--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was sitting in my office when someone…" description: "\"I was sitting in my office when someone called to tell me two light planes had collided with the World Trade Centre. I turned on my television; before ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/tom-wolfe-2191_all-kinds_i-was-sitting-in-my-office-when-someone_3050555.jpg" --- # I was sitting in my office when someone called to tell me… ![“I was sitting in my office when someone called to tell me two light planes had collided with the World Trade Centre. I turned on my television; before long, there was this procession of people of all kinds walking up the street. What I remember most was the silence of that crowd; there was no sound.” quote by Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/tom-wolfe-2191_all-kinds_i-was-sitting-in-my-office-when-someone_3050555.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/tom-wolfe-2191_all-kinds_i-was-sitting-in-my-office-when-someone_3050555.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/tom-wolfe-2191_all-kinds_i-was-sitting-in-my-office-when-someone_3050555.jpg) > “I was sitting in my office when someone called to tell me two light planes had collided with the World Trade Centre. I turned on my television; before long, there was this procession of people of all kinds walking up the street. What I remember most was the silence of that crowd; there was no sound.” [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator recounts a surreal moment after 9/11, noting the eerie silence of crowds amidst chaos. **In simple terms:** Witnessed silent crowds after a disaster; felt surreal. Key Takeaway Observe how people react differently in crises. Themes trauma silence crowd behavior historical event memory Mood somber reflective thoughtful Type historical observational When to use this quote - emergency response - urban planning - psychological first aid - memorial services Key Concepts collective shock public space dynamics media coverage Questions to Reflect On - What does collective silence say about societal processing of tragedy? - How can we better support visible and invisible grief? A Different Perspective Silence may mask deeper distress; not all reactions are visible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Planes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planes/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-trade/) ## Related quotes > [At the end, we won't remember the words of our enemies , we will remember the silence of our friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvija/at-the-end-we-won-t-remember-the-words-of-our-enemies-we-will/) [Silvija](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvija/) > [Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-that-silence-is-sometimes-the-best-answer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [what I remember is the silence in spite of the noise. In my head it might just as well have been a snowy day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/what-i-remember-is-the-silence-in-spite-of-the-noise-in-my-head-it/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“It's not the voice of my enemy which I will remember, but the silence of my friend" MLK”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-the-voice-of-my-enemy-which-i-will-remember-but-the-silence/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was against the war with Iraq. First of all, they didn't knock down the World Trade Centre. 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It was the same old sod-hut drawl. He sounded like the airline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/well-things-are-beginning-to-stack-up-a-little-said-gordo-it-was-the/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [“Everything in everybody’s life is … significant. And everybody is alert, watching for the meanings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/everything-in-everybody-s-life-is-significant-and-everybody-is-alert/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > ['Back to Blood' really took it out of me. While I was writing it, I just never went out anywhere, except to the gym.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/back-to-blood-really-took-it-out-of-me-while-i-was-writing-it-i-just/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [In the U.S., the term 'general aviation' means its exact opposite, the way 'public school' does in England. 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