My Reflection on Sept 11th
It was a beautiful September morning, temps in the high 60's not a cloud in the sky. I was standing in my kitchen with my carpenter drinking coffee while he was working on reinstalling a back door in my house. I was seriously considering ditching work because it was such a beautiful day, all I wanted to do was take the bike out and go ridin. The Busa was calling to me from the garage, but I knew I couldn’t do that. So I was preparing to go about my day. Then it happened.
The TV was on and one of the typical usually bubbly blond journalists came on and said something about a small plane hitting the WTC. The camera went to a live shot of the WTC with smoke billowing out of the top floors; I pointed it out to my carpenter and said, "Hey check this shit out". We were both looking at it like "wow what a dumb ass, didn’t see that big ass building in front of him." then, all of the sudden as I'm watching I see a jet streak across the sky and hit the second building. At that point I almost choked on my coffee and I knew that it was no accident, we both Stood there staring at the screen in horror. For the next few minutes you could hear a pin drop. Then I said something to the affect that "we need to ground every mother fuckin plane in the air right fuckin now and start searching them for FUCKIN terrorists." Apparently I wasn’t the only one thinking that. Next thing I knew I was hearing about the pentagon being hit, another plane going down and a grounding order had been issued to all remaining planes. I couldn’t believe this was happening it was so surreal like something out of a movie. All I could think about was the fact that there were so many planes up there and the sears tower had to be a target and I was dreading watching every minute of the news thinking that the next picture I would see was the tower in flames. I had a meeting down the street from there in a few hours.
My carpenter hurried up and put my door back together for the time being and took off to go be with his wife and kids. I called and cancelled the meeting I was supposed to have downtown. I spent most of that day talking to friends on the web and on the phone. I was lucky, our New York office was not damaged and everyone who was at the Marriott for a meeting was able to get out OK, so I didn’t loose any Co- workers that day, but I knew a lot of people who did and it really upset me. Trying to find out if everyone was all right was a major disaster. Two-way pagers, cell phones, email, Instant messanger, Bulletin boards, you name it I was on it. But the rumors were the worst everywhere you went all you got were different stories. Trying to find any credible news sources was like looking for a virgin in a whorehouse.
My heart went out to all the people that day and it still does. Thinking about that day which I do often fills me with an anger that I have never really been able to describe. The only tern that comes close is "Homicidal rage" I would give anything to have a crack at those pieces of shit responsible for that act. To look them in the eye and see the sheer arrogance that they possess about their cause, then to just beat the ever living shit out of them till their begging to die. Fuck! Does that thought get me going.
I am a little early on this posting as tomorrow is Sept 11th but I was sitting here reflecting on that morning and I decided to post what I was thinking about. I know my language isn’t the best here and I apologize. But I write how I talk and that’s how I feel.
This Country is an amazing place. In the days following the feeling of patriotism radiated from everyone I passed. I was never so proud to be an American. To see how we could all pull together to get through adversity filled my heart with an incredible joy that almost drowned out some of the anger I was feeling. Seeing President Bush come on TV and the crowd Go silent in the bar up at Cafe Salsa, everyone hanging on his every word was truly amazing. I can’t remember in my lifetime when anyone watched like that as a president spoke. Then when he was done everyone applauded. I again was never so proud to be an American. Hang your Flags proudly today everyone. For this is a day of remembrance. And to the Fire fighters, police and innocent civilians who died that day, God Bless you all, and God Bless America.
-Tony Filippelli
It was a beautiful September morning, temps in the high 60's not a cloud in the sky. I was standing in my kitchen with my carpenter drinking coffee while he was working on reinstalling a back door in my house. I was seriously considering ditching work because it was such a beautiful day, all I wanted to do was take the bike out and go ridin. The Busa was calling to me from the garage, but I knew I couldn’t do that. So I was preparing to go about my day. Then it happened.
The TV was on and one of the typical usually bubbly blond journalists came on and said something about a small plane hitting the WTC. The camera went to a live shot of the WTC with smoke billowing out of the top floors; I pointed it out to my carpenter and said, "Hey check this shit out". We were both looking at it like "wow what a dumb ass, didn’t see that big ass building in front of him." then, all of the sudden as I'm watching I see a jet streak across the sky and hit the second building. At that point I almost choked on my coffee and I knew that it was no accident, we both Stood there staring at the screen in horror. For the next few minutes you could hear a pin drop. Then I said something to the affect that "we need to ground every mother fuckin plane in the air right fuckin now and start searching them for FUCKIN terrorists." Apparently I wasn’t the only one thinking that. Next thing I knew I was hearing about the pentagon being hit, another plane going down and a grounding order had been issued to all remaining planes. I couldn’t believe this was happening it was so surreal like something out of a movie. All I could think about was the fact that there were so many planes up there and the sears tower had to be a target and I was dreading watching every minute of the news thinking that the next picture I would see was the tower in flames. I had a meeting down the street from there in a few hours.
My carpenter hurried up and put my door back together for the time being and took off to go be with his wife and kids. I called and cancelled the meeting I was supposed to have downtown. I spent most of that day talking to friends on the web and on the phone. I was lucky, our New York office was not damaged and everyone who was at the Marriott for a meeting was able to get out OK, so I didn’t loose any Co- workers that day, but I knew a lot of people who did and it really upset me. Trying to find out if everyone was all right was a major disaster. Two-way pagers, cell phones, email, Instant messanger, Bulletin boards, you name it I was on it. But the rumors were the worst everywhere you went all you got were different stories. Trying to find any credible news sources was like looking for a virgin in a whorehouse.
My heart went out to all the people that day and it still does. Thinking about that day which I do often fills me with an anger that I have never really been able to describe. The only tern that comes close is "Homicidal rage" I would give anything to have a crack at those pieces of shit responsible for that act. To look them in the eye and see the sheer arrogance that they possess about their cause, then to just beat the ever living shit out of them till their begging to die. Fuck! Does that thought get me going.
I am a little early on this posting as tomorrow is Sept 11th but I was sitting here reflecting on that morning and I decided to post what I was thinking about. I know my language isn’t the best here and I apologize. But I write how I talk and that’s how I feel.
This Country is an amazing place. In the days following the feeling of patriotism radiated from everyone I passed. I was never so proud to be an American. To see how we could all pull together to get through adversity filled my heart with an incredible joy that almost drowned out some of the anger I was feeling. Seeing President Bush come on TV and the crowd Go silent in the bar up at Cafe Salsa, everyone hanging on his every word was truly amazing. I can’t remember in my lifetime when anyone watched like that as a president spoke. Then when he was done everyone applauded. I again was never so proud to be an American. Hang your Flags proudly today everyone. For this is a day of remembrance. And to the Fire fighters, police and innocent civilians who died that day, God Bless you all, and God Bless America.
-Tony Filippelli