September 11, 2001

[ponycake]

I was in 8th grade Algebra when my teacher got a call from her son, she determined it must be important and answered it. He was a block away and told her and we turned on the tvs. At first the school tried to keep it quiet but that wasn't happening so they then called all the students to the cafeteria and we all sat watching all the tvs mounted up in there and many parents came and got their kids.

I don't think about 9/11 much anymore, I just hope we don't have another one like it. The ISIS stuff scares the heck out of me thinking that there might.

[OLumeVaSti]

 I was still in High School. I remember walking to 2nd period art class and hearing rumblings in the hall about a plane crash in New York. I made it to class and Mrs. G had the TV on. By that time the second plane had hit. We were all watching it instead of art. I also remember, I saw the first tower sag a little and the news didn't notice or say anything. Shortly, after it fell. All my classes up until lunch we watched it. At lunch, the rumor was going that one crashed in Pittsburgh. My dad at the time worked in Pittsburgh so, I was scared for him. To make it worst my mom showed up and pulled me out along with my sister in Jr.High. My dad didn't have a cell phone at the time, only pager that was used for sending him to copier repairs. The wait to get a hold of him seemed forever. After we were pulled for school my mother went in a kind of crazy mode and took us to the grocery stores and she started hoarding stuff. I think she was thinking we going to be hiding in the West Virginia hills or something. After that, we went home finally heard from my dad and watched CNN all day.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

          

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I overslept for work that day because I was having a terrible nightmare about being trapped in an office building that was on fire and collapsing.  Then I woke up, realized I was late, got dressed and ran out the door with keys in hand only to see my family watching my dream on TV.  But I had to drive 45 minutes to work so I just played music and drove.  And then things were very different as I got to work.  Very, very different... 

[Sky_Rocket_Sammie]

I was in my second year of jr college in San Diego (my hometown). Was up early to get ready for school. The radio in my room (my alarm) had turned on with the news of a plane and a building. Being only half awake I stumbled into the living room (without my glasses), turned on the TV. And thought it was downtown San Diego and a much smaller plane. Told my Dad, who was also awake. My Mom was in bed listening to the radio and said it wasn't downtown, that it was in NYC. Both her and my Dad (who was raised in the Bronx) had lived in Manhattan back in the 60s.

My Dad and I went into the living room and it was NYC. I'll never forget the feeling of shock I got from watching the tower fall on live TV. Classes where cancelled and we spent the day at home. My Dad went out that afternoon to donate blood and we helped our neighbor put up an American flag. His family was from Pakistan and he was scared, that people would think badly of his family.

The next few days where kind of a blur and disjointed because things where shut down for awhile. My now ex, at the time had family living in Manhattan. I felt bad for her, for awhile on the 11th, she couldn't get a hold of them. They where fine.

[OLumeVaSti]

I overslept for work that day because I was having a terrible nightmare about being trapped in an office building that was on fire and collapsing.  Then I woke up, realized I was late, got dressed and ran out the door with keys in hand only to see my family watching my dream on TV.  But I had to drive 45 minutes to work so I just played music and drove.  And then things were very different as I got to work.  Very, very different... 

That is crazy that you had that nightmare.

[Kiwi]

I was in high school. Shortly after it happened our Principal made an announcement about "supporting our American neighbours during this tragedy" but no details (and crappy PA system) so we were more confused than anything. It wasn't until lunch time that we started hearing rumours and bits of news. By the afternoon our teachers were able to fill us in on more details. That night we ate dinner watching the CNN report. The next day at school no one could really focus at first, so our English teacher gave us a few minutes to just write whatever we wanted, to help clear out the jitters.

(3 days later my now hubby asked me out)

[gemini_pony]

 

[Rachel-Eyes]

[Dreamer]

 

[Icecrystalline]

[SourdoughStomper]

[kaoskat]

 

[PinkiePosh]

I was 5, and I remember people jumping from the buildings, but not much else.

[SourdoughStomper]

I was 24 years old, and my daughter was about 21 months old. I was pregnant with my son, in Whitehorse, YT. I had just gotten back home from a trip to the US on a bus - literally arrived a few hours beforehand. Praise God, I wouldn't have wanted to be stuck on a Greyhound somewhere away from home.

I didn't sleep that well so we got up early and were watching the news. Like everyone else, we assumed it was an accident because we'd only heard about the one plane at that point. Our eyes were on the screen when we saw the fireball come out of the other building and they told us the second plane hit the second building. Not an accident.

Two diverted airplanes from Korea were sent to our airport and they were low on fuel. They sent out a low-on-fuel signal, which was mistakenly interpreted as an SOS. (The Prime Minister had fighter jets escort the planes and were willing to shoot them down if they tried anything shady.) The planes went over my house and I dashed outside to watch them. That's when my daughter shut the door and locked me out of the house. I had to break back in with the help of my neighbor.

We spent several days being rather stunned. But also a sense of pride when we watched the country rally together to support its own. And pride in those who gave their lives to try to help others live. Our neighbors of other countries helped and mourned too. We were so united.