I remember the day, I remember what I was doing, and I remember my thoughts for that day as well as the weeks following.
It was about a month into my Junior year in high school. I'm on the west coast so it was early morning for me. I was up getting ready for school and my mom had just turned on the TV. I remember doing a double take as I walked past the TV. The Twin Towers were hit by planes? Was this really happening? Both my mom and I paused and just stared at the news coverage for a while. The Pentagon was hit too? I was in disbelief and I remember feeling helpless and scared. I knew that if I felt that way all those people and the fear they must be feeling was magnified by 100.
It was a hazy day in my town that day, and it seemed to fit the mood of the entire country. That term "worried sick" came into play because I felt off the whole day. I remember walking to my second period class and looking up at the sky, replaying the images in my head, and thinking "why did this happen?" I remember my teacher looking at all of us and saying that he knew we weren't going to be able to concentrate, and so we watched the news. The rest of the day was a blur until I got home.
There is something really eerie about no planes in the sky, and after hearing that all planes were grounded I found myself looking to the sky all the time just to make sure I didn't see anything. I remember the President addressing the nation, having a moment of silence, and praying for everyone! For the next few days I stayed closer to my family than normal. I will never forget that day.
I can't remember another time that I've seen this country so united, nor have I ever seen so many American flags on people's homes. What gets to me the most are the stories of the true heroes. The men and women who helped other people during the pure chaos of the day. Those in uniform risked their lives, and put in hours of work to help in the aftermath of the attacks. But there were also random people who threw there own well being aside to help others that needed it.
I saw this video of a doctor who was filming very close to the North Tower when it collapsed. He saw the South Tower fall, and ran closer to find people who needed help. In his video he films the tower falling and you can hear him say "I hope I live," and then darkness. He gives a play by play of what is going on, and when he can see again after some of the debris clears he gets up to help people saying "I have to go find people who need help," cause "I don't think I'm one of them." He gets some oxygen from a nearby firefighter, and continues walking asking if anyone needs a doctor. If you would like to watch, you can find the link here.
I stumbled upon this collection of videos from TIME that they have to for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. They are stories from 40 different men and women including President Bush, Rudolph Giuliani, members of our military, and also a family of firefighters who lost their son and brother that day. I haven't seen every video, but I've watched a couple and it's touching. You can find it here.
Since that day I've heard so many heartbreaking stories, but I've also heard some amazing survival stories that brings me to tears. Almost 3,000 people lost their lives that day, may they never be forgotten. I'll always remember that day, the day that changed this country.
Do you remember where you were that day? How has it affected you and your life?
