story1064.xml

story1064.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-19

I was a staff member at Rush Creek Elementary school in Maple Grove, MN. I was just arriving when at the school and listening to my radio, the DJ's were unsure of what was going on and didn't say what happened, they said they would be right back with more information, but 10 minutes of commercials had passed and I needed to get inside the building. When I came in a Staff member told me what happened, but I thought she meant a small plane, a Cesna perhaps, on my way outside the building that lovely morning I walked past the office and saw what was happening on the TV, I couldn't believe it. As the students arrived at school, many of them new what was happening because their morning cartoons had been interupted, but I couldn't talk to them about anything, mainly because I was clueless about it myself. After work, I got into my car and headed toward my Community College, as they played Peter Jennings voice onthe radio I could see the picture of the Towers in my head and what was happening, I just couldn't believe that this was happening, so much to the fact that I rear ended a car. When I got into the Campus Center at my school, it was very quite, there were few people talking and many were gathered around the TVs. I headed to where my friends were, and sat and watched as America was attacked. Evey now and then we would say "I can't believe this is happening", or "Who would do this to us?" Classes weren't officialy canceled that day, but many didn't not attend. It is now evening and I went on to the dentist to have some cavities filled, they had the TV on so they could watch as well as myself, I was under the "gas" that they use, and so much so that I started to panic, I thought what I was watching on TV wasn't real and that is was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. It was a nightmare, except playing out in real life. After that, I headed to my evening job with the School District, cleaning. Every room I went into vaccumm I would turn the TV on, then I heard the President speak. That day ended with me wondering what was happening in the world, there were HUGE lines at the gas stations, I thought we had been attacked again, but later realized it was just panick. I went to bed that night thinking how proud I was to be and American, but could not fully believe what was happening.