Windows on the World, was a complex of a bar and restaurants on the 106th and 107th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center. In February 2001, when I was 14 years old, I went to New York City on a school trip. On one of the days, our teachers and guide took us to the mall beneath the WTC. As I had no friends there with me, I went round with the head teacher, his PA, my art teacher, and one of the woodwork and electronics teachers. As we were walking, we came across the elevators up to Windows on the World. We looked, wondering what it was, and the women there smiled, and called us over, they told us what was up there, and said we needed no reservation if we just wanted to go up to the bar, and have a look at the view, and that in fact as we were from England on a school trip, it would be an honor to have us up there. So we went. We went right up to the 107th floor. It was amazing, the place was huge. One thing that hit me straight away was the windows. They were full length, and you could see for absolute miles, you could see the ocean. I remember going to one window and looking down, and seeing Century 21, the department store where we had gone earlier that day. Only from this high up it looked like a tiny little drawing. The view was breathtaking. The people up there were friendly too, they welcomed us, and invited us to sit and talk with them. We spoke a lot. My old art teacher actually has pictures that look as though I am holding some of the buildings of Manhattan in my hand.
We must've stayed up three for well over an hour, and when we left, we knew that when the trip ran again two years later... when I'd be in college, that I'd be invited back, and that arrangements would be made to take the entire group up to one of the private hire rooms.
Then came September.
I remember being sat in a class, and feeling off. When the school day was over, I went to meet my mum, her best friend was also there picking up her own daughter. Then my mums best friend said to me "oh those two tower things, big ones in New York, they got blown up." I just looked at her, and I can't remember what I said exactly, but it was about them being there. She then went "not anymore they're not." Then got in her car and drove off, leaving me utterly confused. When I got home, and saw the news, I felt sick. What sickened me even more was the fact that people around me, my brother, my mums best friend, and people at the dance class I attended that night, they weren't bothered by it, they were excited and joked about it. Of course, now they wish they hadn't been like that. Peoples attitudes really suck, and I mean really suck. How anyone could joke about it, not be bothered about it, or anything like that, I'll never understand. Not to mention the people around the world at airports who were going 'yeah well thats in America not here'. Honestly, what was wrong with people?
The school trip did go ahead again in 2003, and yes I did go back. We visited Ground Zero, but as I looked up, I saw people falling from the sky. I remembered how high those towers were, and suddenly I was overcome with tears.
Up on that 107th floor, that was truly my favourite place in the world. The majority of people I met up there on that day in February 2001 died in the attacks. They were good, down to earth, friendly and good hearted people.
The picture at the top of this was taken by me from floor 107 of the North Tower. I have other pictures, but as I was a teenager in belief I would go back up them, I didn't exactly keep a close eye on them and so I only know where one or two are for definite. Please do not take this picture, or copy or paste it. It is personal to me. I just wanted to share it. It's a view I wish everyone could've had the chance to see.
9/11 will forever be a day that is in my heart, it should be in all of our hearts. Keep that in mind.
Rae
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