9/11 - where were you on that day and when you heard?

i was in the hospital. my eldest had gastroenteritis and had been admitted the night before. the nurse came in and said the world trade towers have been bombed - they think by terrorists.... i went through the day in a haze. the TV was turned on in the hospital room. i went home and watched and watched and watched - flipping between CNN and the networks - - just completely dumbfounded. i think i learned a lesson that day - that we THINK we are always safe; that WE live in a safe time and place. that our children are safe and that we, as americans don't need to worry.... that's what changed. i realized that someone out there didn't like us very much and was willing to kill innocent people to prove their point or their ideology. i realized that there was INDEED a war on terror and that i was going to need to be ever more alert to life. what about you? where were you? what did you think or realize?

I was at the optometrist when I heard of the first plane. We all thought it was a freak accident. Then when the second plane hit, I was on my way home. I watched the whole thing unravel before my eyes. i bawled all day long. It was surreal.

It was indeed surreal, Red - and look where we are today - it's a scary thing. Have you seen UNited 93? Man, that movie was so awesome and I can't think in my mind about people being more of a hero and role model than those brave folks.

We were stationed in California at the time. My mother-in-law called me and asked if I was watching the news. So i turned it on, and saw the first tower had been hit. I too thought it was a freak accident at first, and then the other plane hit. I was absolutley terrified because even though I was on a military base, we were less than a mile from a nuclear power plant. And now because of that incident my life has totally changed because now my husband has to leave for a year at a time to go fight the war on terror. Love you guys and God Bless America!! Nickie

Thank God for people like your husband who are filling to fight for our country and protect us. You make sure you tell him that we all respect him and admire his bravery... and thank him (and you - I'm sure you are sacrificing your life as well being without him, now). Loveya, n

I was working for a company that did web design. We were watching the news online as it unfolded. Since we were watching it on the computer, I kept thinking how it looked fake - like an animation one of our designers created (how I wish that was the case). Thankfully, I only knew one person in the towers and she made it out (from the second tower). Considering I live and work in NY, I feel lucky that I wasn't in or near the area and that I didn't know more people who were. Even looking back and reading your post, I don't know what I thought - I was just shocked and the fact that it looked fake or staged just sticks out in my mind. By the time I got home, I couldn't even watch the news anymore. Even with all these 9/11 movies and memorials, I can'****ch. My friend who made it out had told me about it when it happened, but I e-mailed her this morning to let her know I'm happy she's here and that I was thinking of her yesterday, etc. and she wrote back that she tries to block it out.

I know what you mean - I remember listening to Glenn Beck on the radio and he said something like 70% of people couldn't even remember the year this happened. A lot of us want to forget things that cause pain and I would say for a majority of the American public - thinking of this and the things that follow is a scary thing.

I was getting ready for a class. Had just gotten out of the shower, and my husband, who watches CNN all the time, said "Oh My God we are at WAR"..."What the hell happened", and I darted around the corner into the living room and could not believe what I saw on CNN...it just didn't seem real, it looked like some other world I remember saying..."not America...the land of the free, the home of the brave...who would want to do this to us?" I went to class, everyone was walking around in a state of shock, the TV in our commons room was tuned in and everyone was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Then I went to work at 6 pm that night as usual, only the whole store was so quiet...It was as if the world stopped for a day for us all to gasp for air and wake up to a dark reality. In a supermarket/supercenter like Meijer, quietness does not happen often. Then I remember all the songs on the radio having clips of the President speaking, oh man, many days I went into work with tears. Mixed emotions of sadness along with the fact that "Proud to be an American" was never so strong before. That song has always made me have happy tears, but following right after 9/11, the emotions came from many more places than I can even express. I am glad that I did not have any family or friends of my own that lost there lives on that fateful day, but I pray for all of those who have. Knowing how emotional it was for me, I can only imagine how those who did lose family and friends must feel. My heart goes out to all... Mandie

You're right, Mandie - We all have to pray for those whose lives were lost. These people are extremists and committed to destroying the western world with america in their top position to eliminate. I think it's hard for people to understand here, in the US. That when someone says, "We will kill all Americans and make you pay" that it is not a threat but a PROMISE to Islamic fundamentalists. They do not negotiate. They do not believe that anything can be "worked out" diplomatically as we have learned to believe in our culture. For them, it's pretty simple - they need to destroy our country. That's why I am saddened to see the factions and falsehoods and myths and conspiracy theorists out there changing the way people think. Making them believe that there is no war on terror and so forth. Learning and intelligence are the best things. Getting to understand what is happening and why and who is doing what and then - you go and make senators and representatives accountable for their actions. 200 million people in the US believe the borders to the south should be closed. But Congress voted AGAINST it. Why should you care? Because we have fundamentalist islamic followers IN our country now. We need to be smart and be proactive to protect ourselves and our families. We can no longer afford to be a reactive culture. Now, I'm an immigrant. I'm not white. But my parents came here legally and worked hard to get to where we are today. The idea that this country means freedom and liberty for me and my children means a LOT to me. But it goes beyong just freedom and liberty. No where else in the world can I create and make something positive of my life and that of my community as I can in the United States. These people do not care about that. For them, it's as simple as black and white. For them, the west is the root of all evil and must be annihilated. Simple as that. I'm not talking about the millions of followers of islam who don't think this way. I am ONLY talking about the fundamentalist fascist terror groups and if people think for a moment that the war on terror is over and that no threat exists to our homeland, please remember just 2 WEEKS ago, a plan was foiled in the UK to blow up MULTIPLE planes going across the Atlantic from UK to US. It's not even over, sadly. Ok, sorry - that was me, political science major, going off on my soapbox. I am so proud to be an American - we need to get back to our country and be united and not divisive. Nan

I was teaching my middle school tech class when I saw the headline on the internet. I turned on the TV and while continueing with classes the rest of the day we had the TV on to find out the latest. I was very worried because they were also hitting in DC and I have several friends who live in DC. My best friends wife had offices near the pentagon and his route to work would have taken him right by the pentagon and white house. I've always been very patriotic and this day only made my resolve even stronger. I often question the logic of "terror" campaigns. When people like Bin Laden attack our country or others I don't see how this strengthens their cause. I know it isn't that simple and is hard to discuss fully in a forum like this. God bless america and those who protect and serve us all.