Where were you - 5 years ago?

cameragirl21 wrote: I remember I didn't have to work that day so I slept late. My parents, who've been on a camping kick were in Utah, camping and called me at about 10am EST.
My mom sounded frantic, asking if I was ok and I was like, of course, I'm ok, what's the matter?
And then she told me to turn on the tv and I'll never forget how I felt when I first turned on the tv and saw the WTC in flames.
That first week I couldn't sleep at night, for some reason I was suddenly afraid of the dark. And everytime I heard thunder my first thought was, "i hope that's just thunder."
I think the worst thing is that our enemy wants to do something like this again, only worse this time. And while in principle I'm very against racial profiling or racialism of any kind, I don't really know how I feel about this because in all fairness, if (God forbid) Israelis had done something like this then I as a Jew would expect to be met with suspicion everywhere I go.
As it is, I look middle eastern enough that I always get checked in airports, partly because the underwire in my bra always sets off the detector.
I was and am still angry that anyone could make me and my fellow countrymen feel afraid for something that we didn't even do. The worst thing about terrorism IMO is that terrorists target those against whom they have no realistic complaint.
Whatever beef they have with our govt policies should be taken up with govt officials, not citizens of the country who may or may not agree with these policies in the first place.
But the idea of terror is to demoralize a society, so striking out at innocent people is the point and the intention.
I often wonder, as I did five years ago how this must feel to a child who has every reason and need to feel secure to see this kind of savagery and knowing that it scares and stresses out the adults.
It's a very sad world for a child to live in IMO.

1lilpeanut2love replied: I was in High School. I was in 10th grade to be exact. The teachers wouldn't let us turn on the TV. The principal made an announcement, but I really didn't understand what was going on. I really didn't know what had happened until I watched TV when I got home. My stepmom picked me up early from school that day....

MichaelsMommy replied: I was getting ready for work - it was my first day back after they had fired me the friday prior.. really weird situation. I just got out of the shower and saw the first tower burning on the news.. I remember thinking at first it was a small fire and the sprinkler system in the tower would handle it.. then the story became more clear that it was a plane.. I thought maybe there was a problem with the air traffic control system or something.. then I watched the second plane hit. Then it was clear we were under attack. I remember driving to work being scared for our city - I thought for sure Chicago was next and the sears tower was in danger. I got to work and immediately tried calling my brother who lives and works in NY close to the towers.. All the phone lines were blocked/busy.. couldn't get through. Thank God he was in NJ that day.
Such a sad and horrible day in history. I can't imagine the pain the families went/go through. I watch a lot about it.. I'm always torn up.. especially with babies that will never meet their fathers.

luvmykids replied: I was getting ready for work, watching the Today show as usual. I heard about the first plane and everyone thought it was a freak accident. I was on the phone talking to DH about it when the second plane hit and remember it being so surreal and thinking I'd imagined the second one, and then thinking something was wrong with air traffic control or something was screwing up the planes systems... I called in sick to work and sat in front of the TV for three days crying and feeling helpless. I was 4 months pregnant and heartbroken for the other women who lost their husbands and childrens fathers in that moment.

holley79 replied: I was sitting in the living room re- reading the first book in the Left Behind series. I was watching Good Morning America when it flipped over to NYC and WTC and said a place had just hit the WTC. I then watched the second plane fly into the other. All I could think about was, "I'm left behind." That book will make you feel that way, if you haven't read it. Then they started talking about the other two planes. I ran upstairs and woke DH up. He called the base and the base was in total lock down. DH got the day off. We both were watching the stories unfold. Then it hit me all of a sudden my brother was in NYC and was supposed to have breakfast with some college buds in the WTC. I totally freaked but of course couldn't get him on the cell phone. I finally was able to get through to his Hotel and he was in his room. They had all been up the night before drinking and were unable to wake up to go to breakfast.

That morning there were so many emotions running through me. I am still floored they are no longer standing. I was watching bits and pieces of the NYFD docomentry on ABC last night and it was so sad. My heart goes out to the many men and women who lost their lives that day and the men women and children left behind.

mckayleesmom replied: I was in bed and my brother yelled down the stairs that the world trade center had been hit by a plane.....I thought my brother was confused (hes not that bright). I got upstairs and I made it into the living room just as the second plane hit. I knew right at that moment it wasn't an accident....

punkeemunkee'smom replied: I was in bed-Tay was just a tiny baby...Bill had taken his mom to Illinios to see his Grandpa who was sick. He called me it was about 7:30 here and asked me to turn on the TV but said Honey it will be Ok I am coming home-so I knew something was wrong I turned on the TV and they were showing the 2nd plane hit-it had just happened...I called my parents and my mom started crying-I felt like a little kid and I remember asking if we were at war.... I spent the day at a friends house...we cried and we were so afraid Bill drove straight home...we really did not know what was going to happen. I know that it shook me to think I had just brought a baby into this world and things seemed so unsure I still cry thinking of it

redchief replied: I was at my mom's house getting ready to go to work. There was a radio announcement that there had been an airplane crash into the World Trade Center in New York. We put on the television and were met with the horror we could not deny; we were under attack. I went directly to the beach to talk to my dad, who was down there in pursuit of one of his favorite hobbies. I could see the smoke from NY. I found dad within minutes and told him what we knew so far, then I went home and spoke with my wife, who would wait at home for the school to call, for she was certain they would. I went to the firehouse. I think all of the country's firefighters did the very same thing as soon as they heard that day. We waited and watched until the Office of Emergency Management called us into a county meeting to discuss our support for NY.

As an older parent, it took Kaitlin, our youngest, to remind me that many of you were so young five years ago. You must have been so scared. I know that we, as parents, always want to be able to hug our kids and tell them that everything would be okay. But on September 11, 2001, I don't think there was a parent in this country, maybe even in the world, that could say that to their child with any degree of honesty. So, our children saw us scared, and that's not something they're accustomed to; so they knew fear like they'd never known before.

Kaitlin reminded me that she was only in second grade that day. She remembered the hush that came over the school, the tears in her teacher's eyes, and knowing the teachers were lying when they said everything was going to be all right. She said she wanted to go home; as did all of the kids, but the teachers wouldn't let them. She said she never complained about how confused she was that day because she could see that we all were. Kaitlin brought me to tears last night, because she knew more than we ever thought she could, but the one thing that she didn't know, no one would tell her. She wanted to know why we were scared, but parents don't like to talk to kids about war, but all of the adults knew that was where we were. I made a foolish mistake.

The strongest, and perhaps oddest, memory I have of that day was the afternoon. We live right under the Northeast Jetway. You can look up at any time and count at least ten planes within eyeshot. The skies were empty that afternoon. That was something that had never happened in my lifetime. It was eerily quiet, and the sky seemed to weigh more with no planes piercing it.

PrairieMom replied: I had worked the night before so I was sleeping. DH called me when the first plane hit, so I turned on the tv. I was glued to the TV the rest of the day.

MoonMama replied: I hope know one minds me posting this, September 11th hit my family hard. And this story may be hard for some.
It was my senior year of high school I was 17, and we had a late start that day due to some testing in the younger grades. I was getting ready and my mom yelled for me to come into the living room. I got there and saw the second plane hit. I just sank to the floor in a split second. I knew how horrible it was and I knew it was an attack on America. My SIL was in New York for business and we knew she was not far from the World Trade Center and we were worried sick. I had this horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't shake I had a bad feeling about my SIL (or so I thought). Finally we got a call from her and she let us know that she was okay and was away from the area. We were so thankful that she was okay and while everyone was relieved, I still had that really bad feeling in my stomach. My mom tells me I was pretty numb looking and not all there that day. I honestly don't know why I had that feeling but I did. I stayed home from school and I didn't leave the living room for hours and hours. My whole family just watched the news coverage. Then my aunt called late that night and was historical and it took my mom about 20 minute to calm her down enough to understand what she was saying. But I knew from the second the phone rang what she was saying. My cousin had been on the second plane that hit the World Trade Center. My cousin and I were really close we talked everyday one the phone, if one of us didn't call the other we would send an email that said "tag your it, call me so I don't call a search party" that's all it every said and it seems silly but it was enough to me, and he was who I turned to when I needed advise on boys. I don't know how else to describe the next week or so but everything was pretty blurry and numb to me. We all still struggle with what has happened but have found ways to go on and live in his memory somehow.
He left behind a fiance (Julia, his high school sweetheart) who he was to marry in just a few months and a baby girl on the way. We are all still close to Julia and the baby of course and she named her baby girl Liberty in honor of Kevin (my cousin) and America.
Thanks for letting me tell the story of what my family went through and about my cousin. It means a lot to me. Again if this is to much for anyone just let me know and I'll remove it immediately.

redchief replied: Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry the tragedy hit so close to home for you, and I pray that Kevin is at peace and that Liberty grows into a champion of her namesake. PT's and peace out to you and your family.

CantWait replied: I was sitting on the computer talking on MSN with a friend. Ron ran into the house frantically and told me to help him pack his kit because he might have to be deployed.