Comments from the last posted inspired some more memories I thought I would share...

***
I got home from work and hugged my wife. She had the TV on. She said she had spoken to her Father in Florida, and that he could barely speak.

***
I had to sign on and work from home. The usual frantic and sometimes disrespectful and tactless clients all seemed just a little bit more patient and nice. And took time to say thanks. And offered help.

***
I got online, looked for Emails from my friends in New York. Many had already posted to newsgroups, or blogs, or sent Emails, that they were okay. Others were reporting hearing from others.

***
The only person I called was Jonathan. He was working about twenty blocks from the Towers. I don't recall which direction. He went outside and looked up (down) the street. He saw people jumping.

I heard from Jonathan again about three weeks later. He still couldn't get the images out of his head. He was seeing a counselor.

I thought a lot about Jonathan today. I hope he's doing well.

***
In the days and weeks that followed, I couldn't get my head around how I felt. I mean, life in my world on the opposite coast returned pretty much to normal. By then I couldn't watch TV anymore. I couldn't feel anything. I was ... numb? No, not quite numb. More like ... void.

***
And then...

... I was watching the CMA (Country Music Awards) show in October. After a commerical break, Vince Gill announced that Alan Jackson would be debuting a new song that he wrote one night when he couldn't sleep. I watched. Listened. Absolutely dumbstruck. My mouth hanging open. Tears running down my cheeks. I was shaking, just a little.

It was just how I felt. Five years later, I can't sing along with that song without my voice cracking.

***
Next morning I told Mary: "You need to watch this one part of the show."