View Full Version : What Were You Doing On 9/11?
scarlett_vancouver
09-11-2008, 01:49 PM
I didn't have TV and was in a small town, so didn't find out until late afternoon, heard it on the radio in a thrift store. I didn't have a good grasp on the enormity of the situation until I got the paper the next morning.
AlexxaHex
09-11-2008, 02:04 PM
I was walking to my college's library from the bus stop. I think I had a paper to write or something. I noticed everything seemed deserted and strange. I wondered if there was some national holiday I didn't know about. Another student from the art department said something like, "A plane crashed into the World Trade Center and there were attacks on DC also. You should go home since school is closed today.". I didn't really understand the gravity of it either until later on, when I saw the endless news reports and such.
In some ways, I wasn't surprised because I realized there were bound to be repercussions to our greed and tendency to try to control the rest of the world. Not that it's justified or that any innocent person deserved to die, but I wasn't surprised. War breeds more war.
knp001
09-11-2008, 02:14 PM
I was in a tech class. the tv was on for quite awhile before I noticed what was going on. at the end of the class, nobody was working. before we left, our teacher said to us, "you will never forget where you were when you saw this." and I never have.
I think about everything that's happened over the past 7 years, what this has done to our country, our world...
am I the only one crying when I read these stories?
when I got home that day, I found out a close family friend had died that morning in something unrelated to the attacks.
mina loy
09-11-2008, 02:32 PM
i was eating breakfast and reading the newspaper. then i drove to school, only to hear classmates talking about a plane crashing into some building. at first i thought it was the TWA center (the old airline) and thought, "big deal." first period went on as normal, then second period we discussed what happened and watched footage from the internet.
at the time i didn't know what the world trade center was.
zippyelf
09-11-2008, 02:46 PM
I was in 8th grade. They didn't tell us until the end of the day announcements. I remember sitting in Health class and the principal coming over the PA and saying that there had been a terrorist attack, etc.
I had an orthodontist appt that afternoon, and we watched CNN through my whole appointment. I remember not really understanding what was going on, then not honestly caring that much. I was a selfish kid and it didn't personally affect me.
For a while afterward, they were really paranoid about St. Louis because we have the Boeing headquarters and they build most of the military jets here, at least they did then.
Oh, and 9/11 was the final chapter in my 11th grade American History book, only 3 years later.
Honey71783
09-11-2008, 02:50 PM
Two weeks earlier I had just moved to Gainesville as a college freshman at the University of Florida. My first time away from home.
I was in an incredibley hard College Algebra class and i couldn't figure out why my cell phone wasn't working. I was home sick so I was constantly checking it. That's when the first plane hit. I went to my second class about 10 minutes away walking in the Astronomy building. The kid next to me was like, "I hope we get out of class early." And I was like, "why?" and he told me, "someone bombed the world trade center." It didn't register to me that this was not some small little stink bomb. The professor let the class out within 15 minutes.
I started walking towards my dorm and had to cross through the College of Journalism's courtyard. The courtyard has televisions hanging on the walls all around and ticker tape everywhere. All the televisions were displaying the buildings with the smoke billowing out and the ticker tapes were running. It felt like a mix between a Clockwork Orange and the Twilight Zone, sensory overload. There was a huge crowd of students in the courtyard crying and hugging each other. And then I saw the American Airlines plane go into the building.
I started to freak out. I got out my cell phone to call home (Fort Lauderdale) but my cell phone still was not working. I just wanted to get in touch with my mom, who is a flight attendant for American Airlines. I ran through the campus to my dorm room crying and pressing "Send" on my cell phone simultaneously. I got to my dorm and my roommate was there and she let me use her Nextel. My mom answered the phone and was safe, and so was my Godmother (who is also a flight attendent for American Airlines). They both had the day off and did not bid that trip. We were concerned about my Aunt Debbie who works on Wall Street. We found out she was safe the next day. Thank God.
After that, my cell phone bills averaged $800 a month for the next three months. I was seriously home sick. I withdrew from the college algebra class. My mom and godmother went to counseling through American Airlines. But, I am still working out some of the issues, as family members of crew were not eligible for counseling. My mom continues to work as a flight attendant. My Godmother took off work for a year but she still flies too.
I tried to graduate and return home as fast as a could (due to my nonstop homesickness), so I tried to graduate in three years (from a 4 year program) but I ended up spending 3 and half years in Gainesville before graduating. I have serious issues about leaving home and will try again June 2009, after my MBA graduation. I still worry about my mom everytime she leaves for work. While she was leaving, I used to look out the window when I was younger and feel sadness. I think it was a precursor to all that has happened.
ahmeerah
09-11-2008, 05:49 PM
I was on the train, 2 kids in tow. My room mate Akiko just started her job in tower 2 in food service full time (she had been training for two weeks and was taking a break from working at Nick on that show cat dog) we were headed down there 830 in the morning.
The first tower was it when we were underground on the train (subway) and I thought and probably so did everyone else that we had a brown out. Because it happens a lot in Sept. Red light came on in the train. Then the doors opened. Someone ran down screaming the world was ending. Again nothing non typical. But the police were coming and telling people to get out from underground.
My sons were 6 and 1.5 years old. By the time we made it outside people were standing and pointing...I watched the second tower get hit...then watched them fall.
It was seriously the worst thing I've ever witnessed and to this very day I can't wrap my mind around the events. I moved from NY not long after that (in Nov). My room mate was murdered obviously. She was identified through DNA via her hairbrush that was left in the bathroom. Her brother whom I consider a good friend still, her sister Sunny and our friend Scott (who committed suicide 2 years ago in Feb) held up signs and took turns going through hospitals and such looking for her.
A few weeks ago I was discussing with a friend that I felt I went into some wicked depression when an ex of mine left that year. And that I've never really recovered. I soon realized the depression happened prior with 9/11 and when he left in Oct. I simply just added on more baggage.
I am working tonight although I feel it's wrong to in a sense. But my kids will say a bit to her and we will light a candle in her memory. We do it every year.
On a sidenote we had a tornado here a month or so back, and we had to seek shelter in a garage of a Best buy underground. It was the first and only time I witnessed my son who's 8.5 now (who was a baby then) basically go into shock almost. He actually remembered that day and the feelings of being trapped underground and the roar that you could hear came back. For those that don't believe in PTSD a big fuck you. Seeing an 8 year old freak out and NOT sure why is proof positive because somewhere in his brain he recalled those horrific moments.
My thoughts go out to all those effected by the tragedy of 9/11. <3
Sophia Ashley, my heart goes out to you and your kids. Thanks for sharing.
txchick008
09-11-2008, 05:51 PM
Anyone else kinda blown away by the people in this thread (and the other) who were in 6th, 7th, 8th grade, who didn't bat an eye, and don't really "get" why it was such a huge deal?
It's something I'll never forget. I still get chills to this day (today as a matter of fact), watching replays of that footage...*shiver*
*Iris*
09-11-2008, 05:56 PM
^ At that time I cared more about talking to my friends. I was really young and had no idea what was going on, my grandmother didn't even talk to me about it or anything. Well today I decided to go look for some videos on youtube and it is horrible and I couldn't stop crying just because I felt so bad for the people there and everyone affected by it.
Hello_Kitty27
09-11-2008, 05:57 PM
I was on my way to work in Chicago. I was flipping radio channels the whole way and Mancow, on the radio, was going on and on all morning about some huge prank they're pulling by the end of the show. I finally get to work, and a manger tells me that a plane just hit WTC. I asked where she heard it, she tells me her daughter and I looked at her and laughed and said "I don't think so hun, someone led to her, b/c that was just a joke a radio station was playing". I walked away and remember thinking that that seemed like a morbid thing to joke about. I sit down at my desk, turn the computer on, go to the news (my morning ritual)...and there it was, all over the news. I got the most terrible feeling inside for thinking it was a joke.
I thought it was an accident and then we all turned on the TV just in time to see the 2nd plane come flying across the sky and into the building....live. We just sat there in silence, jaws dropped. At that time, we knew it was no coincidence.
ahmeerah
09-11-2008, 05:59 PM
I don't watch replays. But then, I literally walk past the memorials every other day. The tourism aspect of it all is pretty strange. Today there were loads of tourists in that area. It just seemed odd.
Hello_Kitty27
09-11-2008, 06:04 PM
SA, I had no idea ....that was very chilling to read. I'm so sorry you lost your friend there. I can't even imagine how horrible it'd be to actually be there and witnessing it.
My co-worker at the time had a brother who worked in one of the towers and also a brother who worked at the Pentagon. She basically spent the entire day having panic attacks and freaking out, couldn't reach either of them. As it turned out, her brother in NY didn't go into work that day b/c he had a cold. Her brother who worked at the Pentagon was supposed to be in a meeting or something right where the plane hit...but like 20 minutes before everything happened they had to change room for some reason or anything. But, that day....my heart broke for her, b/c we thought for sure she lost at least 1 brother. He started work at 7AM normally.
Sophia_Ashley
09-11-2008, 06:06 PM
^ I've been to NY a handful of times since. And I've never went to see where the towers stood. Of course it's all in my own head on why but I feel like I can respect my friend and remember her life without going there. It makes my stomach turn to see people snapping photos and seeing it as a tourist attraction. My friend is buried in pieces and bits all over the place. It's a grave yard.
I'm rather torn on it and I waiver between anger and sadness.
I did watch a doc. with the children 2 years ago. We said nothing and we all cried. It's hard to find a film ON 911 that isn't biased.
Our candle will burn for 7 days and we had a moment of silence first thing when we woke up together as a way of talking to her within our minds to say hello...we miss you and we will never forget the amazing person you were.
Hello_Kitty27
09-11-2008, 06:07 PM
I don't watch replays. But then, I literally walk past the memorials every other day. The tourism aspect of it all is pretty strange. Today there were loads of tourists in that area. It just seemed odd.
I went there as a tourist February 2002. I have like a million pictures of every building, all the windows boarded up and stuff. It WAS strange and creepy, to visit that as a tourist attraction of sorts....but it was very moving. I didn't feel right about going to New York without visiting the site and paying my respects, reading the poems and stories people had posted all over there.
VegasPrincess
09-11-2008, 06:10 PM
Wow, I'll never forget it. I was driving to my early class for college and I was stuck in gridlock traffic on the freeway. I was listening to ManCow in the morning (he's like a shock jock kind of) and I remember him saying a plane crashed into the tower and it wasn't a joke. I was like "Yeah right Mancow" so I changed channels and it was on every station.... I remember looking around at the people in the cars next to me and we were all like "OH MY GOD!" I finally got of the freeway and drove to school. I tried to tell my professor what happened but she didn't believe me for whatever reason and told me it was a joke, and nobody else had heard the news yet (I think I got to class late) so I just went about class. When I went down to the studio for modern class, my professors wern't there. By then everybody had heard the news. We all sat in a circle and held hands, talked about it and prayed. A friend of mine was freaking out bc her dad was on business in New York and at the trade center. (Fortunately, for whatever reason, he had not gone to work yet at the time of the attack and was fine we later found out). My friend Heidi and I didn't want to be alone and we both had boyfriends we lived with who happened to be out of town, so we drove to my mom's house and huddled in front of the tv.
Hello_Kitty27
09-11-2008, 06:12 PM
^ I've been to NY a handful of times since. And I've never went to see where the towers stood. Of course it's all in my own head on why but I feel like I can respect my friend and remember her life without going there. It makes my stomach turn to see people snapping photos and seeing it as a tourist attraction. My friend is buried in pieces and bits all over the place. It's a grave yard.
I'm rather torn on it and I waiver between anger and sadness.
I did watch a doc. with the children 2 years ago. We said nothing and we all cried. It's hard to find a film ON 911 that isn't biased.
Our candle will burn for 7 days and we had a moment of silence first thing when we woke up together as a way of talking to her within our minds to say hello...we miss you and we will never forget the amazing person you were.
See, for me, I took pictures so that I could show my possible future children. I saved the newspapers from that week as well. I felt really creeped out being there but seeing it made it "real" for me. You can see shit on the news, read it in the paper, but I had never even seen the World Trade Center before. As a visitor who had never been there before at all, I didn't really grasp the full scope of what happened until I saw it with my own eyes. And it brought me to tears. We went back to the hotel after that, and it was just ....i don't know, somber, I guess.
jasmine
09-11-2008, 06:37 PM
I was getting ready for work when I wandered into the living room where I had the TV on waiting to see the weather. When I saw what happened I called the hubby and my parents and no one believed me at first. It took a few minutes before all the stations had the feed going.
Setting at work that day was horrible (my day job). No one did anything really. We just sat and watched the news reports.
ETA - I was in Jersey about 17 miles from Manhatten at the time it happened. Everyone I worked with lost someone that day, made it extra horrible.
kikiwiki
09-11-2008, 07:00 PM
Growing up in my grandmothers house in bed stuy brooklyn, my bedroom window looked out to the twin towers. I used to count at the red blinking lights on the radio tower on top to help put me to sleep.
The day of sept 11 I will never forget. I was living with a roommate in dyker heights brooklyn. My best friend called me at 9am and told me to turn on the tv, that there was a fire at wtc. My cable happened to be out. As soon as I told her that, she started screaming that she just saw a plane crash into the other tower. That's when I told her get her family together, "we're at war". I hung up the phone, awoke my roommate (who's from Ohio) and said we had to go to our family. I grabbed a small bag of clothes, kiki and we ran to his car for him to drive me to my grandmothers house.
The streets were silent. We hit the BQE going towards Manhattan, towards my grandmothers house. It was a scene out of the movie independence day. All cars were leaving the city, we were only ones on the road heading the other direction. As we drove, the first then second tower fell. All I could think of were the firefighters still going up. We got to the top of the bqe where we could see the heavy smoke billowing from where the towers were. The day was so clear, all you saw was this devastation. Police finally caught us going through all barriers and told us to use local roads. It was a traffic nightmare. I decided to get out the car and walk the rest of the way. He had to get to Ohio anyway. We wished each other luck and went on our way.
I walked and walked from the middle of Brooklyn to the north end with a bag and kiki in tow. I tried calling my family but no answer. As I approached downtown area, I saw people coming off the manhattan/Brooklyn bridges covered in soot, crying. I saw clinics helping people from walking long distances and handing out water. I couldn't help but cry out loud on the street with them. I walked faster and harder to get to my family.
I finally got to my grandmothers house and all were there. I collapsed in my mothers arms crying and exhausted. I hugged my 5 year old neice so hard. I went to my old bedroom and I couldn't swallow what I saw. I took my niece to the balcony and she asked if that's how aliyah, the singer, died( she died in a plane crash a few weeks before). I didn't know how to answer her so I just nodded. I lied, it was no accident like aliyah. She understands today. I spent the rest of the day with my family and glued to the tv looking for answers why and how could this happen.
I'm in my grandmothers house visiting now while I type this, crying again, kiki by my side. I find it hard to look out my window and go to the balcony. I just don't recognize where I am when I do. And when I do, it's a reminder of one of the most saddest days of my life and for many who lost loved ones. My condolences to all those that lost and suffered on this day 7 years ago...
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/kikiwikimonster/IMG_2475.jpg
yoda57us
09-11-2008, 07:52 PM
Stuck in traffic trying to get into Boston for a job that would end up canceling anyway. I heard it all on the radio. I tried to call and see if the job was still on but cell service was non-existent. As I got into Boston's financial basically to just make a U turn and go back to the burbs I saw a most bizarre and scary sight. By now everyone knew what had happened and Boston's entire financial district was being shut down. I saw thousands of people leaving downtown and heading for the train and subway station all at once. It was like rush hour only at eleven am. The thing is, instead of tired faces there was fear in the eyes of many and everyone was walking in a very hurried pace. It was literally as if no one knew what was going to happen next.
la429
09-11-2008, 08:10 PM
I was in Bermuda with my ex for a cruise. We were at the beach swimming. They had the radios on and everyone was really confused about what happened at first. We all thought it was some horrible accident. It was really weird being in a foreign country so far away from loved ones. We all ended up going back to the ship where we watched CNN in our rooms practically all day as the days tragic events were reconstructed for us. Bermuda shut down the airports and there were armed guards all over the island that day. The cruise ship let us all call home to check on loved ones. I never wanted to be home so bad that day.
lilywoo
09-12-2008, 03:19 AM
I'm in england so it's a bit different, i'd just moved out of home for the first time. We were unpacking and my mum works for the government so she called to say turn on the television because they had gone to black alert and weren't telling them why.
It really looked like a movie, we ended up switching it off because me and my flatmate were hurt in the manchester bombing when we were 12 so didn't really want much reminding.
Because of this, I think a lot of my friend's detached from the situation because we've been so close to it ourselves. We didn't understand why on earth so many people not involved were crying; we went to uni that afternoon and the lecturer was crying! It's the UK!! We've been bombed to fk on numerous occasions!!
The only part that scared me was finding out there was a whole organisation I was unaware of. And that our connections with the US might mean something similar would happen here. But at that point we were quite used to bomb scares and evacuations anyway... I don't think it made any of us think differently about our way of life. Maybe that's the difference??
In addition, my friend was just about to fly to Thailand for her gap year...wow was she mad when she couldn't get on the plane - she's a very angry yorkshire lass.
The outpouring of emotion here reminded me of the diana situation, like some sort of mass surge whereby you were shamed if you weren't crying. Crazy! A lot of people deal differently with shock.
threlayer
09-12-2008, 10:40 AM
I was just getting to work a little late. The radio was on when I sat down, but I didnt ask why for about 10 minutes, just as the second plane hit. In about 20 more minutes I went up to the conference room to see it on the big TV. I watched in amazement/shock; there were some tears in the room. I began to have some feeling thae building would come down in some manner, but I was surprised at how fast it came down. Then I knew the other one would too. I don't recall much info given out about how fast people in the buildings wer getting out. But I recall thinking about the safety of people standing around watching the fires before the collapse.
I apologized to my boss about not being able to work for about 2 hours while watching/listening/talking. That is because I was surprised that he was able to. work was not cut short, but not being near NYC, I suppose there was no reason to. I do recall working and being moderately productive after noon.
Later I discussed the events with my GF. I was surprised she even knew about because she was always so self-concerned. Of course I watched it over and over on TV the next few days and listened on NPR as I had time between work and other activities that still went on. (What else was on TV or NPR? Nothing.)
Like most people, I was wondering if I knew anyone in any of those disasters. Fortunately not. I was also concerned about follow-up attacks, such as driving over bridges, being in the center of cities, damaged water/food supplies, attacks on powerplants, etc. Then much later the anthrax scares came out, but I had to doubt those were connected because of the miniscule scale of those threats.
sparkleeyz
09-12-2008, 10:51 AM
I was at school at St. Johns University in Queens, NY. My mother called and told me that a plane had just hit one of the towers. (She and my dad work in the city) I took a shower and went to class. (I lived on campus) I was looking out of the window, staring at the smoking tower when I saw a HUGE fireball hit the second tower. The girl sitting behind me screamed and everyone went into a panic. We turned on the news as everyone kept trying to call their loved ones in the city. (The phones stopped working.) My mom works not far from the towers (about 12 blocks) and my dad worked IN the towers. I freaked because I couldn't get in contact with anyone so I watched the news all day long, hoping to catch a glimpse of my family walking through the soot. Nothing. There was soot on our campus in Queens and fighter jets flying over head. No one was allowed into the city and my mom had to walk across the brooklyn bridge to get to my cousins house. My baby cousin was on a school trip to the towers and his whole kindergarten class had to walk across the bridge as well. (Luckily, they'd been running late and were on the train when the attacks happened.) Then 3 days later, I finally contacted my mom and found out that my dad had over slept and missed work that day. (First time EVER in his 30+ years of working there.)
hannah83
09-12-2008, 11:29 AM
I was in 12th grade, it was first period. We would normally watch tv for a bit and just joke around. I remember we had the news on, when the first report came in. Not thinking it was serious. Just thought it was a horrible accident. Then the 2nd plane hit and we realized it was serious.
I don't remember crying or anyone screaming...what I do remember is silence. Complete silence. Nobody moved or talked for what seemed like a long time. Then panic. People screaming, teachers running around. Friends calling their family, parents getting kids out of school. I stayed in school, like most of my friends. No work was done though that day, just watched tv. I remember having to write about it the next day in Composition class, and just re-reading what I wrote brings back all those feelings of anger and hopelessness.
StrawberrySwitchblade
09-12-2008, 11:34 AM
I was inbetween classes during my 10th grade year. i had heard people talking bout a plan hitting a building but not much. When I sat down in class my teacher rushed in and turned on the TV, just as the second plane hit. I remember my heart sinking watching the buildings collapsed. I got ill when I saw people jumping to get out of the towers. I was immediately enraged when the media circus began. I also remember hearing about the plane crashing in Somerset, PA, which was about an hour from where I was, and I was shocked. It is indeed a small world after all. The school went on lockdown and parents who called were told it would be better to leave the children at school so as to prevent a panic. It was also my grandfather's birthday, but my grandpap didn't want a party. He was a vet, he preferred to just give the day to the dead.
AlexxaHex
09-12-2008, 12:03 PM
Your dad is so incredibly lucky, sparkleeyz! That's crazy.
CKXXX
09-12-2008, 12:49 PM
I'm constantly amazed at stories of people like sparkleeyz dad who never ever missed anything...except THAT DAY. That makes me believe in fate SOOOO much more. For whatever reason...it wasnt their time and fate made DAMN sure they werent there at that moment. And there are a lot of stories about people who should by all rights have been on the planes,in the towers,etc...but for whatever reason werent. Unbelievable. I have to believe thats more then just luck.
StarryEyes
09-12-2008, 04:13 PM
I'm constantly amazed at stories of people like sparkleeyz dad who never ever missed anything...except THAT DAY. That makes me believe in fate SOOOO much more. For whatever reason...it wasnt their time and fate made DAMN sure they werent there at that moment. And there are a lot of stories about people who should by all rights have been on the planes,in the towers,etc...but for whatever reason werent. Unbelievable. I have to believe thats more then just luck.
So true. It just wasn't their time..they still have to fulfill a purpose here on earth.
Victoryx0x0
09-12-2008, 10:32 PM
i will never forget this day!
The day before 9/11, me and my best friend, (who worked in the WTC) went to the beach all day long.
The next day I woke up my mother was screaming an carrying on, she came in my room turned on the TV. i sat there in a daze as one tower is smoking. I am confused like what is this? a freak accident, and then another plane came flying into the other building. i started flipping out becuz I then remembered Alina works there! I was frantic calling her, then the tower came crumbling down. I must have called her phone ten thousand times. both towers came crumbling down and i think i was probably hysterical at this point.
The next day I woke up and called her.... SHE CALLED OUT OF WORK BECAUSE SHE WAS SUNBURNT FROM GOING TO THE BEACH THE DAY BEFORE. She lived in Brooklyn, and she told me that there was ashes coming in thru her window. I was just grateful she is alive and well. so grateful. and a modern miracle/coincidence that she called out of work because she was sunburnt from us going to the beach the day before.
it was a fuckin tragedy. and then seeing videos of terrorists cutting the heads off of american soldiers makes me sick to my stomach. i wanted every member of the terrorist group DEAD and heads posted on sticks. never felt so much anger in my life towards any one group of people.
But the war is still going on . today was the 7TH YEAR!!!! this is one long dragged out war. what the FUCK are we still doing over there???????!!!!!!!!!
sorry for this emotional post im off on this note
misspthesweetesttaboo
09-12-2008, 11:10 PM
wow... I was in 9th grade algebra and was running an errand for my crazy/pretty good math teacher Mr. Smith to the library, and the librarians were watching what looked like a movie. I stopped and asked them what they were watchingand they replied "the news". It took a few seconds to hit me but i stood there and watched a video of a plane hit tower 1 over and over, and was told to go back to class. Just as I walked back in it was quiet and I didn't want to disturb the class so I sat down and began the assignment posted for the class. My teacher left maybe 45 mins later and returned to inform everyone that both of the Twin Towers in NY City had fell- My stomach dropped as my mind flashed back to earlier in the library as it hit me what had really happened.
I returned home to a hysterical mother who's crying and yelling "THOSE DAMND TOURISTS*!!!" *terrorists as we later found out* every 5 minutes trying to get a hold of the other HALF of our family and friends that live and/or work up there--- chaos--- my Grandparents taped the "endless smoke" from their rooftop in Brooklyn
JDanielle
09-13-2008, 02:36 AM
I think I was in 5th or 6th grade. I went to my friend's house before school and it was on the news; their next door neighbor and her 3 kids were over too and the woman was very upset because her husband was a pilot and of course they couldn't get ahold of him. My friend and I went to school before the second plane. Honestly I don't remember very much; some discussion in class, but it seemed far away and I think my friends and I were too young to understand completely.
I want to say I remember Bush declaring America would be in and out of Iraq in a matter of months, with no casualties (but I'm not sure if he actually did or I misunderstood). My English teacher in early highschool had us do a writing project about what we would do if the war continued until we were old enough to serve in it. It was kind of surreal to turn 18 and have some of my friends from that class enlist.
Lady Xplicit18
09-13-2008, 02:58 AM
I was in 5th grade when it happened. I was sitting in my classroom, wondering why there were only about 7 of us out of 25 that came to school that morning. My teacher started to explain to us what had happened to the towers (I had no clue what the WTC was at that time) and told us that's why most of the kid's parents didn't let them come to school that day.
I couldn't really comprehend what was happening since I guess our teachers thought it would be "too much" for our 5th grader minds to take, so once I got home I went to my oldest brother's room to turn on the tv to see what was all this ruckus about.
I kept seeing replay after replay of the planes going into the WTC.
Those video clips are pretty much engraved into my memory forever.
My mom also told me that a friend of hers was suppose to take one of the planes that day that crashed into the towers for work out in NY(she's a traveling nurse & works sometimes with my mom) but for some odd reason she decided to cancel her flight that morning and to sleep in.
My heart stings and twists just thinking about what has happened on that sad day.
My heart just feels helpless.
My heart goes out to all the victims and people who were affected by this tragic day.
Polekitten
09-13-2008, 03:24 AM
Reading sparleez and Victory x0x0s posts gives me goose bump, the thought of actually knowing someone who was so close to being a victim of those attacks is terrifying.
11th Sept is actually my birthday, on that morning I was slightly hungover as I had been out celebrating with my friends the night before as I was planning to spend the day with my family. When bf at the time turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit and we just sat and stared in confusion. The screen looked like a scene from a movie but it was the news, I just couldn't understand what was happening. When the first tower fell I was still in complete confusion, I still couldn't believe it was a terrorist attack, I rememeber just say, "No, this can't be right," over and over again, some part of me as hoping that it was all some sort of massive understanding. We just sat and watched TV all day. The evening I went to my grans house and all my family was there to celebrate my birthday. Everyone was trying to be cheerful for my sake but we had the news on in the background the whole time. It's such a surreal memory, opening presents and trying to keep one eye on the TV the whole time.
jannisary
09-13-2008, 04:02 PM
I was getting ready to go to work. I didn't have to be there till late morning so I was taking my time getting around and turned on the TV to catch the news before heading out. The first plane had already hit the WTC. I watched and listened to the TV as I went about getting ready for work. There was so much confusion on the news at first about what was going. Then the second the plane hit the WTC and a third at the Pentagon.
Though I didn't much feel like it I went ahead and drove to work, listening intently to the radio during the approximate half hour drive. I got to the college, some of the classes were half empty. What was usually a hustling, bustling busy campus was very subdued and quiet.
A television was set up in the auditorium. This was at a small community college and for some reason back then there was not cable or satellite TV in most of the buildings. So the picture on the TV was snowy and not very clear at all. But students and faculty filtered in and out of there all day trying to come to grips with what had happened that terrible morning.
SpeakngEZ
09-13-2008, 07:06 PM
It's so unusual for me to hear about what all of you girls were doing at the time because I didn't realize what happened to people that were already adults, looking after their kids. The stories don't seem as real when they're being posted on newspaper ads, etc.
I was still in middle school. My math teacher was taking an oddly long time in the office receiving a fax (we didn't mind). When she returned, she grimly took her seat facing the class and told us what had happened, bluntly, "two planes just hit the Twin Towers." She was not normally a grim person. A couple of my classmates left to call their parents who were either flying or in NYC that day. We stayed in school the rest of the day, some classes had their TVs on, but SOME TEACHERS FORBADE US FROM WATCHING THE NEWS.
I remember my music teacher crying and making us say the pledge of allegiance.
3,000 miles away, in Los Angeles, my dad was waking up my teenage brother. "Get up, Chris," he said, "the world is changing."
Nautilus
09-13-2008, 07:10 PM
I was asleep at the time. I got up and went to work to find the newspaper at the door with a huge full-colour picture of the first tower being hit and the huge headline:
US AT WAR!
suffice to say, that scared the shit out of me.
We watched on a little TV in the lunchroom all the various feeds. I phoned and emailed everyone of import... it was very scary.