"where were you when the world stopped turning"
By snyderblog
@snyderblog (82)
United States
April 27, 2011 4:15pm CST
Those infamous words from Alan Jackson. It has been several years and my kids brought this up last night and it got me thinking. Over September 11th, when the towers came crashing down, I was stuck in Houston Texas. My kids were little then, 4-11 years old. I was out of town on business and my flight was scheduled to leave to come home that morning. At that time I was a single mom with 3 kids. My sister, bless her heart stayed with my kids at my house. I remember sitting in my hotel room waiting for my cab to the airport when I saw it on the news. Like many people I wasn't sure I was still watching the news or the channel had changed to some movie. Someone or something was watching out for me because when I realized it was all real, I called the frontdesk and reserved my room for a few more days. Not sure what made me think to do that but good thing I did. Over the next few hours, there was no place to stay at the inn. That was a Tuesday. Everyday after that I would leave the hotel, sit at the airport for hours on standby, then return to the hotel room. I finally got out of dodge on the following Friday.
To top it off, my sister called me the next day and informed me that my upstairs bathtub was falling through the floor to my downstairs bathroom. She took the kids to my moms.
So, I like to say. "I spent a month in Texas one week."
Where were you?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@imnobodyspecial (318)
• United States
16 Jul 11
I was home, recently retired as a truck driver...I didn't watch much TV then, still don't. My father called me telling me to turn on the TV.
I watched events and when the second tower fell I thought that's a controlled demolition...it fell so neatly into it's own foot print, I watched what appeared to be smaller explosions on several floors...
I thought to myself this is going to be a long term issue...and it has and will continue to be.
I wonder if this was a price for our arrogance, or if it was the beginning of the end for this grand experiment.
I know I won't survive to see the final outcome of the events of 10 years ago, I only know I will be observing mini outcomes for the coming years, as I have for the past 10.
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
28 Apr 11
I was in school working when the Librarian called be to come to the library to see a news alert.
When the first Space Shuttle blew up I was in my office at school and saw it happen live on TV. I was watching a news broadcast of the event because a teacher was aboard.
I was in Latin class when President Kennedy was shot. It was the only day the teacher did not give us homework. She even gave us homework over Christmas vacation.
Some things are burned into our minds and we can not forget them or what we were doing at the time.
@DarthJustice (2014)
• United States
27 Apr 11
I was 15 years old at the time. It was my second year in high school and I was sitting in my English 2 class which was my first class that morning. It had just started not too long before when it happened. I remember my class watching it on TV and talking about it.
A story I like to tell is right after that class, I went upstairs and encountered one of my friends. I don't remember what we were talking about but I said how at least I wasn't the maniac who flew the planes into the WTC.
After that, my friend would often tell me how at the time he thought I was just joking and had no idea what I was talking about.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
28 Apr 11
I'm glad you were safe and your children were taken care of. I was in class in 7th grade biology. The teacher came in with a serious tone and told us the news. At the time I didn't really know much about the WTC, but at the end of the day I was surprised to find out that my mom's job was in World financial center 1, right next to the wtc! I got a call for me at school that my mom was ok, and I felt so stupid that I hadn't even known my mom worked there.
My mom got home around 9 at night, and she told me everything the way she experienced it. She said she was in the bathroom when she heard the huge noise of the first crash. At her building, no one would have thought it was a terrorist attack.. they all assumed it was an accidental plane crash. They didn't really know what to do, and they were just sort of going about their own business until they heard the second crash. By then, everyone was realizing they should move out. Half of this building was destroyed, so my mom's company was located at a Marriot hotel room for a few months.
@dlpierce (495)
• United States
27 Apr 11
How scary it had to be for you, knowing you were going to have to fly. I think that scared a lot of folks from flying for awhile.
I had just returned the night before from Atlantic City, so I had that day off. I saw it all unfold live on t.v. as you did. Total disbelief as something like that happening here.
I can't believe they have still not caught the man responsible. Yet, the war goes on after nearly 10 years.. No wonder the country is in such a economic mess.
