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9-11
I will never forget that Tuesday... I was in Buffalo, having had the weekend off (a rarity during football season), and had decided to go to UB to talk with the (then) new Bulls coaching staff and sit in on some game prep. It was a beautiful morning, nice and temperate. It was still early morning, and I was passing through the student union to get some breakfast, when I noticed a clamor coming from the people near the TV's.
The smoke was rising from the first of the towers, and I thought that a huge fire had started, and continued to my breakfast after saying a quick prayer for the people trapped... why should I spare more thought... those buildings have fire control systems better than battleships I thought.
My father had gone to UB & still taught there occasionally in the physics and chemistry departments, so I was no stranger growing up to its confines, having spent much time there in my youth, so feeling no particular hurry to drop in unannounced on coach Hofher, I picked up a school newspaper and began to read.
It was the mass cry of horror that woke me from the paper, and what I had thought was a fire had turned to something much worst. Like most people who witness a fatal car crash, I stood stunned (I still don't recall moving to the nearest TV, nor who turned up the volume) eyes transfixed on the glowing phosphorous tube in front of me. Mind racing to come to grips, arriving at the obvious with everyone else, then with an almost painful effort, tore my eyes from the screen in front of me.
I walked, first fast then ran to my car, and went home as fast as I could, radio tuned to the news, confirming the reality of the morning. I arrived home, to an empty house, my fiancé was at work, and turned on the TV, just in time to see the impossible.
I know now that when that first tower collapsed that I lost a close friend that moment... so for all the mothers, sons, fathers, daughters, and friends out there who lost someone they knew, or grew up with, my sympathy and prayers are with you.
God bless you all on this day.
And I for one will never forget... or forgive.
The smoke was rising from the first of the towers, and I thought that a huge fire had started, and continued to my breakfast after saying a quick prayer for the people trapped... why should I spare more thought... those buildings have fire control systems better than battleships I thought.
My father had gone to UB & still taught there occasionally in the physics and chemistry departments, so I was no stranger growing up to its confines, having spent much time there in my youth, so feeling no particular hurry to drop in unannounced on coach Hofher, I picked up a school newspaper and began to read.
It was the mass cry of horror that woke me from the paper, and what I had thought was a fire had turned to something much worst. Like most people who witness a fatal car crash, I stood stunned (I still don't recall moving to the nearest TV, nor who turned up the volume) eyes transfixed on the glowing phosphorous tube in front of me. Mind racing to come to grips, arriving at the obvious with everyone else, then with an almost painful effort, tore my eyes from the screen in front of me.
I walked, first fast then ran to my car, and went home as fast as I could, radio tuned to the news, confirming the reality of the morning. I arrived home, to an empty house, my fiancé was at work, and turned on the TV, just in time to see the impossible.
I know now that when that first tower collapsed that I lost a close friend that moment... so for all the mothers, sons, fathers, daughters, and friends out there who lost someone they knew, or grew up with, my sympathy and prayers are with you.
God bless you all on this day.
And I for one will never forget... or forgive.
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