected.
I keep the TV on and they show the remaining North tower, I thought this is bad one tower collapsed, but they other is still standing and it was hit first, so maybe it'll be ok. Then the north tower collapses on TV and the announcers just have nothing to say, they sit there silent showing live video and hearing the screams of people. A scene to replayed on TV over and over again.
I didnt go to the city for a month after 9/11. And I was afraid of being around skyscrapers for months.
I still have so much pain from that day, and trying to comprehend how the bustling city within a city the WTC was, just turned into a cloud of dust. To this day I still cant believe it.

[DougGold]

Since as long as I could remember, I've loved those buildings. Loved to stand next to one, and look up and not be able to see how the tower ended and the sky started. Eight days before 9/11, my friends and I went to dinner at Windows on the World. I'd lost a bet where the winner got a free dinner, and my friend said "let's go to Windows on the World!" At the time i was angry at him for being such a dick. Like I now had to shell out $120 for two dinners because he picked the most expensive restaurant around to go to.
We had a blast. The food was great, the view was perfect, and just walking around the WTC was fun, because we felt we were amongst greatness. I'm so very, very glad that I got to go there that one last evening. So very very sad that I never got around to visiting the observation deck. I'm never going to take anything I care about for granted again.

[JCMAN320]

I remember my first time over there 11 years ago when I was 6. I believe it was actually my first trip in NYC (that I can remeber). My dad and I went to through the mall went to the observatory and we looked over at Jersey City to see if we could see our house. I loved it, I felt like I was on top of the world. As I got older I would go over wiht my friends just to hang out. The last time I remeber seeing them in all their glory was Sunday September 9th, 2001. Me and my friends were at the Hoboken Italinan Festival at Frank Sinatra Park. The sun was setting and shinning of the side of towers making them look like they were made of gold. I told my friends that were sitting next to me how beautiful they looked that I've never see them look so remarkable. I wasn't the only one looking, everybody at the festival and on the waterfront couldn't help but look thats how great they looked. It was almost like fate, God, whatever you believe saying that enjoy this because this is last time you'll see them this way. Two days later I watched EVERYTHING from school on the waterfront right across from Lower Manhattan in Jersey City and I never thought that something I saw everyday of my life no matter where I went, would be just suddenly be gone. I still feels like it was yesteday. Every time I look over, I get a rush of emotions still. Maybe it's because I knew people very well that died in there, maybe its because I'm still mad, or maybe I just don't know exactly how I feel. I do know one thing, that was the worst day of my life and I don't have to worry about going to hell when I die because I was at its front door that day.

[TLOZ Link5]

Hey! Colin Farrel was my avatar first! :evil:

Just kidding.

But seriously...I loved the Twin Towers because of their sense of presence. Approaching the city after a trip out of town, you'd see them loom over the horizon before the rest of the skyline came into view, almost as a gesture of welcoming you home. Although lacking in architectural grace, they had perfect massing and symmetry and their twinnesss was what made them unique (is that an oxymoron?). They were the defining feature of the skyline of the Financial District, and to people around the world they were symbols of America—even if to us they were symbols of half-hearted, '60s-era efforts at urban renewal.

The towers are gone because of their symbolism, but the ideals they represented still endure. It was their loss that sparked my interest in tall buildings, the history of New York, and an overall renewed appreciation for my home. Even though the term is now extremely cliché, after 9/11 I loved New York, my home, more than ever. I still do.

[fvcrew22]

There was something I always loved about the towers. I'm only 16 now and will never forget going into the city to see family or whatever and seeing the twins. Even when I was 4 and 5 years old just seeing them I was amazed; I didnt have the concept of the architecture and their design, I just loved their size. I just starred at them till they were out of my view; the times we were on canal street and I was trying to look up just to get a glance at them. The last time I was in the city before 9-11 was that january; and never thought i would be the last time i'd see them. My uncle worked in tower 1 but was luckily out of town for a business trip. The first time I was back in the city was about 2 months after, I couldn't believe they weren't there, even after seeing it on the news so much, my stomach just dropped.

[Gulcrapek]

Skyscrapers in this city were never much to me, save the twin towers. I would always watch them as we drove on the BQE en route to one of the bridges. They were central to me.

I also remember them from my first walk on the Brooklyn Bridge. Turning around every so often and seeing them through the webs of cable. So powerful now.

I'm grateful that I had the fortune to visit 2WTC and stare out from the highest outdoor observation deck in the world. My hat nearly flew away. With binoculars, I could see my then current school - Mark Twain JHS, in Coney Island.

I visited the ESB later that year. A quote I remember from myself to my father: "This sucks compared to them (or World Trade Center, I don't remember which word I used)". Looking at the twin towers and wishing I was on one.