Silence Deafened L.A. as 9/11 Tore through Entire Country

Yahoo! is asking Americans how September 11 changed them. Below is an account from a reader.

One of the things I remember most about the 9/11 attacks is the quiet that followed. In Los Angeles, you can't help but get used to the constant noise that comes with living in the heart of a large city.

At the time, my boyfriend and I had been dating for 6 months. On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was up getting ready for work, when I casually flipped on the television. The first thing I saw was a live image of the World Trade Center . One of the Towers had smoke billowing from it. I was watching the newscaster ramble, as I tried to understand what was going on.

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I called my boyfriend.

As he reached the phone, an airplane hit the second Tower. We both started to panic. What was happening? We talked for a few minutes, trying to calm each other down. I hung up and phoned work, an Asset Management firm. I was all too familiar that some of the people we dealt with daily were working in the very buildings on the television in front of me. "You might as well stay at home, we're all leaving right now," the somber voice said on the other end of the line.

Both buildings collapsed.

I cried, along with the entire world.

The next few days brought more details and the quiet. No air space was to be used. I'd never heard Los Angeles so quiet before. The streets were empty.

Everything Changed

After the quiet, everything was different. There was a heightened sense of security that resonated through the entire country. Globally, the fear was stifling.

There were strict security measures at work now. I recall there being concern because the architect who designed the World Trade Center, Minoru Yamasaki , was the same architect who designed the Century Plaza Towers in Century City, which was where I worked. Would we be next?

10 Years Later

Just shy of 10 years later, I still remember the tragedy like it was yesterday. Up until 9/11, I loved to fly. These days, I'm terrified.

Back then, the experience prompted my boyfriend and I to realize how quickly life could change. We knew we loved each other, and by the end of the following year, we would marry and have our first child together, a daughter.

We have two daughters now, and several months ago, we shared with them the events of 9/11 by watching a documentary together. As to be expected, they were in shock and disbelief that people could be so cruel.

Just the other day, we were watching "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," and there's a scene that shows Macaulay Culkin 's character, Kevin, approaching the World Trade Center. The scene cuts to him standing on the observation deck atop one of the Towers. I reminded my daughters that those were the same buildings we'd seen in the documentary.

"Let's be sure to pray for those affected by 9/11 tonight." I tell them.

"Okay," they replied, as I choked back tears.