What was your first reaction when you saw the two planes hit World Trade Center?
By natalie1981
@natalie1981 (1995)
Singapore
May 20, 2007 5:54pm CST
I just watched World Trade Center on video last night and it just brought back memories.
I remember that I was passing by my father in the living room and he was watching tv. I stopped when I saw the video of a plane crashing into a building and my first reaction was, "is that a movie?!!!!"
But then I saw he was watching CNN so I was just shocked and I sat down and watched. At first I thought it was an accident but I heard two planes crashed and well, that didn't look like an accident anymore.
The incident really shocked me. I've always heard of terrorist attacks but I never thought they were capable of something that big. I thought of adding an image to this discussion but up until now, I really don't think it's appropriate.
5 people like this
25 responses
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
21 May 07
I was stunned to the point of being immoble. I was watching Good Morning America when they broke in and even they had no idea what was really happening. I wanted to call my husband at work but I litterally couldn't move in order to walk across the room to get the phone. He called me and the ring snapped me out of the weird state I was in. I talked to him for several minutes and actually watched the second plane hit but I didn't process what was actually happening. My husband works at a place with high govt security (and no television) and he actually told me about the second plane even though I had watched it before he learned about it.
I believe I was in a mild state of shock or something crazy like that.
At the time I was taking night classes at a local community college. I felt like it took me all day to prepare myself to go to class that night. I would take a shower and then sit down to think a little only to realize that a whole hour had passed..... strange day for me.
2 people like this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
21 May 07
Wow, that's a whole lot of time to be stunned. But I guess, since it happened in your homeland, it would take a long time to get over that fact. Thanks for the response and thanks for standing up to me with the guy who thinks 9/11 is all Bush's doing.
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
21 May 07
Well, I didn't mention that I was raised in NY as a kid, still have family there and a large part of my world revolves around the city. I just felt so powerless to do anything to help others. I guess that is why I was affected by it 'all day'.
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
21 May 07
i was enjoying a lazy early afternoon, late summer drink with friends as news started to filter through. My first reaction was one of shock at such a terrible accident. Then the second one went down and i just knew what it was.
The shock is still with me, it truely was a shock that was heard all around the world.
blessed be
2 people like this
@funnysis (2619)
• United States
21 May 07
So you are saying it was a terrist attack because the second building went down it could have possibly been that the wave of air and the shaking of the land from the intial hit caused the second one to go down what about the pentagon it got hit to but you seen no plane where was it was it invisible I honestly think the whole think although bad needs to be let go what are we living through right now we have guys and girls being killed on a day to day bases because of a bunch of lies so was 911 a terrist attack or something else that Bush plotted
1 person likes this
@funnysis (2619)
• United States
21 May 07
I really don't know why it was even called a terrist attack other then the president called it that first but sadness is he has well proven to be a liar a plane crashes into a building and that is a terrist attack buildings get blown up in oklahoma and it was not called a terrist attack why because it was americans that blew up the building can anyone prove that it was not an american pilot that did it mad at the government for the things it has done to put more stress on an already stressed country,we help most every country out in one way or another what about the country we live in when is it time to say we have problems here to take care of I am so tired of hearing about all the presidents mistakes how many more have to die at the hands of him because he lies and betrays the american people but yet he works for us and we have to have all are programs cut so he can play war in Iraq what next he want to start something with someone else.He has spent trillions of dollars in other countries but we are doing with out here in are own country so what does it take to put him back in line.
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
21 May 07
You absolutely have a right to every single opinion you express here. But start your own discussion and rant all you want to. natalie1981 has started a legitimate discussion and does not deserve to lose any points because you can not keep on topic.
Oh, and for the record, it is called a terrorist attack because Osama Bin Laden, one of the world's foremost, self proclaimed terrorists has taken credit for the action.
2 people like this
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
21 May 07
It was a terrorist attack because it was known and proven it wasn't some American pilot going postal. As for the war in Iraq, yeah, I'm ready for our men and women to come home, but food for thought......would we rather fight them on their own soil, or bring the war home?????
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
21 May 07
Yes, I do think it is a terrorist attack. For one, like what makingpots said, Osama Bin Laden did take credit for it.
@mememama (3076)
• United States
21 May 07
I honestly didn't know what the heck the world trade center is. When I saw that, I thought it must be in a foreign country since nothing like that happens over here. It was very early in the morning (I was living on the west coast at the time) so I was just waking up as it happened.
2 people like this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
21 May 07
You and me both. Since I'm from another country, I don't know what the World Trade Center is until 9/11.
@KatieS (503)
• United States
21 May 07
It was a most horrible event, the whole day. Terrorist attack, that was obvious when we found out who did it. My 16 yr old son was watching the news, before he left for school and saw the 2nd plane hit live while watching video to the first plane that hit. He yelled Oh My God and I came running. I was glued to the TV all day til I had to go to work, and someone had brought a TV to work so we and the customers could keep up with what happened. It was a devastating event.
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
24 May 07
It was actually the talk of our school when it happened. People all over were shocked.
@draco666 (174)
• United States
21 May 07
I was in school (that was 100 feet from a inactive base) and I walked up to my lit teacher watching it. I simply seen a black cloud at first glance than I though OH,sh*t whats going on. Then I was filled with rage and sadness for the needless deaths of so many. After that it turned in to reslove not to let fantics rule my actions.
2 people like this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
22 May 07
I think most of us, specially Americans, felt rage after the incident.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
21 May 07
I was at work and he work went around that somethings had happened n New York. We had a TV in the staff room I went in in time to see the first explosion then when I saw the second plane headed straight for the smoking building. I kept saying oh no, oh no! We were all stunned then tears started just running down my cheeks. I took some time before we had been attacked. It was one of the worst experiences I remember.
1 person likes this
@shorva (923)
• Philippines
21 May 07
I was on the phone with someone and the tv was on cnn. I wasn't really into paying attention to it as there are so many bad things going on they show on news you sort of get use to tragedies you see on tv. Well, anyway, like you, I thought it was an accident, but when I saw the second plane hit the building, It was like OMG, I was shocked and I wasn't listening to the person on the on other line anymore. When the second plane hit the building, that's when I thought that it was something else. I still feel sad for the victims and their families.
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
22 May 07
Same here, I mean, two planes hitting a building at the same time, that's more than just coincidence.
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
22 May 07
While watching the movie, the images from what I've seen in the news kept flashing back. They actually didn't show the actual planes crashed.
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
21 May 07
Wow, 4 blocks. Was he okay? I hope he was. Sorry if it brought back memories.
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
21 May 07
Me too my first reaction if its a movie and when I hear the full story I cant believe that thers someone can sacrifice just to ruin and attact for revenge. Its really depressing.
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
22 May 07
Yes, sacrificing your life in order to spread hate, that's really--disturbing.
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
21 May 07
Yes, I think I was a bit scared too. I thought that a series of attack would happen around the world,not just in the US.
@SereneDragon (188)
• United States
21 May 07
I was getting ready for work and my ex-husband had the tv turned on because he normally watched news in the morning. I remember him yelling so I ran into the living room. The only thing he said was "This has got to be a joke." I had the radio on all day at work so I could keep up with what was happening. Then after getting home, we continued to watch the tv coverage, one of the most disturbing things for me was to see people jumping out of windows :(
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
22 May 07
Yeah, in the movie, there was a shot of someone jumping out the building. I guess when you're in panic, you don't know what to do anymore.
@dyenitals (43)
• Philippines
21 May 07
my dad was watching cnn and i watch the first plane hit the 1st tower... i was thinking that it was a freak accident.. but when the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower i was like "ok, i don't think this is an accident anymore"... i was really having goosebumps at that time...
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
22 May 07
Like I said, two planes on one building. If that's a coincidence, I'd eat my shorts.
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
21 May 07
At first what ive think of is its just a movie or something..it did not register immediately on me...since i dont think it really happened when i saw it in the news...but after awhile it came into me that it is really true and i was worried of the people who are inside that building...until now it seems to me as a movie which i usually watch..
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
21 May 07
You and me both. I really thought it was just a movie because I never thought that someone could actually do something that...Evil in real life.
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
21 May 07
We hadn't turned the TV on until we got a phone call telling us about it.
I didn't believe it at first until I watched the reporting of it, and by that time they were starting to run the films of it.
My first reaction was a mixture of disbelief and shock which quickly turned into anger.
I still get mad every time I think of it.
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
21 May 07
I know. I'm not from the US, but I still got mad. I can't believe that all those people had to die just because of hate.
@KissThis (3003)
• United States
21 May 07
I was at work when I first heard about the attacks on the world trade center. I was shocked to hear that anyone would do such a thing. It amazed me that so many people were killed by such a senseless act. I didn't have my head in the sand, I knew that terrorist acts happened but I never would have thought that anyone would kill so many people all at once.
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
21 May 07
I totally agree with you. I was shocked because I didn't know that someone could be capable of so much hatred and evil to actually do that.
@Woodpigeon (3710)
• Ireland
21 May 07
I was totally shocked. As I live abroad, I was getting messages on my answering machine before I saw what happened, My son's godfather's family are all firemen in Manhattan, and we have a friend that lives in New Jersey but takes the ferry to work in Manhattan each day. My first reaction was, "Oh my god, are they all right?! Are they trapped in the rubble?" It took a couple of days to find out about them, and in the meantime I saw all the horrible images. It was too big, and too awful, and too much to take in all at once. I was shocked and stunned.
@iced1992 (11)
• Netherlands
21 May 07
The first thing I really thought about was actually, and forgive me my cold-heartedness, how this would affect the global, and especially the American, politics.
I, of course, feel sorry for such a tragic affair, but the outcome on earn turn, this dreadfull war that we're losing, is more important to both me and the rest of the global community.
1 person likes this