Where were you when 9/11 happened?

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

All right, so 9/11 is one of those disasters where the people who could remember that far back remember where they were or what they were doing at the moment when it happened. So if you can remember that far back, what were you doing when this happened. I can not remember when this happened. I was 3. But I was most likely at day care.

[Banul 3,831]

I was at my next door neighbor's house. It was his dad's birthday. I barely remember anything from then, but I do remember him announcing that his birthday was now September 10th.

[Untitled Goose Q 5,137]

I was six, either asleep or at school, and totally not caring at all.

[Cosmic Nexus 21]

Sadly, I don't remember either, but most of my family was close to the new York state at the time and witnessed it first-hand, They still talk about it today. I asked where I was when it WAS the 9th and apparently I was watching television when it switched over to the news station and showed the live footage of the bombing. I;m sort of glad I didn't see it, Its sad to hear or watch.

[DubWolf 17,254]

I was 7 years old sitting in a classroom, I can remember the lights were off and the sun was still rising so the sky was blue-orange. A teacher walked into the classroom instructing us to turn on the news. Seconds later I saw the towers (one of them I think) with a lot of smoke around them (I'm not sure if I was aware that a plane flew into it). Weird that I can't remember it any better. I don't recall how long we were watching the news before we resumed to work.

[GrauWitz 1,010]

I was only 1 year old at the time. So yeah, I have absolutely no recollection of where I was that day. Probably asleep :/

Edited September 12, 2014 by GrauWitz

[Nuke87654 1,849]

I was at an elemantary school in the U.S state of Georgia when it happened. I didn't knew what had happened till tomorrow where I read newspapers declaring 'Freedom attacked' messages all over it. I wasn't entirely sure of what had happened but I did knew that something terrible happened.

[baba_booey 4,302]

I was about 4 and a half months old. I was probably in a stroller or something.

[Zygen 6,066]

Let's see... I would've been 4, so honestly idk, I may have still been asleep or something, I don't remember that far back.

 

I was homeschooled though, so I wasn't at school or anything.

[MagicalStarRain 599]

I don't remember anything, really, since I was so young when it happened(plus I was in NC at the time).  I was probably with a babysitter while my father was at work.  I don't remember when I fully comprehended what was going on in New York that day.

[Blue The Pikachu 537]

I was 3, but I remember my mom telling me I was in her arms when she saw it happening on the news, crying, I think...

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

Well, I was only 8 at the time, so sitting in Mrs. Day's classroom we were all hearded into the big auditorium the school had, as we sat around and watched the news as parents rushed from work to the school to pick up kids. Little did I know the effect the entire event would have on my life.

Well, I was only 8 at the time, so sitting in Mrs. Day's classroom we were all hearded into the big auditorium the school had, as we sat around and watched the news as parents rushed from work to the school to pick up kids. Little did I know the effect the entire event would have on my life.

[PoisonClaw 8,164]

I was at school, unaware that anything had happened. I remember hearing murmurings about something throughout the day, but it wasn't until I got home and saw the look on my mom's face that I realized something horrible had taken place. Course, I was about 9 at the time so even then I didn't fully comprehend it until a few days later.  

[Miles 2,512]

I was 6  years old (though, my birthday is September 20th, so 9 days later I'd have been 7).

 

My mother worked at the school, at that time she was a recess aide (now currently she's a Title 1 Reading Aide).  I myself cannot recall the specifics, but I do believe some few years ago I asked my mom about it, and if I remember correctly, I believe when it happened we were outside at recess.  I think one of the teachers ran outside and gathered the recess aides up and quickly told them about the first plane.  I do not think the teachers had the tv on for everyone, but I think they were in the teachers lounge watching it.  Of course, class went on as normal, but with the teachers' minds all wrapped up in what was going on, they were distracted with their thoughts whilst teaching.  

 

As a child of such a young age, I'd not have been able to comprehend the events that occurred that day.  I don't know if my mom told me about it or not.  But if she did, of course, it would have quickly left my mind (ergo, it went over my head).  

 

Fast forward 13 years later to present day.  I'm 19 soon to be 20, and have watched many documentaries about 9/11.  Despite how I'm normally verbose, I really can't say much about this besides what's already been said.  

 

I guess one thing I could say, a thought that I have... pertaining to the survivors of the attack... I wouldn't doubt that some of them, to this day, still haven't fully grasped everything that happened.  I can imagine that, some might recall that day as having felt like a nightmare (literally, in that they felt it wasn't reality, even thought it obviously was).  To think back to that day, for some, might be like remembering a dream.  It's just such a devastating thing that, in their minds, the cusps of reality might not have clicked with events they lived through.  Confusion.  Dismay...  I wouldn't even doubt that some of them just outright cannot remember much from that day, besides the footage that is available.  I say this because the brain sometimes tries to erase bad memories, because sometimes remembering everything would be too much for some to handle.  Now, all of this being said, I do think that majority could likely recall that day as if it were yesterday.  

[Scootaloodle 1,622]

I don’t remember I think I was at school: I only knew about it when my mum and my next door neighbour talked about it like a day or so later when they bumped into each other in the street. 

[Tanos 179]

I'll never forget that day. I was 5  and I remember watching spongebob I think when my mom rushed into the room telling me to go play in my room. I then had to go to preschool that day and everyone kept saying the same thing about their parents watching something big on TV. I got home and my grandmother (visiting for the week and I believe had planned to leave that morning) kept saying how it was just like pear harbor (didn't understand at the time)

[ePONYmous 215]

I remember this day all too well. I'll never forget where I was. I was a sophomore in high school at the time, and in the beginning when the events were going on, I didn't notice, only because there weren't any TVs on at first and we were just doing our school work. The first time I saw what was happening was during my math class. We were working on something, and my teacher was watching something on her computer. I suppose it was a live stream of what was going on. Suddenly at 9:59 AM she screams out, "Oh my God! It collapsed!" So all of the students rushed up to see what she was watching. At the time, I had no idea what it was. All I saw was a cloud of dust and debris and a crumbling building (I guess they were showing what just had happened). I thought it was weird how she was freaking out over a controlled demolition (that's what I thought she was watching, until later on I knew...).

 

Then after that in some classrooms the TVs were on showing the events, but the students weren't really paying attention, including myself, as I still didn't know what was really going on, until I got home that afternoon. My parents were watching the news and they were repeatedly showing the collapses of the twin towers and the plane hitting the south tower. What's even stranger is, and I have no idea how I never knew this at the time-- it just never came up-- I knew my sister lived in New York, but I never knew where she worked. It was then I learned she worked at the World Trade Center, in the north tower. Fortunately for her, though, she was running a little late that day because she decided to vote for the mayoral primary that was going on the same day, and in doing so, just missed the subway that would've gotten her there on time. Otherwise, it is possible she wouldn't be here today.

 

Another thing is, back in July of 2001, I was going to visit my sister, which also included spending some time with her where she worked. Unfortunately, something came up so I couldn't go. If I had, I would've been able to go inside both towers at least once. I did see them in person before once in the distance. It was back in the mid 90s when I visited my sister in Manhattan. She pointed toward the passenger window as we crossed a bridge (don't remember which one) and said, "Look, it's the twin towers."

 

I will never forget the anger and terror I felt that day. I watched the news all day after school. After the collapse of World Trade Center 7, I couldn't take it anymore and broke down and cried and shut off the TV. I didn't sleep really at all that night and didn't go to school the next day. I was too much in shock. Not only from what happened, but the fact I could've lost my sister. I definitely have been thinking about her all day today.

Edited September 12, 2014 by ePONYmous

[Phoenix Flair 332]

I think I was six or seven, living in New Mexico.  I just remember walking into the living room and wondering why mom was crying, and why she was watching a new station that was filming two buildings.

[CheeryFox 23,821]

I was going to work at the time and when I got there my shift was cancelled. I remember crying and being in shock the whole day. 

[Guest90210 3,568]

At home. I'm told that I was glued to the TV for the next few days, captivated by the events. I was 4 at the time.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Wingnut
Removed quoted removed post

[Shanks 10,816]

I was 15 but I don't remember much, with the exception of me coming home and finding out what happened it was an ordinary school day for me. I felt bad for the people who were killed but it didn't personally affect me very much.

[Nulln 755]

uh, what time did it happen?

i was either sleeping, getting ready for school, taking a poo in the toilet, or sitting in class.

all i remember was a bunch of people were making a big deal out of something that didn't happen to them, and then we all had to read the newspaper in class.

[Guest90210 3,568]

all i remember was a bunch of people were making a big deal out of something that didn't happen to them, and then we all had to read the newspaper in class.

 

Something doesn't have to personally effect me for it to be a big deal. Thousands died in the biggest terrorist attack in the nation's history. That's a huge deal. It changed America (and subsequently the world) forever.

[Gracefilly 117]

I recall my husband calling me early in the morning, we lived in Washington state at the time. So it was about 6 am our time that I learned of the attack. I was 39 at the time.

The whole day, and going into about a week the world had a strange feeling to it. No airplane sound except for fighter jets passing over head. We lived near Seatac airport.

Also my husband lost his job due to the results of 9/11 as he worked for Boeing at that time.

[Wingnut 6,988]

Most of you were in class on that fateful day. But because I'm so old, I was at work. I was at a low-rise government building on the outskirts of Philadelphia. When the first plane hit the World Trade Center, we all thought it was an accident. It wasn't until the second collision that we knew we were under attack. One of my coworkers asked to go home. Some of us questioned her wisdom as her travel path took her on transit right through downtown Philly. Everybody was afraid a plane might hit one of the skyscrapers there. A false report that a plane struck the Sears (now Willis) building in Chicago circulated through the office. But you can never stand in the way of a mother wanting to be with her children and so she went. A short while later, the rest of us were sent home too.

Outside, the weather was mostly sunny. It was warm and humid, but not uncomfortably so. Because all the southbound buses were full of workers going back to the city, I decided to go north instead. A short bus ride took me to a shopping mall where I saw my first glimpses of the horror unfolding in Manhattan and Arlington on TV. After lunch in a moribund food court (several shops closed early), I made my way home. There I called my dad and stepmom to let them know I was OK. Ironically, September 11 is also my stepmom's birthday. And, of course, there was non-stop coverage on all the major TV networks.

While few world tragedies match 9/11, we all have a first major disaster, assassination, etc. etched in our memories. I can recall praying for the hostages in Iran in 1979 and President Reagan being shot. But the first horrific event I clearly remember is the Challenger exploding shortly after liftoff in 1986.