September 11th, 2001 Where were You?

[ICU 812]

Where were you on 9/11?

How do you remember that day?

Saw this on a Real-World forum and shamelessly re-post it here.


"in the fall of 2001 I was working in a major hospital in a big city.. The TV in the patient waiting room was always on. I came in to get a patient when someone said, "Wait, you gotta see this." The first plane had just struck. We all assumed that a trafic accident had happened. I came back into the waiting area about fifteen minutes later to get another patient and the second plane hit. Someone there said, "Well we're at war with somebody now."

As the morning unfolded there was a palpable sense of frustrated anger. One patient there that day was a WW-II era Army Ranger. I will always remember his stifled anger and quiet tears, remembering the young man he had been and wishing he could rise from his wheelchair to again be the fierce warrior who had assaulted the cliffs of Pont du Hoc on D-Day. "

[StaceyMay]

I lived 3 hrs away from the tragic event in NYC (let's not forget the other flights that day as well) I was working in a cafe and the radio was on, I remember hearing some of the chaos around me, but in a blur I was trying to take care of the customers during morning rush (many of whom were not discussing it as they hadnt heard about it either) It wasnt until my oldest son came running into my job all shook up telling me I have to come home now there is a war happening. (Apprently the schools allowed parents to pick children up from school that morning, and my sitter had picked mine up in a panic. I told my boss my sitter had to tend to a family emergency (she had quite a few family members affected by it (which I didn't know until later) He let me go, and they actually closed the cafe at noon that day. When I got home, I turned on the TV, consoled the two oldest at the time (the others were not affected at all due to their age)
I just remember feeling confused, sad and then upset! I remember watching the news for several days straight, but I guess what I remember the most is how EVERYONE came together, and we stood up stronger than ever before, even though we were 3 hours away, there were alot of events that took place when the towers fell and the recovery was under way- I am proud to say I took part in those events- every single one of them that I could. Sigh

[Submissive Angel]

I was young on 9/11. I was still in school. I grew up in Massachusetts about middle ground between NY/Boston. It was a dreary day. I remember the intercom telling teachers to turn on the news. After, the shock was over my teacher turned off the tv. He then proceeded to break out this flower toy that sang and danced to "you are my sunshine." A lot of families in my school were impacted by 9/11. Sad day

[finman56]

I remember it well, I was working swing shifts and was home that morning after taking my son to school. Saw the whole thing unfold on NBC. It was a memory you can never forget!

Have been to NYC twice since then and still in awe.

[clitlicker7]

I actually fell asleep on the couch the night before watching CNN for some reason. I didnt have to work that day and would usually sleep in but I woke up to confused reports about the 1st tower being hit. Nobody knew what was going on really until the 2nd plane hit and I was as shocked as I ever was in my life then and now. Once reports about the Pentagon and the crashed plane in Pennsylvania hit TV I was sick to my stomach. I spent the entire day glued to my TV wondering whats next?

[pyramider]

I was doing some admin work on the laptop in a hotel in San Diego. My manager called me to talk. I had the tv on but I was mostly just working. I saw the tape of the first plane and just thought it was a rough cut of a movie, then my manager clued me in and I saw the second plane hit. I was pissed that the youngsters in my family were going to have to deal with this kind of shit going forward.

[ned123]

I was in 5th grade. Just like Submissive Angel said, the teacher turned on the TV. We all watched with our mouths open. I couldn't really understand it because I moved to the US a few weeks prior to that event, and didn't understand English.

[burkalini]

I had just traveled to Denver on business and was in my hotel room. I ate all three meals in my room that day. Work was cancelled and I couldn't take my eye off the TV. It was truly a day where you didn't believe your eyes. Being opposite in feeling I felt the same awe when I watched us land on the moon for the first time

[DallasRain]

I was working in a grocery store stocking magazines in College Station Texas......they announced it over the intercom and it was an awful moment! One of the cashiers at the store had an uncle that was killed there.
{It is also my SO's birthday sept 11, so we celebrated and also grieved for the families!}

[Ms. Athena]

I had seen my am patients and was at class at college. Remeber everyone talking in the halls and when I got to my second class I found out what had happened. Went to my local Red Cross to donate blood but they where turning us away by this time as they knew there wasent a need.....spent most of the day watching in disbelief like the rest of the world.....

[Jackie S]

I was at work.

I remember all of us gathering in my office, watching TV, trying to figure out what the heck was going on. It all seemed surreal.

I likened it a lot to the Kennedy Assasination. I was in high school then, and everybody was just stunned as the announcements came over the speakers.

How could this happen?

[python54]

I was at my home in the mountains of Colorado with my briefcase ready to walk out the door to head for work. It was a confusing as we didn't have cable etc and only one station out of Cheyenne Wy. At first it sounded like a small private plane had crashed. It wasn't till I got to work in town that I found out the reality. My daughter told me recently that the upcoming high schoolers will be the first to have been born after 9/11 and will get the story of the tragedy as a history lesson.

While we may get frustrated with TSA and security at airports etc, I always remind myself of 9/11 and thank everyone for helping us stay safe.

[Ed Highlight]

I was working in Stamford, CT that day, about 30 miles away. We have TVs in all conference rooms and some offices. Saw the live news feed after the first plane crash, and everybody watching saw the live, real time view of the second plane - I can still feel the punch-in-the-gut I felt that day, every time I see a photo or news story. It never goes away.

Lost dozens of friends, co-workers and colleagues that day...no relatives but, I know many people that lost somebody.....

Never forget!!

[Texas Playboy]

I was late for work at my job as a senior executive of a medium-sized company in downtown Houston and was rushing out the door when my wife said "hey, wait, look at this!" The first flight had crashed into the north tower. I hung around the TV to see if I could gather what was going on. Just as I was again about to exit for the drive to work, I watched as the second jet hit the south tower and instantly it all made sense what was going on.

As my company officed on the 43rd floor of a tall downtown Houston building, I raced downtown to participate in the decision to close the office and get everybody the hell out of Dodge. Just as I got downtown I learned about the third jet hitting the Pentagon and the fourth one being rumored to be headed towards the Capitol.

Scariest day of my life. I remember how the pundits were already saying that night that the events of the day would change the world in very significant ways. Our country (and the world) hasn't been the same since.

I remember the next day (Wednesday Sept 12th) going to a noon prayer service at the downtown Episcopal cathedral. It was the first time I'd ever thought to go to church at noon on a Wednesday. I was amazed that there were thousands of people trying to squeeze into the cathedral that day. The fear of what was to come next was really palpable.

We should never forget what that felt like. Our freedom most definitely is not free.

[dj8rocks]

I was in a training class at work, we received the call to switch over to a news station, watched as the second plane hit. 9-11 is my birthday, I turned 33 years old that day, 3 planes hit 3 buildings.