Rob:
I woke up at about 6:30 on Tuesday, September 11th and turned the TV on before getting in the shower. The channel was turned to NBC, and it seemed like something was going on, so I left it there, instead of switching to ESPN, like I normally would. There was smoke coming from one of the towers, and the reporter was saying that a small plane had struck the WTC. I called my dad over to come look at what had happened, and as we watched, the second plane hit the other tower. I can still remember, as vividly as if it were yesterday, watching that huge plane hit the other tower on live TV and gasping out loud. We sat there and watched it for probably an hour, watching people begin to jump out of the building, before the cameras, or us for that matter, realized what was going on. It was far and away, the most horrifying segment of TV that I have ever seen. This was all too real. For some reason, there was no disconnect between what was happening on the TV, and my realization of what was going on. Both my Dad and I were mortified, literally watching people die before our very eyes. I finally pulled myself from the screen and went to school. For obvious reasons, classes were canceled, but everybody stayed in the hallways watching the TVs for hours and hours. I called my friend KC and woke him up to tell him to turn the TV on. I think both of us knew that life as an American would never mean the same thing. I think all of us that day could realize that security, safety, and most of all American identity were concepts that we would need to redefine in the years to come. Its been 7 years and it's probably time we ask ourselves how far we've come, and what's left to do.
Melissa:
It's hard to believe that 7 years have passed.
I was a freshman at BYU and had an "early" morning Spanish class... 8:00 am.
My oh-so-wonderful brother-in-law Brian picked me up for school that day.
As I sat in my Spanish class, our professor came in with tears running down her cheeks. At that moment I was kicking myself for not paying better attention in class, because I really had no idea what she was saying. I knew something terrible had happened but I didn't know what, and I knew that class had been canceled but I didn't know why.
I called Brian to see if he'd come back and pick me up, and he's the one who told me what was going on. Both of us drove back to his house as we listened to the radio. I remember feeling incredibly insecure and confused. Once we were at Dalene's house we turned on the TV and there I sat for hours just watching. I remember my parents calling us, and I had this aching desire to drive home to California. For some reason I just wanted to be home. My dad told me to stay in Utah, that things would be okay, and to pray for comfort and peace. Later that day I returned to campus for another class, but ended up in a packed auditorium watching more of the coverage on TV. No one in the room was speaking, yet we were all communicating as we watched the news coverage. The TVs continued to play nonstop for at least a week. A year ago Rob and I visited "ground zero" and I was brought to tears just being there.
What a tragedy our country experienced. It's one of those days that we'll forever ask, "What were you doing on 9/11?"
Melissa:It's hard to believe that 7 years have passed.
I was a freshman at BYU and had an "early" morning Spanish class... 8:00 am.
My oh-so-wonderful brother-in-law Brian picked me up for school that day.
As I sat in my Spanish class, our professor came in with tears running down her cheeks. At that moment I was kicking myself for not paying better attention in class, because I really had no idea what she was saying. I knew something terrible had happened but I didn't know what, and I knew that class had been canceled but I didn't know why.
I called Brian to see if he'd come back and pick me up, and he's the one who told me what was going on. Both of us drove back to his house as we listened to the radio. I remember feeling incredibly insecure and confused. Once we were at Dalene's house we turned on the TV and there I sat for hours just watching. I remember my parents calling us, and I had this aching desire to drive home to California. For some reason I just wanted to be home. My dad told me to stay in Utah, that things would be okay, and to pray for comfort and peace. Later that day I returned to campus for another class, but ended up in a packed auditorium watching more of the coverage on TV. No one in the room was speaking, yet we were all communicating as we watched the news coverage. The TVs continued to play nonstop for at least a week. A year ago Rob and I visited "ground zero" and I was brought to tears just being there.
What a tragedy our country experienced. It's one of those days that we'll forever ask, "What were you doing on 9/11?"
3 comments:
My sister called and woke me up telling me to turn on the news. I felt disconnected from the situation. That's really the only way to describe it. I knew it was terrible, but I had little emotion. I'm still not sure why. I actually watched a video on YouTube today (that I posted on my blog) that made me feel what I was probably meant to that day 7 years ago.
I was teaching kindergarten & since I walked to school & didn't watch TV or listen to the radio in tha am I was at school and had no idea something was going on. Our sectretary was in hysterics, so I asked a mom (Cathy who watched garrett after he was born) what was going on. She broke the news to me. I went in the bathroom and just bawled. I went to my classroom and called Craig. I cursed the school phone system that wouldn't put my call through, but only let me leave a voice mail. I called my mom. I crayed some more. Then I put on a smile and some music and spent the day with 19 5 year olds who'll never remember life before 9/11. I didn't see or hear naything else 'till I got home about 3:00pm. I was so relieved when Craig got there.
Thanks for letting me share. This day still kills me and makes my heart heart. Again, spending my days with children (my own now) there isn't a lot of time to sit and think about the magnitude of the day, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
L
I was teaching kindergarten & since I walked to school & didn't watch TV or listen to the radio in tha am I was at school and had no idea something was going on. Our sectretary was in hysterics, so I asked a mom (Cathy who watched garrett after he was born) what was going on. She broke the news to me. I went in the bathroom and just bawled. I went to my classroom and called Craig. I cursed the school phone system that wouldn't put my call through, but only let me leave a voice mail. I called my mom. I crayed some more. Then I put on a smile and some music and spent the day with 19 5 year olds who'll never remember life before 9/11. I didn't see or hear naything else 'till I got home about 3:00pm. I was so relieved when Craig got there.
Thanks for letting me share. This day still kills me and makes my heart heart. Again, spending my days with children (my own now) there isn't a lot of time to sit and think about the magnitude of the day, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
L
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