I am up late working on stuff and have the news on in the background and they are already starting with the special reports. I feel obligated to watch it every year because I don't ever want to forget that day...but it is so hard.
It is hard, I was watching a power point that got sent to my email today and my oldest son was asking questions about it so we talked about it a little. It does seem like yesterday, I can still remember with amazing clarity what I was doing that day and if you knew me, you'd know that's a big deal. I have a hard time watching the specials and the documentaries, but I feel like it's the least I can do to honor those who lost their lives and the families they left behind. As hard as it is for me to watch, I can't even begin to imagine how the families felt/feel.
I remember where I was when I heard. I was in 8th grade, going to my Social Studies class, and our teacher had it on the reports on the tv, and first thing I saw when I walked in was the second plane in the building. I remember saying, "What movie is THIS?!" Without loking at me, he shook his head and said, "It's not a movie. Two planes just colided into the World Trade Center." It was incredibly shocking, and for the rest of the day we did nothing in classes except watch the reports. One a MUCH lighter note.....Afterwards, (like....months and months) we were in science class with my very fidgety and nervous teacher. She heard this loud noise outside and screamed for us all to get under our desks as she pulls the fire alarm. Well, of course everyone else runs out of the building and we're huddled under our desks wondering what in the HECK is going on, and what the HECK she's thinking, when she yells, "HERE IT COMES!" And we look out the window and see..........................................................................a lawnmower drive by. She thought it was an airplane going to hit our little podunk, out in the middle of nowhere, BFE school. lol. She did get into some trouble after the fire department was called for the "fire", and she had to xplain what she was thinking to the faculty and firemen. lol. No doubt she was embarassed, but it was kinda funny then, and it still is, IMO. lol
I hate remembering it too. It seems like just yesterday to me. The whole days events are so vivid in my mind still. My bil worked at the pentagon at the time and we were all an utter wreck waiting to hear if he was safe. I can't even imagine what it was like for those who lived there.
My Daughter was asking why they start so early on showing special reports on it every year............ I told her they still do specials for Pearl Harbor day EVERY YEAR, so that we don't forget,
We were home that day. Freddy was sick so he was here too. I saw the reports on the tv and yelled for him to come look. We spent the day watching the reports and praying for those in harms way and for our country. I still cry just watching the videos of it all. I think seeing the people jump from the burning buildings was the most difficult for me to see. Praying for those who lost love ones that day.
I was being induced that night. Gosh, it's so vivid. My son's birthday is tomorrow. I remember being absolutely terrified of nuclear war while I was in labor.
I had worked late the night before at a banquet so I was in bed when the first plane hit, My mom woke me up to come see...I couldn't believe what she was telling me, I was in the shower when the second plane hit. I came out and watched the reports all morning until I had to go to work. My boss put a radio in both kitchens so we could hear the reports. I remember the disbelief in my mothers face as those four planes attacked us that day, and I remember being very afraid for my DH (we weren't married yet).
That's terrible, not your new baby - but your fear. I had just dropped off DD at school and DS at daycare and was driving to college when I heard about the first tower. We all sat in chemsitry class kind of in a daze, it was very quiet as we listened to our professor talk, and then a kid raised his hand - the professor called on him - and he said "Mam, we are in the middle of a national tragedy. I vote we cancel class." She just looked at us, you could tell she was trying to hold it together and said "You're right". We all walked down to the student center where they had all the TV's hooked up in the hallway and we all watched the towers fall. The entire day was just like walking through a daze after that.
I just finished a stint working at a Summer camp, where I was living, so I was house-hunting with my potential roommate, Kelly. She and I had just looked at one house and were sitting on the back porch calling other numbers in the newspaper. No one was answering. When someone finally did, the lady was in hysterics. She finally managed to spit out bits and pieces of what was going on. I was on the phone with her when the second plane hit. She lost it. Completely. I still didn't really understand, so Kelly and I drove to the nearest McDonalds to watch the news. Everyone just sat starting at the tv. No one ate. No one spoke. The earliest reports said a plane went down in Pittsburgh. That turned out to be way off, but I didn't now that at the time. I was frantically calling all of my family members. I just needed to know they were OK. But the cell lines were all tied up. I couldn't make any calls. I don't know how long we sat at that McDonalds. It was hours. But just as vividly as I remember the events of September 11, I remember waking up September 12 furious, but with a renewed adoration for my country.
I was trying to teach my little class at my little school, when dh had the radio on (with earbud so he didn't disturb the rest of us) and he stopped us and told us the news he'd just heard. We were just stunned. The kids had no clue what it was all about (two freshman boys). I remember thinking, "We're at war!" and "Was this what it was like hearing about Pearl Harbor?" We committed it all to God, and went on with our school day -- because of the limited understanding we were getting from the radio's description of events. We didn't get the whole story until we got home after school. I just heard yesterday (or got reminded) that there are still 1100 people whose remains have not been identified yet....
On the day itself, I was flying from Zurich to New Delhi. When I arrived, the taxi driver was trying to explain to me what had happened, and I wasn't grasping it. Then I switched on the TV in my hotel room and saw something that just seemed surreal. A few days later, I was able to fly to London - but was trapped in England for almost two weeks. As a non-citizen, I was the lowest category of person on the totem pole to get a flight home to Atlanta. Since then, if I know I have to travel in the early part of September, I try to arrange it so I fly on September 11. On the one year anniversary, for example, I took a flight from Boston to Frankfurt. It's my rather simplistic way of saying that I'm not going to change the way I do things because of what terrorists do. If we cower, they win.
That's very true Steve, we can not simply run and hide! We have to stand up and say we are NOT afraid, and we will not be intimidated!
On 9-11 the flight path of Air Force One was directly over our farm. I ran outside when I heard that plane going over. I already knew the national air space had been shut to ALL air traffic and thought it was strange that something big was still flying. I later learned that there were only 2 passenger planes left in the air at that time, Air Force One and the AWACS that was following it. Odd memory, I know. But the noise of those jet engines really broke the silence and numbness that hung over that day. Marty
I remember it very well, I was right across the river in NJ when it happened, my dad worked in a building with a bunch of Jewish people, they sent everyone home because they were going to be a target also (this was right after the first tower was hit) we were standing on a parking garage when the second tower was hit, I remember seeing the sky fill with smoke, we had no idea what was happening.
