9/11… What it was like for a bunch of New Yorkers

September 11, 2001.., better known as -- 9/11. It's interesting those 3 digits -- 911 the universal message for an emergency…

September 11, 2001

9/11/2001.., was a beautiful morning -- blue skies, sun shining… I was a New Yorker living in Los Angeles and I would wake up very early in the mourning, sometimes as early as 3:45 am to do an hour and fifteen minutes of yoga, followed by an hour of meditation. But that morning I woke a little before 5:00am and did a quicker than normal yoga session -- a few sun salutations, a couple of asanas and for some reason decided to skip the meditation part…

It was about 5:30am, I put on some coffee and sat drinking it on my tiny balcony, looking at the Hollywood Hills -- a beautiful way to spend the early hours of the morning before most were even awake… My phone rang at 5:50am -- it was a New York phone number I was not familiar with -- TURN ON THE NEWS A PLANE JUST FLEW INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. It was my best friend in New York, he was working for Good Morning America in the middle of Times Square -- TURN ON THE FUCKING NEWS, he yelled through the phone…

Right there on my television was the North tower of the WTC with a big hole, black smoke and flames shooting out of it -- HOLY SHIT! Yes HOLY SHIT, was the only thing going through my mind. We still had no idea that America was under attack, it just as easily could have been an accident… And then, as we were talking on the phone, staring at our televisions -- BAM, right there on our screens another plane slammed into the south tower of the WTC -- WHAT THE FUCK, we both gasped, then the next thing I heard was -- "Bro, I gotta go, I think NYC is under attack." And he hung up.

“I just wanted to let you know I love you and I’m stuck in this building in New York. “There’s lots of smoke and I just wanted you to know I love you always.”
-- Melissa Harrington Hughes, Floor 101

It was completely surreal, watching that second plane turn right into the South tower.., and explode… And you just knew something was wrong! Little did any of us know, it would lead to a never-ending state of war… Being somewhat shocked and pacing around my apartment staring out at that beautiful day, I picked up the phone and called a fellow NY'er and good friend I was supposed to have breakfast with in a few hours -- Big Pussy from the cable TV show the Soprano's… "Vinny turn on the TV, New York was just attacked." I think he thought he was still dreaming or something, but once he turned on the TV, before he hung up, he said -- "Im on my way over!"

On his way, he picked up another New York friend of ours, Lisa… As the three of us paced the floor of my apartment on Sunset blvd, we had no idea what to do… Vinny tried to call the airport and get us all on flight back home immediately -- but all flights had been grounded. We called a NYC detective friend (Arthur) and told him we might jump in Vinny's rental car and head for NY -- when the Pentagon was hit! The three of us and Arthur were freaking out, as Im sure most NY'ers and Americans were -- "Guys, just sit tight, I'll let you know what's going on." And he hung up.

We were helpless… 3000 miles away from home.., and there was nothing we could do. As boats and ferry's sped as fast as they could toward the burning buildings (just like any true NY'er would), to help and evacuate lower Manhattan and usher the panicked souls to safety. The three of us sat transfixed, staring at the TV.., as people chose to jump to their death instead of burning -- we watched as body after body fell from the sky…

“A plane crashed into the Trade Center. It’s on fire, and I’m in it, and I can’t breathe. Tell everyone I love them, and if I don’t get out... goodbye.”
-- Brian Nunez, Floor 104

Just as the three of us finished up calling our families back east.., there was complete silence as we watched the south tower start to collapse.., and tears started to roll down each of our faces… And then, another plane went down just outside of Pennsylvania. We were stuck 3000 miles away as our family, friends and neighbors were dealing with their own personal hell. We all knew people that worked in those buildings -- heck, I poured so many of them their first drink after a longs days work -- from Cantor Fitzgerald to Windows on the World, people from all walks of life, that just went to work that day.., never knowing it would be their last.

Los Angeles is kind of a strange place.., all you really ever hear about is the entertainment industry -- but this day was different, unique. As news reports came hit the airwaves, movie studios were put on high alert. Actors, directors, producers, writers.., all started calling or just stopping by my apartment -- many of them NY'ers who had been living in LA for many years.., we all congregated at my apartment, not knowing what to do.., or say -- there was lots of hugging and crying… And being LA, there was no shortage of marijuana, which was greatly appreciated -- and needed.

Nobody wanted to leave… Since we couldn't get back to our fellow NY'ers back east, at least some of us could be together.., to sit and wait for more news. We sparked up the grill on my balcony, a few people ran out to the grocery, some others to the liquor store… We ate, drank, smoked, hugged and cried a lot that day -- some waiting to hear from people, they would never hear from again. Things changed that day, not just for a country or world.., but for individuals. It was one of those moments in your life, where you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing.., and who you were with -- like the day JFK was shot or the day we landed on the moon -- surreal, like a dream.., or to be more precise -- a nightmare.

"I hope to see your face again, baby. I love you." -- unknown

As day turned to night.., and people started to leave (I think the last people left around midnight), we hugged some more.., and the one sentence I kept hearing, as they left was -- "I'll call you if I hear anything…" It was a day, even though we were not in NYC, that none of us will ever forget.., and how the phrase -- there's strength in numbers, could never have been more true. Although our City -- our home 3000 miles away was burning, we were able to bring a little comfort to each.., just by being together…

It's been 16 years since that fateful day.., and I haven't spoken to or even thought of some of the people that were at my apartment that day in years… But every year around this time.., I think about them all.., and how lucky we all were to have each other to lean on, as our city burned!

P.S.,
Im aware of many of the theories surrounding that day.., and who was ultimately responsible. But that day, in my apartment, it wasn't about that… It was about, people we lived with side by side -- dying.

The bolded quotes are phone calls from people inside the Towers to their loved ones -- that didn't make it out.


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