I remember what I was doing 7 years ago today...

[tabsmonsters]

We were stationed in Okinawa, Japan. I was reading post on a message board, DH and the kids were in bed since Okinawa is 14 hours ahead of US time. I admit, I didn't even know what the World Trade Center was upon first hearing about it. As I was reading what someone posted, the 2nd plane crashed and I knew that wasn't an accident. I ran and turned the TV on and saw the footage. I didn't sleep at all that night. I watched that footage and the devastion with a sinking heart. I felt such pain for all the people that died and those who lost someone. I pray that we never have to go through something like this again. I think the base was on lockdown for several days, noone on or off.

 

[ChickenToes]

I was sitting in class. Right after roll call another teacher came in and said "A plane just flew into the World Trade Center." And my teacher turned on the TV and we watched everything unfold for the entire hour.

 

[mom'sfolly]

I was taking my son to preschool, listening to the radio in the car. I wasn't listening to my normal station, but to one that had a morning show with guys joking around. I heard them taking about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center, and I remember thinking something like "those backsideholes shouldn't joke about something like that" and then I switched to my usual NPR station. It didn't take long for me to realize that is was real. I dropped my kiddo off, told the people at the preschool what was happening, and went home. I watched TV, held my newborn and spent the day crying, and praying for the people involved.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

My daughter was a month old and I apologized to her for bringing her into the world for what it will be from now on. She's 7 now and I'll never forget the feeling I had on that day. Although I was very happy for the patriotic stand of many Americans.

 

[ams3651]

Quote:
thank you so much for your story, for some reason in reading all these yours brought me to tears. I really didnt know anyone who was affected. But this thread and your post just reinforce, we can never forget.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Being on the west coast I was still in bed when I heard the news on the radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Not everyone knows that there are WTCs in many cities, including Seattle and Tacoma. I couldn't imagine how a plane had crashed into one of the buildings in either of those cities.

I went downstairs to turn on the TV, calling my mother in the process. As the screen filled in with the horrific images of the towers, I recoiled from the TV in utter horror. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was walking backwards from the TV and sat down, HARD, on the coffee table when I couldn't get any farther from the nightmarish images.

Then the first tower crumbled as I watched in mindless horror. My mom was trying to console me, saying "It's OK. It's going to be all right." I screamed at her, yelling that it wasn't OK, that countless people had just died as we watched, helpless. I had nightmares for weeks about the people jumping.

I went to my job at a university and spent the day consoling students the best I could and hitting refresh on cnn.com. We were all in such a daze.

I sold that coffee table last night, ironically. It wasn't my intention but now that I think about it, I so closely associate it with 9/11 that I'm glad it's gone.

It's so hard to believe that it's been 7 years. May our children know and create a kinder world than the one that has been made for them so far.

 

[ruth]

I was awakened by a phone call from my ex-husband who said "When are you going to New York?" I said "Tomorrow" He said "We'll you won't be going now they just blew up the WTC - turn on the TV".

I taught a seminar in the WTC every month. My seminar was scheduled for September 13 and I would have been there on the 12th setting up.

 

[JohnL11935]

I was sitting in church waiting for the start of the funeral for the wife of a very good friend. My wife's aunt came in and whispered to us that a small plan had just "run into" the WTC. Didn't think much of it.

Afterwards we went to the reception at a local restaurant and found out the real story.

Watching it all unfold I kept thinking about two things. 1) We are at war. 2) I had just finished a week long seminar at Empire Blue Cross which was on the 32nd floor of tower one. I still have the photo ID card they made for me that week.

We had tickets for a show on Broadway on the following Saturday, just 4 days later. Mayor Guilliani asked that we not stay home, that doing so would give the terrorists another victory. On the train ride in you could still see the plume of smoke rising over lower Manhattan. At the conclusion of the play, the entire cast and crew came out onstage and we all sang God Bless America.

But the biggest impact for many of us that live and work around New York was for weeks and even months afterward, there were pages and pages of obituaries in the local papers for all the dead being identified. Looking at their pictures and reading their stories really made the day more heinous than could ever be imagined from watching the scenes on TV.

 

[herechickchick]

I was in a printmaking class in College and someone told us a plane had hit the pentagon. We laughed and made a few jokes about it never thinking it had really happened. We had no TVs in the basement so we found a radio and I could not believe it. I had a friend that lived close to the WTC at the time and no one could get in touch with her, luckily she was at school on the other side of the city. I was leaving school to go to work and I remember looking up and thinking what a beautiful day it was and how ironic something so terrible could happen on such a lovely day. It was not until I got to work that afternoon did I see my first images. I went down to circuit city and it was on every TV in the store. I just stood there, overwhelmed by the video. I guess a part of me still can't believe it happened.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

My husband had left for work and I was snuggled up with our 4 month old. We had just been in Alaska for a few months and were living in a small apartment off base (we are Air Force). Our 2 y/o came in and turned on the radio and they were saying something about the outside lanes reserved for active duty headed to Elmendorf and Ft Rich......I knew something was wrong. Turned on the TV and saw what had happened....I was just sitting there almost in shock. About an hour later I start getting calls asking if I knew where my husband was (he left his cell phone by accident...of all days to do this). They assured me he was probably stuck in the mess trying to get on base because EVERY car was being searched. I was worried sick. I just sat there watching that plane crash for another hour or so until my husband called to say he was alright. It was a very frightening time. Things got really strange for awhile afterward, too. Every time we went on base our car was searched. We were also physically searched at stores on base....they even checked under my baby's bottom in his car seat. It is the first time I have ever felt afraid living in the US. That is a type of fear I do not ever want to feel again and don't want my children to ever feel.