The time when the planes flew into the buildings (WTC, Pentagon, the e other one, that was headed for Washington, and where glaly, the passengers stormed the cockpit and stopped the terrorists), I worked the second job I worked then.
It was in a call center doing market research for radio stations broadcasting in the area I live.
So I got the news second hand, and it went down like this.
Me and my co-workers, mostly middle-aged ladies and students, made our calls, talked to the people, played them some music snippets and asked which the people liked better.
Suddenly, one of the ladies hung up and turned to me and said, 'This guy told me there was a plane that flew into the World Trade Center.'
I shook my head and said, 'Man, we do get some nutjobs sometimes.'
We both shrugged and made our next calls.
But one after the other of us hung up and look bewildered and said something like, 'This woman just said a second plane hit the other tower. This can't be an accident, you know.'
We just stopped making calls and started arguing. This was not possible.
But, like, fifteen completely random called people telling us that TWO planes happen to accidently crash into those towers???
Then one of the few who still made calls said what was the final straw:
'There is a plane that hit the Pentagon.'
Dead silence.
Was this how the next World War started? With us, here in this tacky bureau, not home with our families? An attack on two trade towers are one thing, an attack on a top military facility is a clear act of war, one of the students said.
The manager came in, he had internet access, and watched the news, he was so dumbstruck he wasn't able to stand up and come over earlier, it seemed.
'Go home, there's no point making calls anymore.'
Seldom did I ride my bicycle as fast as then, and when I turned on the TV, there were those pictures you all saw.
Never forget.
But: Don't let those fires blind you.
Those few fanatics are NOT the muslim world.
