Well where to begin, I was living in brick, NJ. at the time, and I was a working at a house in Pt. Pleasant Beach. When my customer said you need to come see this, As i walked into the room she pointed towards the t.v. and said someone crashed an airplane into the world trade center and of course I thought it was a small airplane that accidentally hit the building probably. And so as I was listening they said it was an airline jet, and then I was thinking maybe it steered the wrong way or something was wrong with the plane. And then it happen before my eyes I saw the other plane hit the building. And my mind just went blank for a second and I told myself wait a minute this isn’t happening.

As my customer was in shock we both stood silent and kept listening to the news and then we also started hearing about a plane crashing into the pentagon. And right then and there I knew something was wrong and something was happening. Unfortunately I had to go to my next customers house. I felt kind of bad about leaving but my customer was like “its ok ill be ok I have to call my daughter she’ll come over”. I gave her a hug and told to be calm. As I was driving into Manasquan I had to cross a over the Manasquan bridge and I saw the smoke from New York and my heart started to pound even heavier. Before I got to my next customers house. Every stoplight, I saw all these people in the their cars with blank stares on their faces and I knew then that they all knew and was shock to hear what was happening. So I got to my next job and my customers were standing in front of the t.v. also with mouths open and pure shock on their faces and I asked if anything else happen she told me that another plane hit the other tower and then I was for sure this was it!

At this time I had a million things running through my head like is this it, are we at war, are we being attacked or is this some terrorist thing what the heck is going on and then the first tower fell. As I watch it fell my heart fell with it. Knowing that not all the people didn’t make it out. we stood in horror, There was no words to describe what was happening and then the confirmation on the pentagon only made it worse then I realized I had to call my girlfriend, I tried and tried but I wasn’t getting through. By this time the second tower had fallen my heart was on the ground my mind was blank and all that was left was smoke. I looked out side and the smoke started to hover over the jersey shore a light shade of gray. All I could do was think of all the people there. I wanted to know how many people didn’t make it, I was hoping it was a very small amount or everyone made it out but I knew not everyone made it cause the news people were talking about the people who jumped off the building and when they collapsed there were still people inside.

I told my customer I’m sorry but I have to leave I have to be with my girlfriend they under stood and I gave them a hug and I raced home. I ran in the house she was there watching the t.v she stood up and look at me with tears in her eyes and and she said “all those people” and fell into my arms crying I could not help but cry then too. We hugged in tears. We watched the news all day and into the night, in tears and sorrow. knowing that their were families and friends who had lost someone special. As days passed I watched on t.v. the people searching and waiting for their friends and loved ones and the sadness kept tears in my eyes. Brick the town I lived in had its casualties also. It hit me hard cause it was so close to home. I did not know anyone who passed on 9/11 I’m grateful for that, but it really didn’t matter cause it really felt like I knew all the people who passed. I heard their families stories heard their cries and felt their sorrow. Its a year later now and I found it in myself to express what I felt on that day. I feel like I owe it to the victims and their families and friends, May god bless them all and America for their strength and support, Thank you.