Man on the Street is Greg Kristapovich
“Where were YOU when you first heard of the 9-11 attack?” (asked throughout the Mother Lode)
“My radio alarm clock came on just after the first tower was hit. The announcer thought it was a terrible accident. As my wife and I listened, the second tower was hit. After that, everyone knew we were under terrorist attack! I was taking college courses that day, so I went down to Stanislaus in Turlock. When I got there, they had a TV set up in the hallway. A classmate and I watched as the two towers fell! Shortly after that, a security guard came in and told us the entire campus was being shut down for security reasons, and told us we would have to go home. So that was pretty intense watching that! And my wife said we were attacked by fascist, Islamic Jihadist pigs!” – Herb Wood, Sonora Meadows, (geologist)
“I was living in Lodi. I got up that morning and it was all over the television. I watched the TV for hours. I remember the weather that day: It was September weather, kind of like today. I called everybody that I loved – and told them that I loved them. There were a lot of people crying that day. And that song by Alan Jackson is so good. (“Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning”). My son-in-law is a fireman now. I’m always scared when he goes out, and I always think back to that day, because I don’t know if the nation had given that much attention to firemen. But they really do now.” – Melinda Wynn, San Andreas, (retail clerk)
“I was sitting on my couch in the front room, watching the news, and having my cup of coffee before going to work. Then, they interrupted, and showed the towers on fire! I called my parents and a couple of my buddies – just everybody that I could think of, that might be awake at the time, to see if they’d seen the news – and what they thought. It was shocking! It was unbelievable! I couldn’t believe the twin towers were collapsing!” – Eric Olson, Angels Camp, (bike shop owner)
“I was home, getting ready for work. I was watching the Today Show watching Katie Couric running around not believing that we’d been attacked! Then, it was ultimate paranoia; it changed everyone’s attitude. I was shocked that we’d been attacked! Disbelief! I don’t think I realized how many repercussions there’d be from that; travel, the economy; paranoia by everyone! Everything changed after that! And now we’re just getting over it almost a decade later.” – Richard Evans, Twain Harte, (bartender)
“I had just come home from my morning walk, and as usual, I come in and pour a cup of coffee and turn on the morning news. At that time, the planes were just going around to hit the two buildings – which was a shocker, of course. The rest of the day was pretty somber. I didn’t go into work that day. I checked in with the office and let them know. There were a few other people who were affected by it, and didn’t come into the office. That was completely acceptable by our boss – and completely understandable. You just needed to stay home and keep your thoughts, and really let this absorb – ‘cause it just didn’t seem real.” – Jennifer Gatti, Pacifica (with a cabin in Twain Harte), (controller)
