This day, September 11th, will make any person think back to what they were doing when the tragic news broke from New York.
My experience was unique, to say the least. Seven years ago I was in my senior year of high school at Park Center Senior High in Brooklyn Park, MN. I had stayed home that day because I had an orthodontist appointment in the morning. My mom was going to take me to the appointment and then drop me off at school before fourth period. I remember waking up, eating breakfast and then watching the television. Just as we were about to leave, the news footage started coming on the TV about the first plane. They were reporting it as a small plane at first, not a jumbo jet. Soon after my mom and I watched in disbelief as we saw the live footage of the second plane.
We were now running late for the appointment so we got in the car and drove to the dentist. The appointment was just a usual band replacement and tightening. I remember sitting in the chair wondering what was going on while I could hear the news over the radio (they usually have music on). The technicians where confused with what was going on, I recall telling them what I had seen at home. The appointment didn’t last long and we were on our way back home; don’t know why my mom didn’t take me to school. She probably thought that school might be closing and she should find out before she drops me off.
Once back, we flipped back on the TV to see replays of any recent events. Television shots from all angles and opinions were spewing everywhere. I remember seeing all the reports as they broke, from the initial crashes, pentagon crash, Pennsylvania crash, to even the collapse of the two towers. My mom and I were in shock, she was calling everyone she could think of including my dad and relatives who live on the east coast (everyone was safe). Once the second tower had collapsed it had gotten late and was time to get me to school.
When I got to school, all the TV’s in our lunchroom were tuned to the news channels and there were groups of students, faculty and staff watching in dis-belief. I headed up to my class and it was a different story, no one knew what had happened and slowing the information started trickling in. Later, in one of my economics classes the teacher carted in a TV for us to watch, knowing that trying to teach us was going to be useless.
The facts of that day are still unbelievable. Our security of a nation was not as secure as we expected. The rest is history better left unsaid by me. However In my opinion, and the opinion of many, the events of that day changed this century. We suspected Al Quida and Bin Laden for the attacks as a nation, but yet we went to war with Iraq??? I don’t see the connection between WMD’s and Boeing 767’s.
