How did you FEEL when you heard about the September 11th attacks?

[KJUN]

I actually find it interesting to read about where people were when they heard about the attacks on the towers (since that is what most of us likely heard about FIRST). What people don't usually talk much about is how they actually felt or what they actually thought when they FIRST heard about it. (No offense meant to my many friends outside of US borders, but this is kinda geared towards American responders.)

So, what did you feel or think when you first heard about it? Pick the one(s) that best describe how you felt in the day or days after first hearing about the attack.

KJ

 

[Lennycorn]

I was in shock the first few days. More and more pictures. More and more sad storys and more and more the death toll rose.

The day I heard it I was working at a job site by myself.
The boss came by to tell me what happen and left.

It was very quite the rest of the day. No people, no birds.... no noise.
I felt very alone....

 

[Lucille]

I was extremely upset and worried as my father and his wife live in Manhattan near the United Nations, I wondered if further attacks were forthcoming and feared for their safety.
I recall that it took hours of calling before I was able to get through as the telephone lines were overwhelmed with the many people trying to call in to New York.

 

[Hypancistrus]

I was 18 and a sophomore in college. I didn't know there were two trade center buildings in New York. My zoology class ran from 9 until 10:15 and I was there by 8:30 that morning, so I did not hear about it until I went to the student center at 10:15. People were packed inside... I thought "What are they giving away pizza?" I asked what was going on because everyone was staring up at the two TV's as the buildings fell and someone said "Both the world trade centers are gone... collapsed. Planes crashed into them."

And I thought they were referring to the world trade center building in Baltimore... I was scared... said "Both?" And the kid said "Yes, both the towers in New York are gone... they got the pentagon too." So then I was relieved that Baltimore had not been hit... and then I felt bad to be relieved...

So if I had to pick... I think I would need to chose most of the emotions there... I was confused... scared... relieved... guilty... angry.... all of them. I also had to then deal with several friends who had family that worked in the Pentagon, and several friends who deteriorated to wanting to "kill towelheads," which irritated me as I had several friends from Muslim countries who were as innocent as any of the rest of us.....

 

[dionythicus]

My mother had passed away earlier that year and I had just moved back into my condo. I was sleeping on the futon in the living room for some reason that morning. The phone rings and its my dad telling me that a plane had hit the WTC. I thought what??? I hadn't even fixed my TV reception yet, so I couldn't see anything on the TV in the living room. I unplugged the darn thing and lugged it into the kitchen to plug it in and see what he was talking about. As I turned it on, the second plane hit and I saw the buildings crashing down. I literally slumped to the floor in shock. My first thought was "Thank God Mom isn't here to see this." I don't know why I thought that, but that was what was going through my mind.

 

[Rich in KY]

Initially I was very angry and helpless. These feelings lasted for a long time.

But then as I continued to watch the reports and the reality sank in of all those who lost their lives, I became very sad. I know many people who had a relative or friend in one of the towers or the Pentagon.

The days and weeks following, I became very concerned for some middle eastern friends of mine. I know how easy it is for people to gain that mob mentality, and I was afraid there would be random attacks on anyone from any of those countries.

 

[RobbiesCornField]

I had just walked in to my 8th grade history class. Another teacher came in, and told us to turn on the news. The first tower was smoking, and they were still thinking it was an accident. As we watched, a second plane got closer. We thought it must be a military jet doing a fly by. And then turned in to the second tower. My teacher said "This is going to be in the history books. And you all are going to remember where you were today." I was so confused. Why would someone want to do this to us? And then I was angry. The regular passengers on those planes were all victims. The people in the towers were victims. Someone was just killing for the sake of killing. And I wanted them dead. About the same time the anger kicked in, the sadness and shock hit also. All those families that were destroyed by the acts of a few murderers. I had the class with my girlfriend at the time. She was in tears and clinging to me because her aunt worked in the first tower. When the first tower started collapsing, she was crying even harder, and I was bawling right along with her. Shortly after first period, her mom came and pulled her out of school for the rest of the day until they could get news on her aunt.

One of the guys in my class was Muslim. When it was announced that Al-Qaeda was responsible, he was alienated. No one wanted to talk to him, or be anywhere near him. People he had known since childhood were ignoring him, or calling him an "f-ing sand-n*****". I was confused by that, too. He didn't have anything to do with the attacks. How could they hate him so much? I didn't realize that anyone could hate a whole nation of people, most of whom were innocent, because of the acts of a few. I'll be the first to admit that I lump people in stereotypes quite frequently. But none of it is the pure hatred that these kids showed. It was frightening to know that they could show that much hate.
An unexpected feeling was a sense of pride in my country. Pride for all of the firefighters, EMT's, service men and women who were serving our country, and sometimes giving their lives. I felt pride when strangers would help each other out. A few months after the attacks, I was in New York. As we walked by Ground Zero, there was a memorial wall with photos, flags, flowers, etc. Anyone walking past would go silent. Even if they were on a phone, or in mid-conversation with someone. They would just stop talking to remember their friends and families that were lost.

Anyways, that's pretty much what I felt that day, and the following days. Every year, I can still remember exactly what I felt, and I doubt I will ever forget it.

 

[jesserca]

I was out on the marching band field practicing and didn't know anything had happened. When I went into school I was confused why everyone was so sad and I was cracking jokes, yeah go team. I was only a freshmen and I didn't even know there were two buildings, I was very confused and mournful for the rest of the day.

 

[vetusvates]

KJ, I was angry, confused, sad,...and frightened. That morning.
I felt like something big was going on, and individuals...like me and my family and my friends...were very small and naked and exposed.

It all congealed to 1) anger,.......and 2) sadness for all the poor people who lost a first degree relative.

 

[ZoologyGirl]

I chose 'some other wildly different thought'

because none of those really described how I felt...I don't think I could even describe how I felt.

 

[CrousesCorns]

I was in shock mainly and then felt sad and then was worried. Living within a 100 miles of Charlotte NC (banking capitol of the east coast), a huge gasoline depot, and within a fall out zone of a nuclear power plant I had a lot on my mind. I was feeling/thinking what would be the next target. After everything calmed down I felt bad/sad/helpless for along time about the 1000's of people that lost their life and all the emergency folks that died trying to help.

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Since I was at work when it happened and had no access to a tv - just the radio - my initial reaction was confusion. I couldn't really fathom what was going on. All I knew was we became extremely busy extremely quickly since I work in travel and all of our clients were in a panic trying to get home. I didn't have much time to really dwell on the situation until I got home that night.

When I did get home and turned on the news - I was in shock. Part of me wanted to turn away from the horror unfolding over and over again in front of me as they kept replaying it, but part of me just couldn't bare to look away. I had to see what happened, hear what the "official" opinions/thoughts on the matter were. And I couldn't stop crying. I didn't know anyone in NY or DC or anyone on any of those planes, but my heart was breaking for each and every one of them and for their families.

I was depressed for many days to come, and then that depression started turning into anger - anger at the people who dared to do this here - in the USA. It brought home all the terrible things that we see happen every where else and never thought could happen here. I wanted to see the people responsible punished to the most severe extreme possible.

And like Robbie, I also found a new sense of pride in my country, in the people who fight for our rights and protect us, and for all the police, firemen and others who were toiling away day and night trying to find any more survivors in the terrible aftermath.

I still feel that sense of pride in my country. The sadness and anger have subsided, although at times I still feel them boiling under the surface.

I went to NY in 2006 and stopped at Ground Zero. Five years later, seeing it firsthand - what was left of what was once two mighty buildings, remembering how many lives were lost - brought it all home for me again and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried right there in public seeing it for myself. And I was not alone. There were many others there just starting into space or reading the memorials on the fence also in tears. Some may have had family or friends that died that day, some were just like me - a tourist visiting NYC who shared their pain that day.

 

[ghosthousecorns]

Wow at some of these poll options, who in their right minds is going to say they felt sorry for underprivileged attackers or glad it happened?
I was confused at first until it became clear it was a terrorist attack then sad and angry and scared there were more attacks on the way. It was all the way across the country but even if I was distant there is no way I could have felt indifferent over something that horrible.

 

[starsevol]

I remember distinctly the horrible days before, during and after 911.
As I put in another thread, that fall was just all around a BAD one.

Emotions ranged from angry, to sad to tense and stressed..to despair....to numb....a few times I wondered if the world was ending....

 

[tricksterpup]

KJ,
I remember when the day happened. I was doing Computer Phone support for a hospital and We all were in shocked and horror. Sadness wasn't even on the mind at the time.

That morning I got a call and this woman (a Nurse) started cussing and saying it was the GOD DAMN Arabs that did this even before it was announced who did it. I asked her politely to calm down and stated you really never know what ethnicity the person was on the other line of the phone who is helping her. We had a Gentleman at the time from Jordan. He was a really nice guy.
She then turned it on me and started to attack me verbably as well, brought my supervisor over and had him hear on the speaker phone. He immediately called HR. she was reported, i believe the woman was eventually let go after that.

My Views, why should I hate a nationality for what a 100 or less people did. It was a terrible act, I may have lost people I knew from College on that Day. I will never know. But instead of attacking and setting the Couch on fire due to a panic, its best to have a calm head in a crisis.

But I also remember all the Hospitals in the area were on high alert in case something happened here. All the sky scrapers that day were evacuated and everyone went home.

but oddly I remember the following days. It was quiet, strangely quiet. I think in part of no jets in the skies. Does any one else remember that as well?

 

[Hypancistrus]

but oddly I remember the following days. It was quiet, strangely quiet. I think in part of no jets in the skies. Does any one else remember that as well?

Yes. I remember it well. It was eerie.

 

[Nanci]

Yes. I remember it well. It was eerie.

Do you remember the first time a jet flew over afterward? The first thing that popped into my mind was BOMB. Strange.

 

[tricksterpup]

you know this is going to sound strange and sad at the same time. But i kinda liked it when we had no jets flying over head. It was very nice and peaceful.

I hated the tragedy that caused it but didnt mind much of the after effects. No jets, it brought Americans closer to each other, we felt proud of our nation. I hated that we went to war though.

 

[starsevol]

Where we live you can sit in the living room and look out the window and there are always at least one light travelling slowly across the sky at night....sometimes 2...
we are in the flightpath of T F Green airport.
After 911 we really noticed the absence of planes....it was so strange....

 

[KJUN]

Wow at some of these poll options, who in their right minds is going to say they felt sorry for underprivileged attackers or glad it happened?

I just tried to put all possible options, but I didn't expect anyone here to admit to the "glad it happened" comment....... I really didn't expect that as an answer, though. Not at all! I hope it isn't anyone's real answer - that's for sure! On the "felt sorry for the ones who felt the need to attack us".....I don't know what I expected there. I put it because I've seen the below quote twisted to make it sound like the speaker WAS saying EXACTLY that. I do NOT personally believe that is really what the speaker was saying, but I personally can't comprehend the relevance of the below statement about helping the children of other countries as an immediate response to this attack on ours. Sooooooo, I really didn't know WHAT to expect on that topic, but I would have been a little surprised if it was a choice by many of us.

"The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others […which usually…] grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair. […] We will have to be unwavering in opposing bigotry or discrimination directed against neighbors and friends of Middle Eastern descent. Finally, we will have to devote far more attention to the monumental task of raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe — children not just in the Middle East [...]"