9.11.2001

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It’s been seven years.  I can still remember getting ready for school, brushing my teeth, and coming into my parents’ bedroom where they had the TV on.   I saw the second plane hit.  My first thought was that it all looked like a movie.

We spent the rest of that day with the news on the television in all of my classrooms.

Consider this an open thread.

Shani

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  • LH

    I was sleeping in when I heard a knock on my door. “You should come see this.” I stumbled to the den, sat down and wondered what it was I should see. Then I saw a plane fly into a building. I was practically glued to the couch for the rest of the day and answering calls from friends and family overseas.

    Aside from the obvious, one of the images I will never forget is watching dust and soot collect on Peter Jennings’ hair and suit. That’s when the horror of what had happened hit home.

  • I skipped my high school geography class because we had a test and I faked sick. I walked down the halls and saw every class had a TV on. Some annoying chick was talking about planes and I thought she was being a teacher’s pet again so I kept it moving. Laying in the nurse’s office I heard what happened and that people could go home to be with their families. I hopped on a bus and spent the rest of the day laying in bed watching TV, horrified of images of people running from a terrible cloud, wondering who would be the next target. People called me all day, in shock, wondering which Houston landmarks would be hit and who was probably the safest.

  • Julian

    I think it’s in such poor taste for the candidates to “call a truce” for one day and head to Ground Zero for a photo op. What absurd and offensive politicking.

  • Julian- I don’t disagree with the absurdity of it (and this election season in general), but why do you think it’s in poor taste?

  • Julian

    It’s just that “9/11” has moved so far from being a singular event, just morphed out of control into this political tool- and become the ultimate opportunity for candidates to connect with the electorate by remembering and commemorating tragedy. I don’t want to see Obama embrace McCain even for a second after such an insult to the entire nation as Palin. The “we are all Americans” sentiment that surrounds such a gesture points (in my mind) to the most meaningless and dangerous sense of nationality; I read that McCain said the only way to thank those who died is to “be as good an American as they were.” So patriotism is about martyrdom (and not things like community organizing)? I hope you see where I’m leading.

  • aisha

    I was getting ready for work, late as usual. Tupac’s changes was on the radio. I was standing there and for some reason I was struck by this line in the song that day “nd still I see no changes can’t a brother get a little peace
    It’s war on the streets & the war in the Middle East
    Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
    so the police can bother me” .

    When the song went off they made the announcement. I stayed home from work that day. My coworkers brother died on flight 93. My office overlooked Boston Harbor so I could see the planes taking off from Logan Airport. It was weird that for 6 weeks there were not planes flying outside my window.

  • Julian- I definitely get what you’re saying. You’re on point.