I work the graveyard shift, and on the morning of 11 September 2001, my relief happened to come in early, so I was off at 0630PST. I was glad,because then I could listen to the BBC World Service on my drive home. About 5minutes after I started my drive, an announcer broke in, saying there were unconfirmed reports that an aircraft had hit the World Trade Center. I changed channels to NPR, and as I drove, the reports became more detailed and horrifying. When I got home, my 80 year old mother was already glued to the TV, and we watched spellbound as history unfolded in front of us. We had been watching and wondering exactly what had happened, as the screen showed the Twin Towers, when suddenly I noticed puffs of smoke jetting from the sides of the Towers, and we watched with horror as they slid down upon themselves.
Later that day, I had occasion to call a company in the UK about a book order I had placed, and the outpouring of sympathy from our English cousins was truly heartwarming.