School's been going awesome. Everything is really going right sophomore year. My head is in the right spot, and I know more or less who I am. I'm really glad to be here. We got a new drama teach: his name is Mr. Morehead. He's pretty good. I just wish the class was as fun as it was last year to work with. I've also received a part in a local play: A Tale of Cinderella. I got in the chorus!
But what I'm really here to talk about is 9/11. I was 9 years old, in the third grade. I, surprisingly, remember several large points of that fateful day with perfect clarity, while the rest of the day falls unknown. I remember walking into the kitchen, and the TV was on. Now, we weren't allowed to watch TV during breakfast, cuz my brother and I would zone out and not eat. So it was strange. I do believe my mother was standing, watching the TV. I think she wore her bathrobe. She hadn't even changed.
Everything else is a fuzz. My mother explained it to me, and I, like many other kids in my grade, thought it was an accident to begin with. My mom changed that idea quickly. I got to school knowing that it was awful, what happened. All I can recall specifically from school is that this kid, Brad, said that it was, and I quote, "SO AWESOME!" That's how unreal it felt. That we could say it was awesome, like it was a movie or something.
As a side note, this Brad does not remember this moment. So clearly it meant more to me than him.
So, here's my point, let me know what you remember of this day. Did you go to school? Did your mom force you to stay home? Were you scared? Did you think it was an accident? Or, if you don't live in the United States, please let me know whether you heard at all, and what you thought.
I look forward to hearing all of your stories...
3 comments:
I believe I was in 2nd grade, so my memories are even fuzzier than yours. Way, in fact.
All I can recall is that my mother and sister were very serious about it. I remember my mom asked me if they said anything at school. I also remember that my sister said that they showed it on the TVs at her school.
And that's all. I have a remarkabley terrible memory of those early years.
So I just stumbled upon your page, but I decided to comment on this well.
I'm ... a bit older than you, and I was at a friend's house in VA. I had just returned from Japan that week and I was going back on Oct. 1. He had class that day, and I had no intention of getting up early. His dad came in and woke me up, turned on the TV in the room, and said "You might want to get up and watch this."
I once saw this movie that was designed to look like a newscast of the polar ice caps melting...very war of the worlds. Anyway, as I watched the first tower burning, my morning brain thought that it was a hoax. As it set in, I thought it was a horrible accident (while also being amazed the tower was still standing) and I was most upset that my favorite NY landmark was going to be scarred.
I had moved into the living room with my friend's parents as we watched the second plan crash into the opposite tower. Don looked at me and said "I guess this is an attack."
I tried to call my mom who lives right outside of DC (not so much because I was worried, but because she is so avoiding of news that she'd miss it if nobody called) but couldn't get through for hours.
My friend came home and wanted to drive to DC (only three hours) to help out. I told him there wasn't anything we could do there, so we went to give blood. Once what was happening started to surface, I had to talk him out of going to join the military right then and there.
I can actually tell you almost everything about that day. I remember watching the towers fall, seeing people jump to the ground, panic from friends in northern VA who have parents that work at the Pentagon or family at the Trade center. I remember crying, praying, and being in a state of shock...three things I rarely, if ever do.
Also, fun blog in general. Hope you didn't mind my longish comment.
--Nathan
Ehe... I think I could have been in second or third, but I'm too lazy to figure it out, so I'll leave it at that.
Basically, I had no clue what happened, but kids kept getting pulled out of class to go home (the incident happened during school hours), and everyone was trying to figure out why. I heard that in other classes with the televisions on had to turn them off ASAP, but that was later. I stayed through the school day (none of our relatives died, so why not?) and found out when I got home and watched a news cast with my family. My parents didn't explain it to me, because I got the basics enough to realize that it was horrible, but didn't effect me and I was glad about that.
So yeah. I was one of those annoying kids who didn't care much about it(though I did stop to pray for the families that lost loved ones for a couple nights before going to sleep.)
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