The morning of September 11th, 2001 started out just like any other morning for me. I took my oldest two children to school, and then went home with my baby, Elayna. She was seven months old. I was probably feeding her breakfast; the details of the day didn't take on that odd clarity until later in the morning.
I was watching Good Morning America when Diane Sawyer reported that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Like most of America, I thought and hoped that it was a crazy accident. I continued watching GMA and listened to the reports of what was going on. And as I watched the live coverage going on behind Diane Sawyer, I watched along with so many Americans as a second plane struck the World Trade Center. That's when I knew, and so many others, that this was not an accident. I remember thinking, We're being attacked.
I was terrified. I had little kids and our country was under attack. It was the scariest thing I could have imagined. A few minutes later my phone rang. It was my Mom, just asking what I was up to. She worked at an elementary school, and nobody there had any idea what was going on. I said, "Mom, our country is being attacked by terrorists. Turn on a TV - NOW." She worked in the Media Center. They turned on the TVs and that's how her whole school found out about the attack.
Then it was my best friend calling a few minutes later - again, with the typical "how's your morning going?" questions. "Danielle, have you turned on your TV yet?" She said no....I told her to turn it on. And yet another life changed forever.
The next few days I just remember staying glued to the TV and crying. I had three small kids and our world was forever changed. And the stories.....stories of missing children, mothers, fathers....it was overwhelming. I still remember a mother and daughter being interviewed about the missing father, and he literally walked up during the interview. I wept.
I don't know anyone personally who was lost in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. But this was something that touched every single American. Even down here in Florida, our every moment was forever altered on that day.
Where were you?
9 comments:
Even your post brings it back so clearly that it brings tears to my eyes.
I remember feeling like Chicken Little thinking the sky was falling. It seemed like such and impossible situation (the U.S. was being ATTACKED?) that I felt anything was possible after that. I kept searching the sky wondering what was gonna happen next. Aliens? Seriously. It sounds ridiculous but I just felt like I was in a crazy movie and I had no idea what would happen.
We lived close to the joint reserve base back then which is on the list for possible hits for terrorists. We lived by both DFW and Alliance airport. All air traffic stopped. The only planes in the air were the fighter jets from the joint reserve base. It was so weird to not see any planes in the sky.
I was at the school volunteering in my youngest son's 1st grade classroom. A teacher heard and they started gathering in the halls. Trying to not scare the kids. Parents started arriving to pick up the children. I took mine home and like most of America stayed glued to the TV for days.
We lived close to the joint reserve base back then which is on the list for possible hits for terrorists. We lived by both DFW and Alliance airport. All air traffic stopped. The only planes in the air were the fighter jets from the joint reserve base. It was so weird to not see any planes in the sky.
I was at the school volunteering in my youngest son's 1st grade classroom. A teacher heard and they started gathering in the halls. Trying to not scare the kids. Parents started arriving to pick up the children. I took mine home and like most of America stayed glued to the TV for days.
Hey, Girlfriend! I'm just catching up after my long vacation. First of all, Jay is freakin' adorable!! Looks like your camping trip was awesome. Jay must be making you very happy. You can see the joy oozing from you in every picture. :)
I guess I never sent you my email for your other blog. Sorry. lisa5868@excite.com
What a dark day it was! I was on the treadmill in our master bedroom when my hubby called and told me to turn on the news ASAP. I could not believe what my eyes were seeing...and tears streamed down my face. I will never forget that day as long as I live.
I was one of the last Americans to find out anything, because I worked from home then, and I didn't have cable. A friend called to tell me what happened, but I didn't see any of the video footage until days later, at another friend's house. I won't forget the day either.
I was home... getting ready for work when I received a call to turn on the television. It just... didn't seem real.... when I got to work everyone was in a zombie mode.. nobody could concentrate and when we saw the buildings fall, everyone was crying....
I was teaching 4th grade on the second day of school just an hour and a half drive from Ground Zero. My principal hand delievered a note saying we were under attack. When I brought the student to special and got more information, I then desperately tried to get ahold of my husband who worked just 20 minutes out of NYC. He was evacuated and called me from home at lunch. We were blessed in that all we knew were safe, but it was an awful, awful day.
I was in the dentist chair and heard it on the radio as my teeth were being cleaned. At first I could not believe what I was hearing. I rushed home to turn on Good Morning America. My boys were in school. It took every ounce of me not to rush to pick them up and to push down the panic that I felt. I remember feeling so depressed for weeks thinking of all those people and their loved ones. Alan Jackson's song still makes me cry.
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