9/11 - 10 Years Later

ARTIST STATEMENT-

There are very few days in my life that I remember every detail of. Tuesday, September 11, 2001 is one of those days. I remember waking up late and rushing to get to work on time. I worked as a receptionist for a dermatologist and we started seeing patients at 7:45am. When I was driving to work I did not notice anything out of the ordinary, I usually listened to the radio whenever I was driving but that morning I had popped in a U2 CD. I arrived at work and noticed that there were very few cars in the parking lot which I thought was odd but didn't ponder on it too much. When I opened the door to the office I was confused that the entire office staff including the doctor and a couple of patients were standing in the waiting room intently watching, with concern on their faces, the only television that was in the building. I remember asking what was going on and receiving the response, "Don't you know what's going on? Terrorists have attacked New York City, they hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center." I remember being stunned and thinking it must be a mistake then I joined in watching the television to try to make sense of what I had just been told and what I was seeing. It was only a few minutes later when the first tower fell and I remember gasping in shock and feeling so sorry and helpless for the people in New York City. We stood in that waiting room for a long time watching the events unfold on the screen before us. There were not many people who showed up for their appointments that day. It was a day that I will never forget.

My story is unique to me. My morning started out just like any other ordinary morning, waking up and going to work. The photographs in this collection are of ordinary people who were doing ordinary things when they found out the news of the attacks. Like me, they did not know anyone personally in New York City but their experiences are still unique and important. That ordinary day 10 years ago became an extraordinary day that we will never forget.

AN'JALEE-

"On September 11, 2001 I left for school at UVU and turned on the radio.  I heard the radio announcers talking about a plane crashing into one of the twin towers.  I called my husband and told him to turn on the television to see what was going on.  Shortly after the radio announced that another plane had crashed into the other tower.  I could not believe what I was listening to.  When I arrived at UVU, the news was on every television in the school.  We all stood around watching the horrific scene live.  It is an image I will never get out of my mind.
As we were watching, two more planes crashed and the towers fell to the ground.  The thought of all the people left inside was more than any of us wanted to imagine.  The debris flying and people running away from the scene was awful.  When they began talking about it being a terrorist attack I could no longer stay at school.  I wanted to get home and be with my family.  It was the first time I didn’t feel safe as an American. I will never forget that day."

CINDY-

"I remember getting ready for work that morning with the news on the television playing in the background. I saw the footage of the first plane crash and left for work thinking that is was a terrible accident. When I got to work at the city clinic I realized that there had been a second plane crash and I immediately felt that our country was being attacked. I remember one of my co-workers had a son who had just moved to New York and she was frantically trying to reach him on the phone. The clinic is usually a very busy, loud, fast-paced environment with patients coming and going and phones ringing all day. I remember that day was very different. Patients still showed up for their appointments and the phones still rang but the mood was very solemn and things seemed to happen more slowly with very little talk of anything else but what was taking place in New York. I will always remember the feelings I felt that day. It is a day I will never forget."

PATRICK-

 "On September 11, 2001 I was a student at BYU. I remember being woken up by a frantic phone call from my wife who had just arrived at work. She told me that there had been a plane that had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and that I needed to turn on the TV and see what was going on. I immediately turned on the television and saw the burning buildings. I wasn't quite awake yet so I was still trying to decide if what I was seeing was a dream or reality. I called my dad who lives in Portland, Oregon to find out more information. He filled me in on everything that he had seen on the news and before knowing that we were under terrorist attack we tried to figure out what was happening. We were on the phone together when the towers fell. That was a shocking moment for me. There was so much devastation and so many questions and no one had any answers. When they confirmed that terrorists were responsible I remember being surprised that an attack of this magnitude could happen on U.S. soil. Needless to say I did not go to class that day, I stayed home and watched the news all day. It was a day I will never forget."



MARIE-

"Everyone has their own story to tell of 9/11. Where they were, Who they were with, What they were doing when they heard or saw what was happening. For me it is a day that always brings my emotions to the surface. I remember it was about 730 in the morning, and I had just gotten out of the shower. My newborn baby of 3 1/2 weeks had just woken up for her feeding. My husband was getting ready to leave for work, when he turned on the t.v. to watch the news as he always did. I remember him calling me to the living room. I picked up the baby and her bottle and walked into the living room where I saw my husband standing in front of the t.v., the look on his face I could not describe. I turned to see what he was watching. At first when I looked at the t.v. I saw a building on fire, I listened to the t.v. announcers voice reporting the tragedy of the first plane after it had hit the first tower. They kept replaying it over and over again, I was so sad for those people both in the plane and in the building. But what happened next, was a something I honestly wish I had not seen. The second plane hitting the second building, the news anchor clarifying that the United States of America was under a terrorist attack, the fire, then the screams as the news cameras zoomed in on those people who were trapped above the fire, and the most tragic sight I couldn't bare, was seeing those people throwing themselves off the building, jumping out of the windows to their death. I was crying, balling, sobbing, I was holding my baby so tight. Those words I heard, the things I was seeing, brought a mix of immediate emotions; fear, anger, sorrow, empathy, and I remember watching as the firefighters went into the buildings and what seemed like only seconds or mins later the towers collapsing and a gulf of smoke. I couldn't watch it anymore, I had to turn it off. It was too much, I could blame my extreme emotions on the fact that I had been only 3 1/2 weeks postpartum, but it was more than that. It was the thought of all those innocent people who lost their lives to such an evil cause. Before my husband left for work we knelt down and prayed, it was an emotional prayer. I had nightmares the next few nights almost a replay of the people jumping to their death, it was horrifying. I remember buying an American flag to hang in front of my house. I remember how much love and appreciation I had for the firefighters, troops, and medical personnel who risked and even sacrificed their lives. They are true hero's, and will never be forgotten. I was quickly reminded that freedom isn't free, so deeply greatful for those who have fought and sacrificed their lives for my freedom, and that I am so blessed to be an American. I am still very sensitive to the memory of all those who lost their lives. In God we trust, and I am thankful for his tender mercies. I will never forget that day."