TOD:
I worked in Lower Manhattan and was there on 9/11/01, so that would qualify. However, after that first week, I could not watch any TV programs or movies with that event as its theme. Likewise, I could not ever visit the crater and could not understand the out-of-towners who visited the site as soon as they were able right after the tragedy occurred. I didn't like the fact that we were permitted to return to work way too soon, while the air was still pungent with the chemicals, the burning and (sorry to say) the smell of death and decomposition. I'm not convinced that the official story is the absolute truth either.
However, the event that trumps even that one, was 12/17/12, which is when I discovered the lump on my neck and which began my journey with Stage 4 Burkitt's Lymphoma. I cannot read enough or learn enough about how others have survived or are going through cancer. My friends are encouraging me to write a book about my experiences.