What were you doing sept 11, 2001
I was driving to the doctor's to be dx with breast cancer when I heard about the first plane hitting the WTC, so the day is momentous to me for both reasons. I'm interested in what else everyone was doing on that day.
Comments
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It was my son's very first day of preschool. He fell down and cut open his chin just before we left the house and clearly needed stitches but i decided to take him to school anyway because it was only for two hours the first day, we had built it up, and I would just take him to the doctor after.
Then the attacks happened, the schools and everything closed down (we live in DC) icluding all doctors' offices and i thought there would be too many wounded in the emergency rooms to take my son in for stitches. So he has a scar from the day.
But I knew people who died in NY, including a college roommate, so it is always a somber day for me. -
Just a normal day at the office when a co-worker broke the news and brought in a TV for us to watch. The rest of the day just seemed surreal as we watched one attack after the other and experienced the shock and terror of what had happened. I kept thinking that it was all just simulated as a 'what if' media piece. Unfortunately, I was so wrong....
One positive from that day is the amazing show of courage and strength by the survivors and rescuers as they sacrificed their own lives to help strangers. Solid reassurance that evil did not prevail!
~Marin
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I was taking my oldest daughter to preschool, my middle daughter was with me and my youngest daughter was just a few months old and waiting for us in China.
We live in NJ so it had a huge impact on us here. My husband got home around 2pm and spent the afternoon calling people from work to make sure they got home alright. He works for a NY based company.
It was such a sad, sad, day.
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I was driving to the hair salon to get my roots touched up when I heard the DJ on the radio saying " Oh my God, etc etc. I couldn't believe my ears or eyes when I started watching the TV later that morning
My husband and I were just discussing that very question the other day, it's funny, when something life shattering/altering happens you always know exactly what you were doing when you heard the news.
Sadly, Tina
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Most of us were too little when JFK got shot and then when Lee Harvey Oswald was killed right after, ..... or the death of Marilyn Monroe .... or Pearl Harbor for our grandparents.
I guess for us the attacks of 9/11, the death of Princess Diana and any local disasters (I live in California where we've had some big ones) are like those events of history. Time becomes frozen, our memories are crisp.
What is truly sad, is that our children will have tragic events that will become memorialized in their minds.
Pearl Harbor and 9/11 were not accidents, not "acts of God" and therefore standout as so much more. The lives lost that needn't have been, lives changed because of these cruel events. I wish our children didn't have to have the experiences but they will, man can be cruel...I just hope they are safe.
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I was sitting on the couch, talking to a friend over the phone while watching the Today Show. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and didn't, at first, even know what was happening when the first tower had been attacked. Then the second plane hit the second tower and I thought, horrified, that someone in the control tower was screwing up. I know that sounds stupid, but I NEVER thought of a terrorist attack.
Just like when Kennedy was assasinated (I was a senior in HS) I was glued to the televison for days.
I believe Oprah is going to have somekind of tribute today on her show.
Our country was more united than ever when this happened. We must never forget.
Shirley
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I was on my way to work, and when i got there they told me we were going under lock down. i had to go make sure all doors in my area were locked. Scarey! The kids got to see the president fly over on his way back to DC. The planes with him were loud.
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I was heading into the library to do research some grants for grad school when a woman walked in and said a plane had just hit one of the towers. At the time, they thought it was a small plane whose pilot had a heart attack or something.
Two hours later when I got into my car and turned on the radio, the first tower had just fallen and everything was absolutely crazy. I immediately thought about my family and how I couldn't get in touch with them (hubby-2-be was in the army at the time stationed at West Point, my son was two days into his third grade year and my oldest stepson was a sophomore in high school; all phone lines were busy and I couldn't get through to anyone.) I finally just drove to school and picked up my little guy (who had no idea what the heck was going on) then emailed h2b when I got home who emailed back and said all was well, just chaotic and somber.
Such a tragic day. Some of the stories from folks who got calls from loved ones trapped in the buildings on on airplanes still make me cry. In some ways it seems like yesterday when all of it happened and in others, it seems like such a long time ago... -
i was at work, wondering why my boss was late and getting ticked off because he had patients waiting... he was in his car in the garage listening to the radio, he came up in total disbelief and told us all what was going on. we put on the tv we have in the waiting room and the only channel we could get was the bbc from england and we had the radio on. my coworkers mother worked in the south tower, so needless to say she was beside herself, and when that tower fell first and we hadn't heard from her, we thought the worst... it was horrifying, watching it fall and not knowing. it ended up that she got out... she left when the first plane hit... thank God. the whole rest of the day was like walking around in a fog... it was eerily quiet. being only about a 1/2 hour out of the city, we all knew of someone that lost somebody. a few of my patients lost their dads. what a horrible day... just horrible.
barbara
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I had the day off. I was digging through my closet trying to clean it. I got a call about some work issue from one of our study monitors. The guy was talking about planes hitting a building and I asked what movie are you watching? It took me several minutes to get the thought to sink in and I turned on the TV. My husband called from work and said the second one had hit. My son was 8 yrs old at the time and a few days later discussed how much 9/11 was like Pearl Harbor. It was almost scary how he discussed the comparison and contrasts. I do remember that he did not want us to watch any of it on TV because it was too scary. Today in high school they watched one of the conspiracy movies and we had a big discussion about how creative artists can spin a certain view on whatever they wish the masses to believe and we need to digest the information with an objective eye. The whole thing is just as scary and horrific as the day it happened.
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I was a stay at home mom at the time, my son was only 4 months old and my daughter was 2. My husband was off that day and was having an in home physical for life insurance. We watched the second plane hit and pretty much stayed glued to the tv all day.
I did leave to go to the grocery store and no one was out shopping. Pretty freaky what a ghost town the store was.
I was totally freaked out about all the bioterrorism talk, anthrax, and especially small pox. I became a bit of a news junkie, just could not tear myself away from the news in case something else were to happen. This lasted at least year and it took me a long time to get interested in watching a movie or reading a book for fun.
I have to say that the attack had a profound effect on me in a lot of ways.
Newter
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I was at school that morning, and it was my planning period. Our librarian e-mailed us instructions on how to turn the TV on and tune into news of what was happening at the WTC. I had no idea.
I called my DH to tell him to turn on the TV, and while we were on the phone with each other, the first building collapsed.
I remember seeing the panic on TV and thinking that we were now at war on our own soil.
That night, DH and I went over to my dad's, as did my sister and her DH. We just needed to be together.
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Since I live mostly nocturnally, I slept through the whole thing.
When I got up, around 1, and came downstairs, I found a message frfom my best friend on the answering machine, telling me what had happened.
The shock, and my sorrow, and, yes, fear, were all there, just delayed.
My neighbors, when they saw me out with Rupert, my dog, all invited me in to watch their TVs.
I did see the buildings hit.I did not have the least desire to see it over & over after that.
It was a day of huddling together in my neighborhood.
I was still so upset about 9/11 the next summer, that I never scheduled my mammo.
When I was dx in '03, I asked my surgeon if it was because I'd missed my mammo in '02.
"It wasnt here, it wasnt visable last year.It is barely visable now."Good. I was talking a lot about "What's the use of being alive, if THIS can happen in AMERICA?"
But I found I wanted to be alive, even so.
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I had gotten my children up for school as usual. They were in 1st grade. They watched something on PBS as they ate their breakfast. I had no idea what was going on. I took them to school, dropped them off and headed for the store. Listening to the radio, I heard Tom Brokaw's voice, which was unusual. He was saying something about the WTC collapsing. It was surreal. I thought it was a "war of the worlds" kind of thing, not real.
I had a date for the following night, Sept. 12, for a Crosby Stills and Nash concert. It was something I was excited about because I didn't date much and this guy was kind of cute. Needless to say it was cancelled.
I was glued to coverage for the rest of the day/week. To this day I always turn on the news as soon as I get up. Being oblivious that day stunned me too badly.
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My husband had just left for work when the first plane hit and as I was talking to my son, who was having breakfast before school, the second plane hit. I called my husband because then the plane hit the Pentagon. I have a TV at my desk so it was on all day.
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I was a visiting nurse, working at that job for the final week. I was driving into Philadelphia to see my first patient, listening to BBC world news, and they reported the first plane hitting the tower. I got to the paitents' home, and told her to turn the TV on. While we were watching, the second tower was hit. I went to the next patients' home, and while there, got paged by my office and instructed to go home. Philadelphia schools and businesses were being evacuated. I went home, and started doing laundry in a mecanized sort of way, and suddenly I stopped, and thought "What am I doing laundry for now?" I left the clothes in the machine, and got in the car and drove to the Red Cross, thinking that I'd donate blood. There was a huge line outside the building, in spite of workers tarring the roof next door, which was causing horrible fumes. I decided to go in and volunteer to help process the hundreds of people who showed up to donate blood. After 2 days the office had to be closed. They'd taken aprox 900 units of blood, and needed to close to process them. Unfortunatly, we all know how few of those units of blood ever went to the injured in the attacks..precious few, if any.
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I was in Chicago on business, on the 47th floor of a building in the heart of downtown.
I honestly can't remember how I first learned that we were under attack, because it was so chaotic. For a few hours, the rumors were flying. Internet news sites were crashing, but people were getting IM's from friends and family all across the country and the supposed number of hijacked planes was growing by the second.
By 10:00 AM, our building had been evacuated and my team and I convened in my hotel room at the Westin - we all had rooms there, but mine was on the lowest floor. Six of us sat on the bed and cried as we watched the horror unfold.
On Thursday, I rented a car and drove home. I remember being so angry that week, that when I got on the road, I was "road-rage" waiting to happen. Then I stopped in St Louis for the night and sat in the hotel lobby bar watching TV and crying with strangers.
The next day - Friday - I left St Louis to complete my drive home. On the way, I sawa plane in the sky, the first one I had seen in 4 days. I don't ever remember being so aware of a plane being in the sky. My heart literally skipped a beat!
If I say anything else about that day, it will be over-shadowed by my anger for where this country is today, so I'll stop and say, God Bless America.
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I was leaving to meet a cop friend at the gym, saw the TV, but didn't really hit home to me till I saw a flag at half mast on the way to the gym.
She came in the gym as we were all glued to the TVs and said she was going to the station, even tho she was not medically released by to work ( rehabbing from a huge leg injury). I've only seen her once since then, the day I was dx'd, but didn't tell her.
I came home and called my kids, first my son in DC and then my daughter who had just gone to give blood in AL.
I was glued to the TV and my 'puter for weeks and months. I hate to admit that I was depressed and obsessed with all the news for way too long. It took me a long time to get out of the house.
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On that day, we had a typhooon. It caused some severe damage and was still on the way to up north. So despite that it was almost midnight when the first plane hit the WTC, most people were glued to TV for the typhoon coverage. I was just got home from work and turned on TV for the news. A news guy was talking about a typhoon and all of sudden he said there's breaking news. I was glued to TV, thinking "what joke is that???" but didn't think it wasn't just an accident... until the second plane hit another tower. By the time the second crash happened, my ex was back home and I told him what was happening. We stayed up all night watching TV and crying. It wasn't just America but the world. No matter where you were at that time, you will never forget what happened.
Hugs,
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i was at work ........... hanging an IV med for a younger patient who was sadly, in a fairly vegetative state d/t a kidney failure complication that could've been avoided. i remember thinking "why in the world did they put this movie on her t.v?????" (the little hospital t.v's that you can only hear through headphones) ........ i kept trying to change the station, but the same 'movie' was on every channel ............. then the whole hospital shook and there was a deafening sound overhead ............. it was the fighter planes flying overhead to guard the borders because the international tunnel and bridge are only a stones throw from the hospital.
i had to call my 'husband' to get a grip on what was going on and i'll never forget the hollow feeling that ensued for days afterward ........ nor will i forget the haunted look in that patients eyes as i removed her headphones and shut off her t.v. ..........even though it was assumed that she was catatonic!
what an extraordinarily life altering experience this day has become for the entire world!
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I work for a major food chain in NJ in their corporate office. Some of our stores in South Jersey were on strike so we had to go down and help out. I was on a 2 hour bus ride heading there when one of my co-workers got a call from her daughter. By the time we got to the store they had the coverage on a small TV. They decided to bus us back so I was on the bus when the second tower fell. I remember being on the NJ Turnpike and noticing that there was hardy any cars or trucks. It was very eerie. Then I noticed there was no air traffic. I also remember that it was an absolutely beautiful fall day, not a cloud in the sky. I'll never forget as we rounded the bend near our office my company had put a HUGE flag on the side of the building and everyone on the bus let out a cheer and clapped. That was the most noise we made on the 2 hour ride. I remember the ride home and again hardly any traffic on the roads.
I found out the next day that a man who worked for us had lost his wife who was 7 months pregnant. Just a nightmare.
I remember thinking I sure hope people around the country feel the lose the way we do here in the Northeast. Well, you ladies answered my question. Thank you for feeling our pain.
Valerie
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Me and my husband were both hom sick from work that day. I woke up and as usual, went onto the computer. The AOL home page had the sickening image of the first tower. When my husband woke up, I showed him and we turned on the news and there we were glued for hours on end. Very surreal.
I live in NJ, a half-mile away from the post office that they discovered the anthrax in (was closed for several years and only recently opened back up). Extremely disturbing these things hitting so very close to home. Being situated smack in between NY and Phila, I don't particularly feel safe sometimes.
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I was dozing on the couch with my 18 month old nephew when my sister called and told me. I turned the television on and saw the plane hit the second tower. It is also my birthday. Someone told me yesterday, what a bad day for a brithday. I told him, I had it first. It was a very somber day with everything shutting down around my home. I will always remember it. Bonny
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Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) by Allan Jackson
http://www.cmt.com/videos/alan-jackson/59000/where-were-you-when-the-world-stopped-turning.jhtml
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry
Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love
The greatest is love
The greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
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I was asleep in my bed when my daughter brought the phone to me. On the other end was my sister Cheryl.......talking very loud........and saying, "WERE BEING BOMBED.....WERE BEING BOMBED! I jumped up out of bed and said WHAT! And then she told me about the World Trade Centers falling down. Now......I had turned off cable television because I was sick of my daughters watching MTV all the time, and now here I was without CABLE! So I immediately went down to Best Buy and purchased an antenna for my tv. I was so surprised to see how calm the entire Best Buy Staff was. I asked the young man if they could turn on the television to the new channel so I could see what was going on in real time. I could not understand why these young adults were not as alarmed about this as I was. I swear......I felt like I was in the twilite zone......and these people were not from the same planet as I.
So I ran home....and hooked up the antenna......and literally watched the news for days on end....and then the war....and then I got cable.......and that was the beginning of staying up late at night do to perimenopause and my never ending quest for the latest terrorist attack!
Now that I think about it.............maybe that whole thing changed my body chemistry! HA...HA!
Love,
Terry -
I had just returned from my lunch break and a colleague told me that a plane had hit the WTC. Dh and I had been in NYC in the previous May and had had dinner in the Windows of the World, so I thought at first that it was an accident, and that with the time difference from the UK to NYC that it would be before people got to work, but that wasn't the case. We then stopped work as only two computers were able to stay connected to BBC and CNN to keep us informed. The shock and grief were almost unbearable and our hearts and prayers went out for the families and for those who had lost their lives in the planes and the buildings.
Then later we learned that "the Falling Man" was possibly one of the people we had met at WOTW. We were so saddened by it all.
Then September 11 was the first day of chemo for me in 2006. It was the first day of hope that maybe I was going to make it through this disease, after all the shock and terror of diagnosis.
Valerie S
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I was at home, with my 10 month old twins. My mom called and said a plane hit the world trade center. I turned on the TV. Watched #2 hit. Called my friend and husband. Put the boys down for a nap. Weird.
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Today in high school they watched one of the conspiracy movies and we had a big discussion about how creative artists can spin a certain view on whatever they wish the masses to believe and we need to digest the information with an objective eye.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What's even scarier for me is how the government can do that-- like WMD in Iraq and that some people still believe it was Iraq and Sadaam Heussin that flew the planes into the buildings.
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