8 years ago today...

[ComradesTrue]

I had taken a vacation day that day, so I was sitting on the couch listening to the radio (The Ticket in Dallas, for those in the know..). They mentioned the first plane in an offhand manner, so I turned on Good Morning America to see what was going on. Watched the 2nd plane hit live as I continued to listen to the guys on the radio.

I called my boss at work, knowing that they did not have access to a TV. I kept them appraised of everything. I remember when the pentagon was hit I called her and said "My God, we are going to war."

Since I was still single, and my family was 1000 miles away, I called a friend who was a nurse and who was also off that day. He came over and we watched everything together. We just sat there in silence. Finally, about noon, we were hungry so we opted to go out for lunch. (this sounds a little callous now, but I had a tiny apartment, no food, and I think we both just needed to get away from the TV a bit).

We went to a Chili's type of establishment. It was probably half full... and completely silent. Very eerie. By the time we headed back to my apartment many companies/stores/etc were closing. I remember all the hand-written signs saying "Closed early for national tradgedy." The Dallas Morning News did an "extra" that day and we bought one. I still have it.

[aephi alum]

I was driving to work when the first plane hit. I was listening to a cassette tape rather than the radio, so I didn't find out what had happened until I got to work and found everyone in the break room watching the news. I walked in just in time to see the second plane hit.

We tried to conduct business as usual, but many of us were upset because we had family/friends who lived/worked in NYC. (I live in Connecticut.) My parents had told me of their plans to "spend Tuesday in the city" so I was freaking out. I tried to reach them on their landline and got "all trunks busy". I tried their cell, but they never turn the damn thing on. I emailed them, and I was VERY relieved when I got their reply. It turned out their NYC plans for for the following Tuesday, the 18th, and they were safe and sound on Long Island.

The office closed early, and I headed home and tried to get my head around what had happened.

A friend of DH's family, who had just gotten married, lost her new father-in-law. He worked in one of the Twin Towers and was a safety officer for his floor.

Never forget.

[KSUViolet06]

I was a senior in HS and I was going from AP English to my Civics and Law class for 3rd period.

On my way to class, kidss were saying stuff like "OMG did you hear the world trade center just blew up?!" I remember thinking that they were making it up.

When I got to class, the teacher (who was really big on current events as a history teacher) turned on the TV. Just as he turned it on, the second plane hit. We were pretty much glued to the coverage for the next two period until lunch, when the principal came over the PA and told us that we needed to resume our regular schedule.

I also remember going to class after lunch, and having the teacher tell us that some students and teachers had been saying some things about another teacher, who is Arab, that had hurt her feelings and made her cry.

I remember him practically SLAMMING the door and looking so upset. He wasn't yelling, but he very sternly said that no matter what has happened today, that there is NO EXCUSE for us to treat teachers and classmates in a hateful manner. Most of us were pretty shocked by this (he was typically the "funny" teacher who was NEVER mad).

I have never forgotten that, and kept it in mind everytime I traveled and overheard people saying certain things about Arabs on planes.