Let's all hope we never have to go through this again.....EVER!
My memories of that horrible day......
The first thing I remember about that day was that it was very sunny and hot. I was getting ready to work as a customer service rep for APAC Customer Service. My job was to help pharmacies with prescription drug insurance claim problems and help members with questions about their coverage. I had to be at work by 11:15 a.m. that day. About 9 that morning while eating breakfast, my dad called me and said that a jetliner hit one of the towers at the World Trade Center. In hindsight, this was the first plane strike of the 4 that day. At that moment when my dad told me, I honestly thought this was a joke from him or some knucklehead goofball who might have been drunk while flying a passenger plane had hit one of the towers (I read Bush’s book and HE had the same thought!!!).
So I honestly didn’t think much of it. So, I went to turn my T.V. to watch the news for a sec. About that time, the second one hit the other tower. I vaguely remember thinking “O.K. what’s going on here?” The only other time we had a terrorist event happen on U.S. soil was the 1995 OKC Bombing. Thinking the country was being attacked really didn’t enter my mind until later.
After I got to work, I noticed people were talking more. But since I was at a call center it meant I had to have a headset on and talk to people on the phone for 8 hours. At first, my calls were normal although I could hear TV’s going on in the background at the pharmacies that were calling me to help them process claims (most were goof-ups on birthdates and other minor problems - real trivial junk imho). I was doing O.K. with the shock of what was going on.
Then came one call, a lady called for member services from back east (I think Ohio or Pennsylvania). She was asking about something that to do with her prescription coverage. I could tell she was holding her baby while talking to me on the phone. In the background, I could hear the T.V. blaring about the attacks that were going on at that moment (either the Pentagon hit or the final flight that the passengers attacked the terrorists and slammed the plane into a field outside Pittsburgh). As I was talking to the lady on the phone, I kept thinking how all of this was actually happening and yet, this kid is giggling like it was a normal day! After the call ended, I did all the stuff I normally do. Afterwards I went to a supervisor and asked if I could go home (I worked 4-5 hours by then). I told the lady that I was too shocked to go anymore on the phones. I think I was almost to tears. She understood and cleared me to go home.
As I was driving north to my apartment from work, I pasted by several gas stations where it was like the end of the world. People trying to get gas, long LONG lines at the pumps, etc…and I’m driving not believing what I was seeing. If someone was with me while I was driving, they probably seen a complete blank stare out of my eyes!
As soon as I got home, all I did was watch the ABC News with Peter Jennings since I liked him more than Tom Brokaw (NBC) or the guy on CBS with the really bad haircut. I can’t remember anything else except watched the T.V. that night. I had the day after off (my normal day off) anyway so I stayed up late watching the news.
I do remember also while watching the news, I had gotten an email one of my cousins from Utah telling people on his email list that he was O.K. and that his plane bound for Boston, I think, had landed in Nova Scotia. I called my mom at work to let her and grandmother who was living in Greybull, Wyoming at the time. Both ladies were grateful for the happy news
My memories of that horrible day......
The first thing I remember about that day was that it was very sunny and hot. I was getting ready to work as a customer service rep for APAC Customer Service. My job was to help pharmacies with prescription drug insurance claim problems and help members with questions about their coverage. I had to be at work by 11:15 a.m. that day. About 9 that morning while eating breakfast, my dad called me and said that a jetliner hit one of the towers at the World Trade Center. In hindsight, this was the first plane strike of the 4 that day. At that moment when my dad told me, I honestly thought this was a joke from him or some knucklehead goofball who might have been drunk while flying a passenger plane had hit one of the towers (I read Bush’s book and HE had the same thought!!!).
So I honestly didn’t think much of it. So, I went to turn my T.V. to watch the news for a sec. About that time, the second one hit the other tower. I vaguely remember thinking “O.K. what’s going on here?” The only other time we had a terrorist event happen on U.S. soil was the 1995 OKC Bombing. Thinking the country was being attacked really didn’t enter my mind until later.
After I got to work, I noticed people were talking more. But since I was at a call center it meant I had to have a headset on and talk to people on the phone for 8 hours. At first, my calls were normal although I could hear TV’s going on in the background at the pharmacies that were calling me to help them process claims (most were goof-ups on birthdates and other minor problems - real trivial junk imho). I was doing O.K. with the shock of what was going on.
Then came one call, a lady called for member services from back east (I think Ohio or Pennsylvania). She was asking about something that to do with her prescription coverage. I could tell she was holding her baby while talking to me on the phone. In the background, I could hear the T.V. blaring about the attacks that were going on at that moment (either the Pentagon hit or the final flight that the passengers attacked the terrorists and slammed the plane into a field outside Pittsburgh). As I was talking to the lady on the phone, I kept thinking how all of this was actually happening and yet, this kid is giggling like it was a normal day! After the call ended, I did all the stuff I normally do. Afterwards I went to a supervisor and asked if I could go home (I worked 4-5 hours by then). I told the lady that I was too shocked to go anymore on the phones. I think I was almost to tears. She understood and cleared me to go home.
As I was driving north to my apartment from work, I pasted by several gas stations where it was like the end of the world. People trying to get gas, long LONG lines at the pumps, etc…and I’m driving not believing what I was seeing. If someone was with me while I was driving, they probably seen a complete blank stare out of my eyes!
As soon as I got home, all I did was watch the ABC News with Peter Jennings since I liked him more than Tom Brokaw (NBC) or the guy on CBS with the really bad haircut. I can’t remember anything else except watched the T.V. that night. I had the day after off (my normal day off) anyway so I stayed up late watching the news.
I do remember also while watching the news, I had gotten an email one of my cousins from Utah telling people on his email list that he was O.K. and that his plane bound for Boston, I think, had landed in Nova Scotia. I called my mom at work to let her and grandmother who was living in Greybull, Wyoming at the time. Both ladies were grateful for the happy news
