Reported by Beka Osmond

I was asleep in bed on the morning of September 11th when I got a call from my mother.  She told me to turn on the TV because a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers.  I said "Ok, thanks" and, not even realizing that I had just spoken to her, I turned over and just went back to sleep.  I was so tired that morning that nothing was really registering.  My mother, knowing me as well as she does, called me back 5 minutes later to make sure I had turned the TV on. “Dave you need to watch this. . . it is serious”, she said.  I leaned over to turn on the TV, still in my sleep mode.  But when I saw the headlines I immediately woke up to disbelief.  I couldn’t help but think of everyone I knew in that area.  Before I knew it, the second plane crashed into the other building.  My heart stopped.  I couldn’t believe the images that I was seeing.  It almost seemed as if I were watching a movie.  It wasn’t fully registering in my mind that this could be happening.

 I don’t know where the time went, because I just sat there for hours watching the horror on TV.  I didn’t go to school that day as I couldn’t think of anything else but the people I knew back in New York.  I was on the phone all day trying to get in touch with anybody at all back in New York, but it was absolutely impossible because all the circuits were shut down.  Then something hit me . . . I could have easily been there at that very moment.  The thought scared me.  That semester I was supposed to be at NYU, but it just seemed not to work out somehow.  If I were there I would have lived in the NYU dorms.  The dorm that I would’ve been in is located right by the Twin Towers.  I began to thank my Heavenly Father that I wasn’t there during that time.  How sad it was to sit there and think about all of the innocent, helpless people who fell victims to such heinous crimes.  I couldn’t help but be very emotional. 

I received phone calls all day from friends all over the world who had still thought that I was in New York.  I am so appreciative to all those who called to see if I was okay.  In turn I continued to try and get a hold of anybody back in New York and was finally successful.  I got through to the Bishop of my church ward.  I could tell by the sound of his voice that he had a heavy heart and was very busy.  In fact, he was calling around getting a head count of all the members of the ward to see if everyone was okay.

For about 3 days I seriously couldn’t even think of anything else except all those who were personally affected by the destruction of that day.  I finally got word a couple of days later that all of my friends were okay.  In fact, I found out that there were a couple of guys in my ward who actually work in the Trade Center.  The night before the 11th they had gotten together to have an activity.  They had dinner and unbelievably all got food poisoning causing them to either not make it to work that day or come in late.  Their lives were spared because of food poisoning!  So I’m sure that their hats go off to the chef for the hidden blessing they all received.  

I am so thankful to be in Utah right now, with my family.  Not one member of my family was directly affected by the tragedy and for that I am grateful.  But to each life that was lost, I pray that Heavenly Father will bring to them and their family . . . peace and understanding.  I believe that each one is in a safe and wonderful place now.  I am also grateful for my family and for my home in Utah.
 

Copyright (c) 2001 Osmond Network