London, I'm sorry

[lumy12]

I feel a little dumb posting silly entries when London is going through such a horrific time.

I think back to the dark days that followed 9/11/01 and wonder what I would have posted here if I'd had this livejournal back then. I remember emailing my thoughts to my whole address book. I made several journal entries in my personal journal. I was really shaken up back then. Now, I feel like I'm more hardened. Maybe just not as naive.

Of course, this happened to London, not New York, so it's not at all close to home. I don't even bat an eye when I read about suicide bombers in the middle east anymore. Terrorism is nothing new. But it's still horrifying if you delve into the details of any one incident.

Z, if you ever read this, I thought of you as soon as I heard about London yesterday... I wonder if you're still planning to go there in.... 2 weeks, is it? I'm sure you'll keep us posted in your journal. I have a feeling you won't be changing your plans.

I'm going to shut up now, I only came on here to check the "DMA" board and print signs for A.'s show tomorrow - I'm doing it solo, and the only money I'm keeping is enough for a ticket to Star Wars. Oh yeah, and a medium popcorn. Perhaps dinner also if J and the gang want to go out.

God bless you London...

Comments

[gizzi1213.livejournal.com]

I was at my current job for 6 weeks when 9/11 happened. Prior to that I worked in a location were I could see lower Manhattan from one of the upper floors. On a clear day especially. That day was an absolutely stunningly beautiful blue sky day. I remember it all to clearly. I was almost to work (I started at 9 then) when I heard the news report about a plane hitting the Towers. Small planes had hit tall buildings in NYC before, I assumed it was a Cessna or something along those lines.

I'll never forget the sound of the woman in the next office screaming when the report of the first building collapsing came in. Her husband worked in the Towers. Agonized screams right through our supposedly sound-proofed conference room walls. Her husband survived, thankfully.

Tony was Tony, his comment through all the mayhem was "Why is everyone distracted, no one is dying here?" This despite the fact that his sister didn't know if her husband was dead or alive at the time. HE worked in one of the Towers as well. Thankfully, he survived as well.

[lumy12.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Yeah, you were SO CLOSE to everything, I can only imagine how much more horrible it was for you.

It took a day or so for it to really sink in and depress me. I would say maybe that was the case with Tony too, except... this is Tony we're talking about!!!

[gizzi1213.livejournal.com]

You have to consider, too, that our office is DIRECTLY under the landing flight path for planes coming in to Westchester County Airport, which is located in the town I work in. So, hearing that things were being attacked by planes as unsettling. The world headquarters for IBM is next door! Who knew if they were going to stick to government buildings. The Towers weren't, so it was in our minds.

THEN, a few days later when planes were allowed to fly again, the first time we saw a plane come in for landing it was VERY unnerving. From Mark's office window you really can see them approach. Never appreciated before how directly they come at our building!

[lumy12.livejournal.com]

How terrifying!