story10978.xml

story10978.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-09-12

It was a bright September morning and all was going well. I had joked with my friend on the bus about how we both hoped that the other had a bad day. It turned out that the day would in fact turn for the worse. I was in my first period Spanish 1 class at Washington Irving Middle School when an announcement came on the P.A. system informing everyone that there had been a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. I?d hate to admit it now but it really didn?t phase me at the time. I remember walking down the halls watching sobbing middle school kids stumbling around looking totally hysterical. I remained calm, which seems very odd to me, and probably to most other people, because if this type of event happened now, I would totally flip out.
I strolled around the hallways acting totally nonchalant about everything asking various friends if they had any more information. No one knew any more than I did. I guess the full impact of the historical event that unfolded before our very eyes didn?t hit me until I witnessed actual footage of the planes colliding with the towers. At this point I became a little more?concerned. I really did not know how to react. I spent most of the school day thinking about what had just happened and biting my nails.
When I was informed of the attack on the Pentagon, my first thought was of my cousin Heather. I was very close to her. She worked at the Pentagon and was pregnant with her first child. I got a hold of a phone in the guidance office and called my mom. She delivered the extremely relieving news that she was running late and just missed the blast. Her office was in very close proximity to the point of impact. I guess negative things happen so we can appreciate the positive. Now on the third anniversary of the September 11th attacks, I am so grateful that my two-year-old cousin is here, even if I have to help potty train him.