I spent the night in the airport after 9/11, and it was eerily quiet and almost peaceful. Here’s what I saw.

I was on a business trip in New York and had a flight to return home. After 9/11, the airport was closed. I had to stay overnight until they allowed people to fly again. It was a surreal night. The airport was still open, but security had tightened, and it felt deserted. I had a bag to carry, so I wasn’t allowed to walk around. I sat in an empty waiting lounge, surrounded by a few others who were in the same situation. The first thing that struck me was the quietness. No TV or music played, and no announcements came over the speakers. It was completely silent, which felt unusual for an airport. I saw a few airport staff walking by occasionally, but they seemed tired and didn’t really pay attention. They weren’t asking questions or making announcements like usual. As the night went on, I noticed some people sleeping. They’d find a quiet corner, sit down, and just doze off. I didn’t see any chairs available, so I stood by the windows and looked out. At some point, a man started crying. It was obvious something bad had happened, and he was overwhelmed. Nobody reacted or said anything. It was like the atmosphere was too heavy, and people didn’t know what to do. They just looked down and avoided eye contact. Later, a flight crew came into the room. They were clearly shaken, but they tried to maintain their composure. They talked about what had happened, but it was obvious they were still trying to process everything. Eventually, someone stood up and started singing softly. It was just a quiet melody, but it stood out in the silence. I don’t remember the song, but it was soothing, and I appreciated the effort. Others looked over, and for a second, it felt like we were all in this together. The airport slowly filled up again, and people started moving around. I found out that they were allowing flights to depart again. I got in line and waited patiently, relieved to finally be able to go home. Looking back, it was an unusual experience. The atmosphere was heavy, but people were generally polite. I saw a few tears, but no one raised their voice. It was like everyone was trying to be respectful, even though we were all dealing with something big. I still think about that night sometimes, especially around 9/11. It’s a different memory than what most people have, but it was still real.

I spent the night in the airport after 9/11, and it was eerily quiet and almost peaceful. Here’s what I saw.

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