Talk amongst ourselves

Monday, September 11, 2006

September 11, 2001-Where were you?

So, do you remember where you were on that day? I was on the Roosevelt School playground talking to the other moms after dropping our kids off, and someone said "Did you hear that a plane crashed into one of the twin towers in NYC?" I thought how odd, that if a plane were in trouble, wouldn't it stay clear of a major building? I went upstairs to the library and watched for the next 1/2 hour with the Librarian and the Principal and was in shock. Then they said another plane hit the other tower. I remember thinking "how wierd is that? How could something like that have happened twice?" My mind was not programmed to think of any possible scenario where that could have happened. When they said the first tower "collapsed and is gone" I remember thinking what do they mean that it is gone? How could it be gone?

Life will never be the same. What a horrible day.

posted by Chrissie at 11:55 AM

4 Comments:

  • Wow, good entry Chrissie.

    I was in my 2nd hour Advanced Earth Science class with Mr. Lund. We were working on a project in the hallway when our principal, Mr. Steiner (may he rest in peace) announced the tragedy. I could not believe it!! So sad... I was both angry, upset and in total disbelief. Majoirty of my classes for the remainder of the day we watched the horrible scenarios take place. Everyone was speachless. Quiet. Angry. Upset. Why did this happen was everyone's question throughout the entire day.

    This will always remain so horribly vivid in my memory. I just wish nothing this horrible will happen EVER again!

    May all the souls that were so tragically lost this sad day 5 years ago rest in peace and their families, friends and loved ones stay in our prayers.

    By Blogger Meghan, at 2:36 PM  

  • Wow, I was home with 3 year old Ryan and 1 year old Maggie. I was watching the Today show in my kitchen, when they broke from the taped programming to go live. They showed pictures of flames coming out of the first tower. Matt Lauer was interviewing a woman on the street when she suddenly screamed and said that a jet plane just hit the other tower. Matt Lauer suggested that it must have been a helicopter that had been circling around and she said "NO IT WAS A JET PLANE" There was silence as we watched the plume of smoke rise from the 2nd building hit. I remember Ryan coming in and looking at the screen and saying "fire."

    I, like Chrissie, was thinking that perhaps the smoke from the fire made another plane accidently hit the other building...but then when reports of the pentagon being hit...and that they were stopping ALL AIR TRAVEL that this was done deliberately.

    I called Pat at work and he told everyone around him. I called him back to tell him that the first tower had fallen. As we spoke...I watched the 2nd tower fall. I then called a 3rd time when I heard that the pentagon was hit. He had heard that the Washington Monument was hit...I told him I'd seen nothing about that.

    I remember feeling numb. Just like I couldn't move. How could this be happening? I couldn't get enough of the news that day while at the same time I tried to pretend everything was normal to my kids.

    By Blogger betsyjane, at 5:00 PM  

  • It was the first day of my tech theater lab, which was early in the morning. I was the first one awake in our dorm suite, and put a bagel in the toaster oven on my way to put laundry in the washing machine. When I came back the toaster oven was on fire. I called the custodians and they helped to put it out, and smoke was everywhere and a firetruck and the head of security came and everything. I was so overwhelmed with that happening all morning that it took a long time for the events in New York to sink in. I got to class late and my teacher said an airplane ran into the world trade center. Another teacher came in later and said "they got the pentagon too." I remember we listened to the radio for a bit during a break in class. It was a long lab, so we spent the whole morning learning to use the saws and things. It wasn't till I got to the dining hall for lunch and saw TVs everywhere with crowds around them that I thought maybe something was up. I saw my friend Isabel who gave me a big hug and a funny face, and I said, "I guess you heard what happened." She burst into tears and said "My best friend is in New York!" I hugged her back and said, "I was talking about the fact that I set my room on fire this morning." She burst out laughing. Classes were cancelled for the rest of the day. Me and the other RAs had to check in on our residents, especially the ones from New York and DC. Ben was supposed to fly to the Twin Cities to visit me the next day. He managed to get on a Greyhound bus instead. I walked to get ice cream cones with my roommates. Nobody knew what to do.

    By Blogger Lindsay, at 12:12 PM  

  • Last Tuesday) I watched the whole thing in 'REAL TIME" on MSNBC. So much of my time frame of that day didn't seem to fit the facts as I remembered them. So I actually took notes and made a time line. I had been at a 7:00 A.M. (yes, that's right, 7) Worship Com. meeting at church which ended at around 8:00. While on the way home, I heard on the radio that a plane had hit the one trade tower. Then while I was rushing home to hear more, I realized that I needed gas. When I turned the car back on, the radio said that the second tower was hit! I went in to pay for the gas, (something I never have to do anymore - credit cards taken at pump now!) and the kid behind the counter said that they'd hit the PENTAGON too. That completely freaked me out, so I raced home to the TV and just stood there in awe watching the 2 towers burn.

    I called Ron and he was just learning about it all. Then I called Aaron and he and I were on the phone talking when the first tower fell. All I kept saying was OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. We just couldn't believe what our eyes were seeing. Ron was amazed because all the Federal buildings were closing. Carolyn was Student Teaching in Kindergarten, so I couldn't reach her. I just left a message for her to call me. I remember needing to hear her voice. I remember now that I had 'GO TO SCHOOL" night that night so I was concerned about whether or not to cancel, which of course I did. Seems so silly a concern now.

    So anyway, the reason my memory of the time line didn't make sense with everyone's time description of the morning, was because of DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME! It's such a stupid mistake and one I usually figure out right away. Ever since I lived in Boston, I usually always think of that right away. I guess it was just all so upsetting that I never cleared my head enough to make sense of it.

    ALSO, I kept remembering SEEING the second jet hit the building, which also didn't fit my time line. (I was at the gas station when I learned about it). Well, when I watched it THIS week it became quite clear. They were showing RERUNS of the second plane hitting the second tower RIGHT AWAY since they'd had cameras on the first burning tower! So that explained that. ALSO, in my mind the towers came down in about 20 minutes. NOT SO. They burned about one and a half hours, which further explained to me why so many people DID get out.

    I also remember bursting into tears when I learned of flight 93 and what those people did. I still makes me cry. The fact that they . . . voted. . . for some reason that just knocks me out whenever I think of it. Such a typically American thing to do.

    My other main memory was that all 3 of my "kids", (before Dan and Carolyn were even engaged), arrived at our house and spent the evening in front of the TV with us, even though none of us ever discussed this. We just all had to be together I guess. Reminded me of November 22, 1963 with all of the Simons glued to the TV in the dark livingroom. . . . for days.

    Chilling chilling chilling. Just makes me sick and so sad. . . and so angry too. How we squandered the only positive of the whole horrific thing. . . a united country- behind our president - (even ME) with the whole world behind us. Shame, shame, shame.

    Man, talk about preaching to the choir. . . .

    SORRY this is so late, but . . . ah September. . . . . . Such a quiet reflective time for teachers and parents. . .

    LOVE ya all and thanks to Chrissie for bringing this up!
    Deboe

    By Blogger DebbieJeanLimon, at 12:20 AM  

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