September 11th memories

In memory...

Don't know how many have heard this song, but here it is.
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"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
Alan Jackson (American country music artist, for those in other countries)

Where were you when the world stopped turnin' on that September day
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or workin' on some stage in L.A.
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children, they lost their dear loved ones
Or pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out with pride for the red, white and blue
For the heroes who died just doin' what they do
Did you look up to Heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turnin' on that September day
Teachin' a class full of innocent children
Or drivin' down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her
Did you dust off that bible at home

Did you open your eyes and hoped it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak to some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Or stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love
The greatest is love
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turnin' on that September day......
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I don't know if I'll ever forget that day. I hope not. I was at Southeastern Louisiana University, in Calculus when the planes hit, but I didn't know it then. I noticed on my way to my Art History class that many people were somber, distracted, and even a few crying. Many more were talking on cell phones than usual, and several were talking about "did you hear the news?" type things.

When I got to Art, the professor opened class by saying
"As I'm sure, you've all heard what has happened in New York. I'll get to class in a few minutes, but now I want to talk to all of you." He then gave an account of the events, and I think that only the collisions were known at that time. During class, several students gave updates, including when I first heard of the collapse of the towers. I was stunned.

At the time, I knew that two buildings had collapsed, killing many people, but I didn't know what the WTC exactly was; it wasn't until I got home that I realized what the buildings actually were, their size, and their population. Seeing the replay footage of the collapses, I cried (and I am crying as I write this). I was holding my baby sister in my lap, thinking of what the world would be like when she grew up, thinking that she would read about this in her history books in school as I read about Pearl Harbor.

I am saddened by my lack of patriotism prior to 9/11, but now I truly appreciate what this country means.

If you get the chance, look on the news for the memorial in NYC going on for the next month: Two twin beams of light soaring into the sky. It is truly a beautiful sight.

This message board was what marked the day for me... I got a lot of insight from people in the US at the moment of the attack. The fact that many depended on the EN / Erich Noah board to get up to date information was quite neat.

That day I spent mostly at home so I saw CNN all day long...

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp On the evening of September 10th, I had rented and watched The Siege on DVD before going to bed - I kid you not!


-G

I just wanted to give a couple of links showing more memorials....

A series of pictures.

A beautiful picture of a Fireman and angel snow-sculpture can be found here, just scroll down, it's on the right hand side. This site is from an area radio station, and has other great pictures on it. Also, check out the "Poems and Stuff" section for great stories, as well.

I came home from school, logged on the boards, and spotted the first few messages of the first news thread, scant minutes after the crashes. Then, I spent the rest of the day with a cold knot in my stomach, reading the news from the thread.

I had always heard people a few years older than me tell me that they remembered what they where doing when they heard Kennedy was shot or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. I could always empathize, but I could never sympathize (the events happening just a few years before I was born, or too young to remember). I have seen many amazing and horrible things happen in my 35 years; far too many to mention here. None of which, however, had stuck with quite with the impression that those two events seemed to leave with people. After 9/11 I can, unfortunately, sympathize now.

Two thoughts/observations/feelings stick with more than any others. The first was how much it looked “just liked the movies.” I was watching the news, looking at the towers, saw the second plane hit and thought, “Man, that just looked like a movie.” I kept waiting for that feeling to go away. I didn’t want to think that, but it just stayed with me. It was just how the whole thing looked. It just didn’t look real enough. I kept expecting someone to say “This is a preview for Die Hard IV.” I don’t mean to any disrespect, but my something in my mind just kept saying, it wasn’t real.

That was until the towers started to collapse. Then it was really all too real. There was something in their collapsing that hit me even harder. When they came down it became more real than I care to think about.

I was on the way to school and heard it on the radio. Once I got there, much like Eric, I spent the whole day with the kids. I was very impressed with how the kids acted throughout the entire day (6th-8th graders). Many went home as parents came to pick them up. A good friend who teaches with me has family in NYC and his wife at home was going crazy trying to get through to them. She ended up getting my wife to come to hang out with her till they found out the news (all were ok)! The mood at the schhol was vvery somber, everyone really wanted to go home and be with their families. When I got home I remember giving long lasting hugs to the girls and wife. I hope we are all proud to say that we are Americans and for those of your around the world who have prayed for us God bless!

Ray

...

I'll never forget either...

As "first years" in optometry school we had Geometric Optics every morning but Friday. We had just gotten out of that class and were preparing for the terribly boring and dry three hour lecture we had forthcoming on basic Anatomy and Physiology.

Between classes a lot of us walk down the hall and into a little convenience store built next to a lounge that plays this annoying Campus Television Network crap all day. A few of us had decided to go to that store to get something to keep us awake for the next class. One guy mentioned that he heard that someone had crashed into the WTC when he got out of the car that morning, but we all thought it was some bizarre accident. We had heard no news up to that point.

Then we got to the lounge and saw the burning towers on the TV there. We were shocked. Then we heard what happened. We all just pulled up chairs and watched. Before long the rest of our class showed up as the teacher had cancelled due to the events. Not long after that the whole optometry school was there watching in horror.

I'll never shake the image of the towers collapsing. Ever. All I could think about was that as many people died as those towers collapsed as live in my hometown.

After several hours we all dispersed and tried to get back to life as best we could. As we learned more and more over the next few days I saw an America I had not seen before. I saw the American spirit burn brighter than it had in decades. I cheered for the heroes, cried with the grieving, and prayed for the dead.

That's where I was on September 11th.

Where I was...

I had just gotten off a 10 hour shift at work and popped into my mothers house for some coffee (I work nights). My sister called and said to turn on the news, a plane had just hit a tower in NYC.

After seeing the first disaster, I thought at the time that it was no accident even though reporters at the time had called it an 'accident'. We were watching it live when the second plane hit. What I really remember was getting very angry, and just repeating over and over, someone will pay for this. I didnt sleep for a whole day, I couldnt get away from the news pouring in, and of course seeing the pentagon just added to the anger.

I really wasnt suprised it happened though. When the USS Cole was bombed everyone asked me how that could have happened. I was in the Navy for 10 years and wass over there many times. I told them it wasnt a matter of how it was only a matter of when. After the adrenaline of anger left (after a whloe day) I then felt all the sadness and pain that must have been felt by all those who had loved ones involved and thanked god that i and my family live in an obscure little town in northern Michigan.

Anyway.. just what and how I felt at that time.. and yes.. it is burned into my memory for all time. Only Alzheimers will take that away.

I did know one of the men on AA flight 11 who died. He worked for General Dynamics which I workled on some of thier systems. Ironically, i knew him from when I was in the NAvy and had met him at a few different meetings at the Pentagon. Kind of freaky.

I remember a vague dream. Numbness. Shock. Unreality.

I moved through the world though it was a mist. The only reality my horribly bad imagination.

Mostly, I remember sorrow at the loss of a loved one. I remember anger at those who wanted vengeance.

Emotions. The rest of the world doesn't exist.