Remembering 9/11, In Your Words: Polly Roberts

Editor's Note: Paulette "Polly" Roberts has been a Hellertown resident since 1993. She is a member of  in Hellertown.

Sept. 11 is my birthday, and I have not celebrated the day since.

From 1983-1986, I worked in downtown NYC. Every morning, I took the subway from Penn Station to the Trade Center, then walked two blocks to my building, and the reverse for home. I saw those buildings every day, and once watched lightning go up the side of Two World Trade Center. I went to the first day of spring egg standing on end ceremonies, and there were concerts and other things going on constantly.

On Sept. 11, 2001, I was working in Bethlehem, Pa., and my friend told me that a plane had crashed into the trade center. I couldn't believe it (there are air space restrictions), and 20 minutes later, he screamed that another plane had hit the trade center. I yelled at him for making fun, and that this was not funny. He made me come and look at the video online, and all I could do was cry.

My sister worked uptown, and I was afraid her building might get hit too, so I called her and asked her to go home, but she couldn't leave until their office was closed. When she did get home I was so relieved I cried some more.