9/11--Where Were You?

[Kathe]

I was at home and surfing the channels to find something for my 2 year old to watch. I saw fire out of the 1st tower and said, oh there is a fire in NYC. I switched to Dora for about 5 minutes then switched back to the news to check on the fire. It was just after the 2nd plane hit. I called my husband in to watch and we just sat there in tears all day long.

I got really mad at one point and called the airlines and booked a flight for the next February from Detroit to LA for the Arbonne convention. I was determined not to let anything make me fearful, although I really was.

As for business, that fall was good and even the next spring was pretty good. It was the following year that everything started falling to pieces.

We had a cruise booked that October and I remember the ship was like a ghost ship. It was only about 1/3 filled. Even the shops in Mexico were closed up. They told us the economy down there tanked because the tourists quit coming. It was so sad to see that. 9/11 affected the entire world in some way or another.

And I agree with Brian, that government taxes have done more damage to our industry than 9/11 although that definitely caused a dip for awhile.

One thing I am very grateful for is that in the 7 years since we have not had any more major attacks in this country. I have no clue how many have been stopped but I'll bet there is at least a few that nobody knows about.

Lastly, it took me a long, long time to quit listening to planes that fly over my house at night. Listening to their engines to see if they are in trouble, or too close to the ground.

[Tanning Queen]

What was really eerie was the sound of NO planes in the air. I live about 15 min from the airport so I am used to the drone of the planes. When there were none, it was scary.

[GSK Resources]

I was getting home from taking my daughters to school, just starting to make calls to tanning salon owners from my home office.

I spent all day of the phone to other people in the indoor tanning industry.

I think 911 was the start of the decline for the indoor tanning industry. It was never the same after that day. It changed peoples spending habits.

I was talking to Andre that owns Ultimate Products, he was watching the towers burn from the roof of his office building in NJ.

I was talking to John Abate about his friends in New York City PD.

We all talked about how this would destroy the industry.

[dcjjp1]

I was a district Manager for a clothing retailer (Limited Brands) and already in one of my stores in McLean, VA it took me more than 7 hours to get home that day. The mood in the city (DC, where I live) was really surreal. Tanks and armed soldiers on all bridges, overpasses, trains etc...

My studio is only blocks from the Pentagon. A vast majority of my clients are from there.

[BIG AL]

I was at home asleep when my wife woke me up and told me to come look at at fire in New York City. I came in and watched the tv and they kept saying that a plane may have struck the building.
All of a sudden, a second plane struck the second tower and I knew what was happening.

I sat there watching the news, knowing what was happening inside those buildings, what the people inside were going thru. The channel that I was watching had a closeup of the fire in the tower and all of a sudden there was a large amount of smoke shoot up and the tower was gone. I knew that a lot of people were gone and I knew that a lot of my brothers that were in there, were gone also. I sat there in disbelief that this happened, wanting to throw up.

The second tower collapsed later and it was almost like a replay of the first and I couldn't believe it was true. I knew that many of my brothers had given their life to do what they believed in and what they would do a hundred times again if they were called.

Here is to 343 of my brothers. I salute you. May you rest in peace.

[dcjjp1]

I have 2 clients in tanning now that just came from the dedication ceremony at the Pentagon. They said it was the most moving tribute they had ever experienced.

[enuf]

Was watching good morning america that day getting ready for work. Went to work in shock and then church. Gave donation at church.

[jbizz]

Great comments. Keep them coming. My family was spared twofold that day--one in the South Tower and one at the Pentagon. Cherish every day with your family and friends.

[capturedsun]

I know I have someone looking over us. My husband's office was on the 50th flr south tower(Marsh Mc Lennen), mine a block over and block down (on broadway). Commuted for years on PATH into the trade cnt from Jersey. We were not there! I was scheduled for lasek eye surgery that day so we had both taken the day off.
We both lost a lot of co-workers, aquaintances and friends.

[TANMAN0302]

WHERE WAS I:
I was at my salon and my parents called me to tell me as soon as it happened. I ran next door to Radio Shack to watch it on their TV's. After running back and forth for an hour, I finally took one of their tv's for the day to watch it!!! Anyone that came in sat and watched with me for a while...some never made it into a bed that day...just in shock!
I had friends in NY that day...all of them were OK, but my good friends wife was from NYC and she had 21 people she knew that didn't come home (friends, relatives, etc.) that day!!

FUNDRAISERS:
After reading a list of "needs" for the rescue workers. I organized a shipment or soaps (bodywash) and lotions (moisturizers) for the rescue workers. With the help of FOUR SEASONS (thanks Nita), they sent 2 skids full of stuff to me that filled my Chevy Blazer and was brought to ground zero for the workers!

[PL2]

I was on a plane; I was going to view a salon and talk with the owner about his ideas. I remember the pilot making the announcement about the WTC; no one said a word. I still get sick to my stomach picturing the military jets that escorted us to the nearest airport.

[Kathe]

Oh wow! I can't even imagine that PL2. That would be so scary.

[EliteMike]

I was sleeping in my apartment at State College, PA when my roomate woke me up and said, dude, a plane just crashed into the world trade center. I'm not a morning person so I fell right back asleep but he turned up the tv and I woke up to see the 2nd tower and the pentagon crash.

I work in the Pentagon, right next to the wedge that got destroyed. The COL I work for was injured on that day, since I've been there, I have never heard him mention it. It's an odd feeling walking through the halls of the wedge that got hit. Sometimes it's easy to forget about it as it was rebuilt to look like nothing happened, other times you have images stuck in your head.

I did not get tickets to the dedication today, only a limited number were given out. THey put a lot of prep work into the ceremony so I'm assumming it was a great event.

[Wicked1]

When they hit I was actually in bed asleep. ( time difference) but usually I would have been up watching a movie.. It wasn't until I was in the car the next morning ( my time ) that I heard ..
Very sad even to this day

[kll]

9/11 is my birthday i was just recovering from some elected cosmetic surgery, i was out that morning running errands....nobody had yet called to say happy bday, and just at the time i was getting gas a non-american owned chevron. it all happened.........i eventually forgave all those that didnt call on my special day

donations--red cross, affected business...worked for a large financial lending bank...since then deposits and money loaned is hard to do and bring in.