9/11...Five Years Later

[Jason Dunn]

They say every generation has an event that they'll always remember, and unfortunately it's usually a tragic one. 9/11 is it for me. I can still remember waking to the news on the radio, not believing what I was hearing, and rushing into my living room to turn on the TV. I called Ashley and told her to turn on the TV, and we both sat on the phone in shocked silence. There were really no words to describe what we were seeing.

I have vague memories of other tragic events that happened when I was much younger (Space shuttle exploding, Princess Diana's accident) but this one is deeply burned into my mind because of the level of destruction, and simply how brutal it was.

The world is in sorry shape right now, I think in many ways much worse than it was in 2001. It's rather depressing when you think about it...I wonder when things will get better?

[Mike Temporale]

5 years already. It doesn't seem like it's been that long.

I was the first one in the office (downtown Toronto, spitting distance from the CN Tower). It was a small consulting company. My buddy called me minutes after CNN started reporting the news and we talked about what was going on and if it could be an attack. As the events unfolded he kept passing the details along. When the partners finally arrived in the office I told them the news about Tower 1 and 2. They thought I was playing a joke on them. Only moments later, tower 2 would fall and they realized I wasn't joking. I spent almost 2 hours talking with my buddy as the events happened. We both fell silent and thought it was time to call our significant others to make sure everyone was ok. A short trip to the local bar where everyone was having a drink and watching the events replayed on TV, and we all decided to call it a day.

The economy was already in a downward slide, and 9/11 didn't help. Just 3 weeks after, my wife was let go from her job along with 80% of the other employees. Just a month and a half pregnant with our first child - no job, no maternity leave, no benefits. That was the start of a very hard time for us.

I don't think we'll see things get better for a while. It's been 5 years and the world is no better. In fact, I would say it's worse. Hopefully the next 5 years will be better.

Did anyone watch the 9/11 specials on TV last night? I recorded a number of them. Still have to finish watching them. The fire fighter documentary one was really interesting.
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"I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious" - Albert Einstein

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Morbid...but I watch those shows all throughout the year.
Step by Step documentaries on how the terrorists carried out their plan leading into the final result.
Minute by minute documentaries on the science of the destruction in both the WTB and Pentagon, detailing how the planes went thru, and what events led to the collapse.

I remember I was sitting in my new condo that had nothing in it but a folding chair and a radio (that I didnt have on yet). Waitiong for furniture to arrive...which in the end, never did becuase all business turned back employess and closed early.

My friend called me after the first plane crash, thinking it was an amazing accident...especially since we were just there not long ago.

While we were on the phone, the second plane crashed and we both knew what was going on. I remember him saying "WTF we're being attacked!"

I ran back to my old apartment to watch on TV. When I saw the destruction...I knew then that the buildings were coming down. Except I thought the area above the crash would topple over. I never expected them to collapse the way they did.

It was horrific to watch on TV, and I'm sure even more so have been there.

I feel as sad today when I watch it as I did then.

My son is 6 now and I went thru a pictoirial book on 9/11 with him yesterday explaning that there are bad people in the world and here is what they did. Very delicate, but I answered all of his questions as he still wasnt aware it ever happened. I figured I'd explain it to him our way, before he learned it in school eventually....or saw it on TV when just flipping thru. Plus I could answer the many many questions he'd have including his "less-than-appropriate-in-school" questions that 6 year old boys have that wouldn't have been answered in school.

We shouldnt forget even the smallest terroristic acts around the world affect families every day. A bomb going off in Iraq and killing a family of children has the same effect on that family as the death of someones loved one from the Trade Towers. We kind of are immune to those daily deaths since they're not as LARGE scale. But I'm sure to the families...they are worse.

STOP TERRORISM...STOP THE WAR...GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!

Easy to say, not as easy to do. I'd like my son to live a long, healthy, happy, and safe life. And your kids too! The crazies of the world are not making that look easy...but we can hope and help where we can, while protecting our kids along the way....until an opportunity comes along to make a difference.
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Why can't I make cool signatures here!?!

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Just watching a report on CNN where a reporter sitting in traffic, who witnessed the crashing of the plane into the Pentago, noted that he didnt have a cellphone on him at the time.

He pulled out a Motorola Q saying he wished he had that phone with camera and internet access.

It all comes back to Smartphones.
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Why can't I make cool signatures here!?!