#1952 | Tuesday, September 10th 2002
My day was going normally on september 11th. i was in the 8th grade. I got up, went to school and it happened just as my 1st class was letting out, but I had no idea of the attacks, I actually went through 1 other class before I found out, in my 3rd hour Social Studies class. I didn't believe it at first because the TV was on right when I walked into the room and I sat down at my desk like i normally would. I felt confused. All the teachers had the news on during the day so all we did was watch the news except for our science teacher, she had the TV off all day and went on teahcing the lesson. I was wearing my favorite sweat shirt and I didnt take it off all day. It made me feel more secure and comfortable. I remember walking home from the bus stop listening to loud Blink-182 music because I was kind of angry. i didn't cry a year ago but this past week I've been thinking about it and remembering it before I go to sleep and I cried myself asleep because I was looking at the Time magazine that came out that day and all the stuff on the news. I will always remember that day and where i was. That was the first i've actually been to school.I was homeschooled until that year and we just went to NY in may and went to the top of the trade towers. But if I was still homeschooled we would have gone in september around the same time. So if I didnt go to school last year I might have been in that area when it happened.
I (heart) NY!!

Kayleigh | 14 | Michigan

#1949 | Tuesday, September 10th 2002
On September 11, I went to school just the same as any other day. During my second block, my principle came over the PA and said that something terrible has just happened and to turn on our TVs to CNN. I wasn't thinking when I saw the plane crash into the first tower. I just thought "Oh, this isnt anything too important. It's just an old tape of something" Then, the second plane crashed, and then I realized how serious it really was. I was so scared for eveyone I knew. My cousin is in the Air Force, so I was terrified that he would have to go overseas or that somebody would bomb his base. Now a year later, I'm still really scared that something else will happen. I heard that the American Military bases over in Germany might get bombed tomorrow, and I almost cried. I don't understand why anybody would want to put a whole country through all of this pain and suffering. And I dont see why our President would want to go and do the same exact thing to Iraq. If we go and bomb their country, it'll only make things worse. Tomorrow in school, everone is wearing red, white, and blue in memory of all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Kristina | 15 | Michigan

#1893 | Tuesday, September 10th 2002
I was in Chicago enroute to O'Hare to board a flight that was scheduled to leave that morning after seeing my son graduate from Naval Boot Camp. As I turned on the radio to check traffic conditions as I approached the airport, I came in on the middle of the news broadcast reporting just after the first plane hit the Towers. It sounded like the "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast. I searched the skies of Chicago looking for dark smoke thinking a plane hit the Sears Tower in Chicago. I couldn't see any smoke on the horizon then the announcer reported the 2nd plane hit the Tower and reality hit me in the stomach as the announcer said another plane hit the other tower of the Trade Center in New York. The next few moments driving in the car seemed like a nightmare as I heard of the the plane hitting the Pentagon, heard that flights would be delayed, and as I pulled in to return the car to the rental car drop point was told that all flights were cancelled until further notice. Since I started a new job the next day, I opted to keep my rental car and drive the six hours home from Chicago. As I renegotiated my contract for the extra leg of this journey, I heard on the radio the news of the final plane crash in Pennsylvania.

As I started my journey north, I did not have the benefit of seeing the actual pictures of the attack. I only had the verbal pictures provided by radio. My mind could not possibly imagine what my eyes actually witnessed later that evening when I sat down in our living room and for the first time saw what happened earlier that morning just before President Bush's address to the nation. Enroute from Chicago to Grand Rapids, I was able to find a christian radio station that turned all of their programming over to the wishes of the listening audience. No commercial programming was played that day and if the listeners wanted to share about loved ones they knew in the area of the attack, request prayer, or dedicate a song to someone, the radio station allowed them to dictate what was done on their radio programming. The station also cut in when new developments occurred. I was able to carry that station only that day up to Kalamazoo. After returning home, our son called us from Chicago. Assured us that he was safe and when asked whether he regretted his decision to join the Navy in light of the recent attack, he said, "No. I signed on to defend my country and I'm not afraid to serve and defend my country." I'm so proud of his commitment and dedication to defending his country.

A year later, I can report that our son is safe and stationed in WA. Memories still bring tears on occasion. I will never forget what I was doing the day before and the day of 9/11. God was faithful in protecting me during my drive home from Chicago and provided me with a station that could minister to me and give me comfort as I drove by myself. That station helped me keep my emotions in control so that I could safely travel and stay alert.

Connie | 45 | Michigan

#1865 | Monday, September 9th 2002
I was busy taking patients to their exam rooms and other tasks in a doctor's office. I'm a nurse there. The doctors are from India. Our office is in Michigan.

We have a radio that we were allowed to have on as long as the volume is very low. I was standing at the nursing station with the other nurses and staff bustling around me. There was still music playing when the phone rand and it was another nurse's husband. He just told her that the World Trade Center had just been hit. My husband also called. We changed the station immediately and found a new station (a news station). We couldn't believe what we were hearing. Then we listened to the chain of events unfold. Other husbands called and calls were made as the unfolding took place. It wasn't long before ALL the radio stations were filled with the days new.

I attempted to tell our doctor what was happening...what we were hearing. From the World Trade Center to the other planes crashing. It was as if he didn't understand what we were saying. I think he thought we were listening to nonsense on the radio. Or maybe he thought we would scare the patients. We will never know. Then, he made us turn off the radio! We were all in shock that he would make us turn off our link to what was happening to our country! A few of us became quietly angry and you could sense the anxiety in the office. Then HIS son called. The look on the doctor's face was one of literal shock. His mouth hung open and he was silent for quite some time. It was obvious he was getting the news from a source he finally believed.

Doctor then let us turn the radio back on. We were very glad because for a moment there, ugly thoughts crept into our minds...such as, what if doctor is part of it? Talk about crazy thinking. Our imaginations can easily run away. He was feeling the same things we did, only dealt with it differently. Even though most of our physicians are from India, they are ALSO American. We felt bad for them and concerned for their well-being in the days following the attacks.

The atmosphere in the office was that of shock, sadness, and even fear. In the days that followed, you could sense apparent anger and pain and fear in all of us. It was as if our country was the mother and she just watched some stranger hurt her children. It was that kind of anger. All our hearts were hurting terribly.

Days after the attack, our doctors also suffered fear because they now had people "looking" at them when they went in stores or just driving down the road. I had patients make comments or question me about their origin. I would reassure the patients that would as such things and found myself gently and quietly coming to our physicians' defense.

On Sept. 11, 2001 during my lunch, I drove to get ribbons of red, white, and blue. I affixed a frilly bow of those colors with streamers coming off my car antenna, right there in the store parking lot. I had a tear in my eye driving back to work. I was so filled with love and sorrow for our country and the victims of this terrible day.

It was also my sister's birthday. She says from that day forward, she will live on in infamy.

I had a cousin who worked at the World Trade Center, but had been transferred to Sweden only a short time before. Another cousin worked at the Pentagon but was not hurt. That really hit home with our family. You could feel the pain of the families who weren't so lucky.

You could look at the people around you no matter where you went and feel the patriotism welling.
Everyone was ready to fight for this land. Except for a select few who liked to make anti-American comments...feelings toward those folks is another matter entirely.

I've never seen everyone feel so close. People were more friendly. More open.
It was the drawing together of a nation...UNITED WE STAND.

Teri | 38 | Michigan

#1851 | Monday, September 9th 2002
i was sitting in my second block class and one of the other teachers in the school said "to turn the tv on cnn the world trade center buildings are being attacked." we watched it happen and the rest of the week all we did was watch cnn to find out what happened. i will never forget that day.
Jenifer | 18 | Michigan

<< | < | showing 11-15 of 48 | >| >>
search again

welcome
view / browse
search
about


link us



website: wherewereyou.org
All entries are copyright their original authors.