story4815.xml
Title
story4815.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
On September 6th, 2001, I made the 2 hour drive back home from Ithaca, NY, where I was attending school. I decided that the school I was going to, TC3, was not for me. That weekend my mother, brother, and cousin went back to TC3 with me to bring home the rest of my things. I originally wanted to go to school in Manhattan, but when the time came to apply to schools in my Senior Year of high school, I didn't. I knew I would probably be homesick. When September 11th came, I was glad I made the choice to be at home.
I woke up that Tuesday morning, passed by my parents room and noticed that it was 11:43am. I went to the bathroom and then walked downstairs to get something to eat. After fumbling around in the kitchen and pouring a bowl of cereal, I sat down in the living room with my sister, who was watching tv. The clock on the television said that it was 11:53am. As I took a bite of my cereal, I saw the words "NEW YORK CITY" flashing across the screen. As this pertained to the city of my dreams, the "apple" of my eye, I was immediately drawn to the news.
I quickly set my bowl aside and listened intently. There was a little girl crying in pain and someone holding her close as they looked up at the two very familiar buildings with smoke pouring from them. A moment later, a news broadcaster identified the buildings as the World Trade Center. What she said next put me in shock. Apparently two planes were hijacked and flown into each of the buildings. Holes penetrated each; smoke had crowded the streets of lower Manhattan.
A second later, the news flipped to Washington, DC with more frightening news. Another plane, also hijacked, flew into the Pentagon, located just moments away from the White House. More shocking news came as I learned that a fourth plane, also hijacked, was found in Somerset County, Pennsylvania...in a field. It had also crashed. Many government officials speculated that the plane was possibly meant for Camp David or even the White House itself. But, at this time it was just speculation, not a known fact.
As soon as I learned of these tragic incidences, my sister became bored and started to flip through the channels. In shock, I jolted up the stairs and logged onto America Online, knowing that they would have something about what had happened. I heard the usual "Welcome! You've got mail!" and I glanced down at the welcome screen. It was completely covered with information on this heinous act. The words "AMERICA UNDER ATTACK" caught my eye. I was in awe.
I felt as if life had been taken from me. New York had been destroyed. The United States had been violated. Thousands of lives were lost. I was completely overwhelmed and undertaken with sadness.
The rest of the day, like many Americans, I was glued to the television and radio to hear of any progressions that were being made, if any bodies were found, watching people cry in pain and in fear.
I look back now and I realize that I am lucky to have stayed at home. That could have been me in the WTC, I could have died. That's very scary for me to deal with. I am grieving, though, for the people who DID lose their loved ones. My thoughts and prayers will always be with them.
God Bless America!
I woke up that Tuesday morning, passed by my parents room and noticed that it was 11:43am. I went to the bathroom and then walked downstairs to get something to eat. After fumbling around in the kitchen and pouring a bowl of cereal, I sat down in the living room with my sister, who was watching tv. The clock on the television said that it was 11:53am. As I took a bite of my cereal, I saw the words "NEW YORK CITY" flashing across the screen. As this pertained to the city of my dreams, the "apple" of my eye, I was immediately drawn to the news.
I quickly set my bowl aside and listened intently. There was a little girl crying in pain and someone holding her close as they looked up at the two very familiar buildings with smoke pouring from them. A moment later, a news broadcaster identified the buildings as the World Trade Center. What she said next put me in shock. Apparently two planes were hijacked and flown into each of the buildings. Holes penetrated each; smoke had crowded the streets of lower Manhattan.
A second later, the news flipped to Washington, DC with more frightening news. Another plane, also hijacked, flew into the Pentagon, located just moments away from the White House. More shocking news came as I learned that a fourth plane, also hijacked, was found in Somerset County, Pennsylvania...in a field. It had also crashed. Many government officials speculated that the plane was possibly meant for Camp David or even the White House itself. But, at this time it was just speculation, not a known fact.
As soon as I learned of these tragic incidences, my sister became bored and started to flip through the channels. In shock, I jolted up the stairs and logged onto America Online, knowing that they would have something about what had happened. I heard the usual "Welcome! You've got mail!" and I glanced down at the welcome screen. It was completely covered with information on this heinous act. The words "AMERICA UNDER ATTACK" caught my eye. I was in awe.
I felt as if life had been taken from me. New York had been destroyed. The United States had been violated. Thousands of lives were lost. I was completely overwhelmed and undertaken with sadness.
The rest of the day, like many Americans, I was glued to the television and radio to hear of any progressions that were being made, if any bodies were found, watching people cry in pain and in fear.
I look back now and I realize that I am lucky to have stayed at home. That could have been me in the WTC, I could have died. That's very scary for me to deal with. I am grieving, though, for the people who DID lose their loved ones. My thoughts and prayers will always be with them.
God Bless America!
Collection
Citation
“story4815.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 10, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/4217.