![\"iron](\"http:\/\/www.coreyann.com\/911-1.jpg\" "\\"Ground")
<\/p>\nIt was a Tuesday – my “new” normal Tuesday after starting a new job two weeks before. I rolled out of bed around 8 o’clock after working until 11:30 p.m. the night before to get my manicure done at 9:00 a.m. for my upcoming trip to New York City. \u00a0It was my first trip to the city I’d dreamt about visiting since I was a child. \u00a0I was happily chirping away to my nail tech whom I’d been going to for 5 years and telling her about my plans for my trip and what I planned to do. \u00a0Originally the trip was planned for the entire week but since I got a new job we had to shorten it to just the weekend but I was excited just the same. \u00a0We’d got an excellent deal on a hotel, the World Trade Center Marriott and I couldn’t wait to stay in the heart of the city.<\/p>\n
The radio was playing in the background and I heard something about the World Trade Center in the background but I didn’t pause at first because I thought I had NYC on the brain and I was hearing things. \u00a0Then the music stopped and Matt Patrick got serious. \u00a0A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. \u00a0Kelly (my nail tech) and I looked at each other and my first thought was, “crap! \u00a0What about my vacation!” \u00a0Now I feel absolutely gutted over that but the initial news reports were that it was a prop plane and thoughts were that it was an “oops” and nothing sinister. \u00a0They went back to playing music and I just kept hoping that the hotel was OK and that the fire would be put out and all would be well by Friday.<\/p>\n
Little did I know.<\/p>\n
The music stopped again. \u00a0You could hear the heartbreak in Matt’s voice as he reported that another plane had hit the World Trade Center. \u00a0At first there was confusion on if it was the same\u00a0incident\u00a0but it soon became apparent that no, it wasn’t. \u00a0This not only was NOT an oops, but an attack on the US. \u00a0The music never came back on and the rest of the hour we were both in stunned silence as we listened to Matt fill us in on what was going on and how severe the conditions were.<\/p>\n
As soon as my appointment was over, I called my Dad who was home that day and rushed over to his house. \u00a0On the way there a plane went over and I confess, I ducked. \u00a0Later I would wonder if that was the plane that crashed in PA that was hijacked somewhere over our airspace (at this point most of the planes were grounded). \u00a0I don’t know if it was but I’ll never forget that fear. \u00a0My Dad and I were arguing over the phone though over what was going on. \u00a0He kept insisting that the plane had hit the Pentagon and I kept telling him it was the World Trade Center.<\/p>\n
I got to his house and spent the rest of the hours before I had to go to work watching in horror as both the Pentagon and the World Trade Centers burned and the WTC towers eventually fell. \u00a0I still can feel my jaw drop as I sat in shock and horror watching the buildings collapse and people flee into the streets of the city I once thought as enchanted. \u00a0I had never been in such disbelief in my life before – nor had I ever been so glad to live “in the middle of nowhere” as my younger 20-something self always believed.<\/p>\n
My first thoughts when I came back to reality were of my great uncle whom I knew worked in the city. \u00a0While he was in his 90’s and lived in West Orange, NJ I knew that he was often in the city and working. \u00a0He loved to work and was never one to let age get in his way. \u00a0He was the first one to introduce me to the idea of NYC and tell me about how amazing it was. \u00a0He was always asking me to come see him and let him show me his city. \u00a0We were planning to stop by and hopefully see him while we were there. \u00a0He remarried not long before 9\/11 and his new wife cut him off from his family and sadly we had no number to call to find out if he was OK after 9\/11. \u00a0Finally our letters starting coming back as addressee unknown. \u00a0Later we would find out his death certificate lists his death on 9\/12\/01 in NYC and although we were never able to find out the cause of death, I have to wonder if it was something to do with 9\/11 – be it if he was there or if he had a heart attack after seeing what happened to his beloved city. \u00a0To this day, I still look for him in the streets in the pictures from that day, hoping to see his face and his birthmark on his face that gave him such character.<\/p>\n
I did finally make it to the enchanted city less than three months after 9\/11. \u00a0I didn’t get a chance to get to Ground Zero at the time because they were selling tickets for the platform to “see” it and it was sold out for months in advance. \u00a0I went back the following year in January, April and October. \u00a0I paid a nighttime visit in April and laid flowers at Ladder 1 but I didn’t get images of Ground Zero until October.<\/p>\n
Ten years. \u00a0It’s hard to believe it was so long ago. \u00a0Where were you ten years ago? \u00a0It’s funny, I used to always sit and listen to my parents tell me about they day Kennedy was shot and I never imagined that our generation would have a date in history like that to tell our children about. \u00a0Now we do… and I hope that’s the only one.<\/p>\n
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![\"poster](\"http:\/\/www.coreyann.com\/911-2.jpg\" "\\"Ground")
<\/p>\n![\"globe](\"http:\/\/www.coreyann.com\/911-3.jpg\" "\\"Ground")
<\/p>\n![\"statue](\"http:\/\/www.coreyann.com\/911-4.jpg\" "\\"Statue")
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