Where were you six years ago today?

Question

I had started a new job that morning, and was in the middle of an orientation. The moderator left the room for a few minutes, came back, and told us that the World Trade Center had been attacked, as well as the Pentagon. We retreated to an area where we were able to watch it all unfold on TV. The enormity of it all hit me that night, as I sat and watched people leaping to their deaths from dozens of stories up, while I sat comfortably on my couch. I felt both sad and guilty.

It was a surreal experience, and one I hope I never have to go through again.

On this day above all, I hope that all of us -- regardless of your beliefs or practices -- are able to find peace.

Answer 1

I had just flown in from Dallas to Hartford 8 hours earlier....when I was woken up by the telephone (my fiancee at the time). She called me from lower Manhattan (she used to work for Goldman Sachs) and told me to turn on the TV.

As soon as I did, the 2nd plane hit the WTC. We actually grew much closer after that day. I remember picking her up at Union Staion in New Haven a few hours later when they let all Metro North trains out of the city.

When I hugged her, white cement dust flew off of her shirt and her hair smelled like dust & jet fuel.

It hit home at that point.

Answer 2

Compared to some of the other answers I have seen, especially the powerful account by primoa1970, this will be relatively dull. I was in my car driving to work that day, listening to the radio. The DJ cut in during the middle of a song so I knew it had to be something big. Once I got to work, nothing else happened except watching the TV the rest of the day. Actually, I was close to downtown Chicago so there was still fear that perhaps we were next. Words cannot describe how horrible I felt. Unfortunately our generation now had something happen that was similar to Pearl Harbor, only far worse. Again, not having any real connection to NYC makes this seem blah from my end. However, there was one good thing that came out of this tragedy, even if it ended up only being temporary. We all came together that day. There were no sides. We were all united in grief. Of course that includes all with different beliefs or practices as well. That was everybody's worst day ever.

Answer 3

I was at home on my day off. We didn't have a TV then, just a radio. My wife called me from her job and told me to turn on the radio and what had happened.

My first impression was that "someone was an idiot"...I had no idea it was a commercial jetliner, just a plane. It was only later that I realized the enormity of what had happened. I was still contemplating it when the second plane hit. I realized then that we were under attack.

More news was pouring in about missing planes and other possible hijackings. When the Pentagon was hit, my home suddenly became a kind of a nexus of phone calls from nearly everyone I knew: I had a reputation for getting news early. Finally I went over to a friend's house and saw the images of what had happend for the first time and regardless of the number of times the pictures were repeated I couldn't look away.

I knew that we were going to war the instant we discovered who had been behind it. I'd wished that I was in a location to do something about it. I wanted to make those responsable pay for what they'd done.

Answer 4

6 years ago today I was a freshman in high school.

When I first heard the news I was sitting in my 1st period English class. I even remember the teacher (Mrs. Troxler) and all the kids that were sitting around me. An announcement had came over the PA telling the teachers to turn on the news, which Mrs. Troxler did.

When the television was turned on all I saw were pictures and videos of the World Trade Center being hit. I was only 14 years old and really did not understand what was going on. I thought it was an accident. Many of the students were given permission to go home early that day but since I didn't really understand what was going on, I stayed and went about my day.

When I got to lunch that afternoon one of my friends was crying and I just didn't understand why. I did not fathom at my young age the seriousness of what had happened.

I felt guilty for not being more concerned and for not understanding the tragedy at hand. I did not have a lot of information about the events available to me because the school was trying to keep the situation as hush hush as possible so we weren't very informed.

I remember thinking that my children will one day read about this in their history books and that I was living in a historical event.

The rest is all actually a little hazy but those are my most vivid memories of 9-11.

Answer 5

I can remember that day rather well. Seemingly monotonous things I was doing that day still stick out.

I had to take my hubby to work cause he truck wouldn't start. As we were driving the news came on that a plane crashed into the WTC. I remember looking at my hubby saying "Who the hell doesn't see that big building and flies into it"
This was the first plane and few details were given as to what happened because no on knew.
After I get him to work I went back home and turned CNN on to see if I could hear what happened.
What I was doing when the 2nd plane hit was brushing my teeth. I was in my bathroom when someone on the TV said something like "Oh my god" and so I went into the living room to see. Standing there watching with a mouth full of toothpaste. I remember swallowing a mouthful of toothpaste as I watched the 2nd plane hit.

I work for the schools so things were a mess. Parents afraid to take their kids. Teachers brought their TVs to school and watched.

There are other details to the day.
I was at the dentist when the Pentagon was hit. It was so weird. I remember thinking "here it is the Pentagon is blown up and I am getting my teeth cleaned like its just another day" I started crying there and had to leave. I felt guilty and to this day I have an odd feeling when I get my teeth cleaned.

Answer 6

I was working in a local hospital. At the time of the first attack I was in the out patient registration center collecting money to make a deposit. On my way back to the front office I could hear people crying while I passed by a waiting room. As I passed I glanced in and saw several of my co-workers gathered around the TV. I stopped to see what was happening. The news was totally shocking, we watched as the second attack happened, it was the most horrible thing that I've ever seen.

Several of my co-workers and I immediately stopped and gathered together to pray for the victims and their families.

This should be a day of reflection for everyone. Have a blessed day!

Answer 7

I was @ work--our Administrator came in & said she'd just gotten a phone call saying that the WTC was burning. We went into the break room & turned on the tv--we were pretty much glued to the news reports the rest of the day. I remember watching the news footage of the planes flying into the WTC thinking "One could be an accident, two is deliberate." I remember trying to call my husband @ his job on a nearby military base & not being able to get through to him. I remember feeling shocked that something like that could happen here in the USA.

My husband & I had visited Washington, DC in August of 2001 & he & one of his buddies had gone to the Pentagon--I remember him watching the news @ home that night (9/11) with a stunned look on his face saying "I was standing right there," when they showed where the plane crashed into the Pentagon.

Answer 8

I was just weeks into my freshman year of college. I had an 8am world civilizations class that day. I remember how happy I was to be out of class and didn't have another one until after lunch. When I got back to my dorm room the girl across the hall poked her head in and said that her mom called and said some plane crashed into a building. I didn't make much of it, but the buzz got bigger and bigger until our whole dorm gathered in the common room and watched the second tower collapse.

The image of that tower falling was so disturbing, I could just imagine all the lives simultaneously ending. And then they showed it again and again on the news over the next weeks, and it just made me sick every time.

In general, I'm an idealist. But things like this take a toll on everyone. The fact that people would do this makes me very sad, the fact that so many stepped up to help and sacrificed themselves for strangers makes me hopeful, the fact that despite the tragedy so many Americans responded with bloodthirstiness makes me sad again. In the end, I don't even know what to make of humanity.

Answer 9

I was at work finishing up a report. One of my investigators ran into my office and hysterically shouted "The World Trade Center has been hit; 30,000 people are dead!" Then, he ran out of the room, leaving me with an extremely puzzled expression on my face.

We all gathered around a radio and listened to the reports. Then, my sister called and told me she was put on standby for deployment to New York (she is a 1st Leut. in the Army reserves; as a trauma nurse, she is also enrolled on a nation-wide list of military and civilian first-responders to catastrophies like this one). After the Pentagon was hit, I decided it was time to go home and told my direct reports that anyone who felt the same should do so at once. Everyone left to be with their loved ones.

At that time, I did not know God, so it all seemed senseless to me. Oh, how I regret not having had the knowledge then that I have today.

Answer 10

My husband and I were at the city courthouse re. a traffic ticket. When we got into the lobby from the courtroom, everyone who had received text-pages about the first two planes were talking about it when the news came in about the Pentagon.

As soon as we were through, we raced home and turned on the TV, instead of going to work. We were just in shock as we watched it all unfold. I almost got nauseous, and called my boss to tell him I wouldn't be in. Didn't matter anyway; later, everyone was sent home. That evening we had a prayer vigil at church.

I find that talking about it with other people, IRL or even on the internet, brings a sense of community and closeness with everyone. So thanks. Hope you find comfort today as well.

Answer 11

I was a newly wed - asleep when my husband woke me up telling me to listen to the christian radio station we had playing through the night. I at first thought they were talking about the WTC bombings and the anniversary of it or something..it just didn't register until the phone started ringing and I looked at the clock..it was 6:30 a.m in Alaska..by that time both towers had been hit and my friend Rachel was calling me to get me up to watch T.V. I was mortified...I was off work that day and so we stayed home and glued to our television all day and most of the night...it was like a dream...I felt sad, helpless and guilty too...I didn't want to eat or find any pleasure in the day...I didn't want the lights turned out that night. All those people crying and terrified...panicing and confused. I wondered what else might be coming....Love in Christ, ~J~