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where were you when....

Squirt

Squirt

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Apr 13, 2000
Messages
2,899
lots of people, mostly of an older generation, are asked the questions: "where were you when president john f. kennedy was shot? where were you when martin luther king jr. was killed? where were you when the challenger exploded? where were you when pearl harbor was bombed?" among others.
i'd like to start a thread, and maybe eventually archive it depending on the success, and keep it bumped as much as possible.
where were you when the world trade center buildlings were destroyed?
i was sitting in cowan, our cafeteria at school, half-awake at 8:30. i was trying to read the 75 pages i had to read for french, my 9:40 class, but met with no success. i slugged over to my class room, sat down, and heard a group of professors in the hallway talking about some hijacked plane. i shrugged it off, figuring it was something that would be no big deal. class hadn't started, and one of my classmates went out to talk to the professors and find out what was going on. he came back in and told us, and i said, 'oh, okay.' when class was over, i came back to my room to change out my books before lunch, and i turned on the tv just to see what all the hub-bub was about. when i saw what was on tv, it felt like my heart stopped. my stomach twisted, my gut cramped, my throat tightened, and i couldn't breathe very easily. tears started to well in my eyes as i watched the footage of people screaming and running on the streets. it wasn't real. it couldn't have been real. stuff like that only happened in the movies. it was only until i got to lunch and saw my best friend. she was upset because she couldn't find anyone she knew. her brother is in the service, and her boyfriend is extremely patriotic and she wanted to find them to see if they were going to enlist -- if they had to enlist. then it hit me.
this is real. this isn't tv, or a movie, or a book. this isn't some film with a director who can scream "CUT!" and fix it and make it "alright" again...
i was just there. i was just there a week and a half ago. with my mom. my dad could have been on a business trip in d.c. i met a number of people this summer who live in manhattan and the surrounding area. then i started thinking about all the other people i know, and my friend's friends in new york city. that made it that much more real.
this is real life. and we will live to tell the tale. and we are so very lucky...
[This message has been edited by Squirt (edited 12 September 2001).]
 
I was sitting at work reading the St Petersburg Times online. The front page story sparked my interested so I decided to take a look.
My co-worker came in and told me that a plane had crashed into the world trade center. This was minutes after the first attack. My first thought was not terrorist, I thought there had been some horrific accident.
Slowly the events unfolded about the attack. My Mom called me to see if I had heard. At 9:30 I had a meeting in a part of the hospital that had a TV. After the meeting at around 10am I got the first glimpse at the horrific visual images.
I sat inc the EKG waiting room and wept as I saw the pitures that will be engrained in my mind for the rest of my life...
I wept as I learned that the first wtc collapsed...
and I wept as I learned that the pentagon was hit also.
The remainder of the day was a whirlwind of trying to keep up with the media coverage that was spilling out everywhere. We were all still at work (I work at a hospital, so we can't exactly close) but no one was really working.
I went to go give blood after work, but the line was over3 hours long and they told me to come back tomorrow.
I have been home and seen blow by blow footage on every major network, the same footage that you all are seeing, I'm sure. This event still does not seem real.
It is beautiful, in a very bittersweet way, to see our community here, and our nation as a whole pull together in this great time of need.
At this time I pray for our great nation. God speed to you all. May we all emerge from this darkest hour and prevail in the brightest light and strength.
...This is where I was on 9-11-01, a day that I will never forget for the rest of my life.
Where were you when.....
Much Love and God Speed!
------------------
Weep not sad soul, nor forget, that sunrise never failed us yet.
[This message has been edited by ~*Meg*~ (edited 12 September 2001).]
 
i was asleep.
i woke up and came onto BL, my morning ritual, and someone in chat said something about another plane crash. i didnt really think anything of it, but i turned on my tv anyway and saw the shocking story... i was glued to my tv for about 5 hours. my heart ached for those people, and i was terrifed, and saddened, and i felt sick. whoever did this is such a disgrace. i was so shocked. it didnt seem real.
a friend of mine called from nyc, said he looked out his window and saw nothing but black smoke. his parents both worked on the 90th floor. he has 4 little sisters, all younger than 10 years old, and all i could hear in the background was "I want my mommy. I'm scared. I want to leave." he didnt know what to tell them, and he didnt know what to do. i couldnt stop crying.
i have a LOT of friends that live right in the heart of manhatten, and i fear for them, and for their families... i'm scared to get "that call." all we can do is pray.
when i went into work tonight, i was sickened by the fact that we had to have every tv in the restaurant not only tuned in to it, but we had the volume up which we never do. i just kept thinking... "how can people watch this while they are eating? i feel so sick" but the restaurant was PACKED, you could not get a table. but when president bush came on, i swear to you, everyone in the entire restaurant went completely silent. it was almost unreal. a lot of people started crying (including me). about 90% of the people i work with all lost someone they love today.... i cant believe so many of them have friends and family that worked there, or lived nearby.
this is such a tragedy, and i dont think america will ever really get over it.
the most sickening part was watching those palestinians cheering and parading through the streets waving peace signs and flags... what a FUCKED up image they have of peace... and OH how they brainwashed those little kids... who were all cheering at the death of our brothers.
------------------
E-girl
IM: tiggersgurl2067
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."
~~ Helen Keller
 
I was bathing my 1 1/2 year old son, oblivious to the fact the world outside was drastically changing by the second. Normally I would have had the Today show on the television but my little man got sick this morning and his bed clothes needed washing and he needed comforting along with a good bath. Life was happening and I didn't take time to flip on the news, assuming it would be the same as yesterday and life would continue to carry on as it does every other day.
I finally got around to turning on the television. What I saw was not real, it couldn't be. I am not naieve, I have understood for a long time now that this is an unpredictable and sometimes violent world. Everyone is vunerable. What I can not comprehend is the reality. I sat on my couch as my head swam. I watched as the towers crumbled and dissapeared from the most famous skyline in the world.
Raw emotion swirled inside me. I hugged my son tightly, kissed him, told him I loved him over and over as he laughed and played at my feet.
I prayed for the souls lost. I prayed for those left behind. I prayed for the hundreds of heroic souls converging on the mayhem, risking their lives to protect the lives of others. I prayed for fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters. I prayed for my country. I sobbed, not knowing how to handle the pain, the shock. I even questioned the One I prayed to. How? Why?...Why?...Why? I accepted the fact that I will never understand or find adequate answers.
I carried on my day. Breakfast for my son, I was unable to eat but a 1 1/2 year old does not understand, life must go on. Today was surreal, a day I can not comprehend. The reality of it is still unatainable, I believe it will remain so for quite some time. I hugged my son tightly, wondering about his tomorrows.
God Bless America, now more than ever.
[This message has been edited by Toadstool (edited 12 September 2001).]
 
I was asleep, I woke up at 12:20pm late for class, i jumped up ran into the bathroom. My husband was downstairs with a friend smoking up. he came up to the bathroom and told me to stop rushing cause i probably didn't have school. I asked why? he told me what happened....i thought he was joking, I responed and said, "ok so I should just go downstairs and smoke up with you guys, cause we are gonna have a nuclear war in like a 1/2 hour" I laughed....he said come down stairs. I sat with the two of them as I watched the horrific reruns on the news. I felt my body just go cold and my hair on my arms stand on end. It was horrible.....
I sat and we smoked bowl after bowl as I struggled with my computer to get online (had to reformat the whole fucking thing again) timing......My family all called to see if we new and to just tell us that they loved us.
I finally got online.....checked in with my sister online, my other friends and BL.....my heart just hurt....all afternoon I have sat here.....an 1 1/2 hours away....this tragedy....my eyes hurt I have cried today for both personal reasons and for this world wide tragedy.
I long to hear phil's voice, I want him to tell me he is still coming home from bosnia in 2 weeks and getting off the plane and driving right to my house, as we have discussed just Monday. I miss him so much.......
i want this world, this life to stop handing me losing hands, I want to smile and not feel it forced....I want unfair things to stop happening to innocent good hearted people.....for everyone who is dear to my heart, this is a time for you to know I Love You. In times like these it is what we say to people and how we act.....that gives us hope...it is clinging onto those we love and those who love us and together...hopefully we will pull eachother out.......
September 11, 2001......a day when history stopped, a day when all our worlds have rocked, a day when in our hearts many of us share a identical void....a day we will never forget.......
my thoughts and prayers with all who were involved.......
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~Lindsay
I am lost, I've gone to find myself, if I should return before I get back have me wait....
Ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light.... -joker
GRRR "dOnuthOes"
Cracktology = study of crack
AOL name: MaDHaTTeR92578
 
I was just walkign in the door from my 8am - 8:50 class. I turned on my tv and i saw a jet fly into what looked like the world trade center. I heard the news caster speaking about an explosion in one of the towers, and i thought "great...look at what drugs in college do to you..."
then, i witnessed, live on television, one of the buildings collapse. I thought, "no, no this isnt real, whats wrong with my head..." A few moments later, i realized it was true. I was witnessing one of the most horrific terrorist actions in all of history. I was witnessing one of the most picturesque images of freedom and democracy being shattered into chaos and death. I was witnessing the middle finger of a Palastinian cought in a racist, ignorantly religous, and hate-filled belief. I was witnessing over 50,000 hard working Americans slaughtered innocently and thrown down to the earth. I was witnessing possibly, hopefully, the greatest disaster of my life.
Wouldnt it be easy if we had a god to help us through this...if we had someone to help us learn to live together, and who gave us a purpose to live together;where are the saviours of the innocent...where is our species headed?
"The sun was born, so it shall die
till only shadows comfort me,
I know in darnkness, i shall find you"
"Each day shall end, as it begins
and thought you're far away from me
I know in darkness, i shall find you..."
-VnV Nation
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~!~ THA WOOD ~!~
 
911...ahh what an odd day for this to happen.
I woke up at 9am this morning, as I debated on whether or not to wake up I hear soemthing about the WTC in NYC. I leaned over and turned it up to listen, amazing! I got outta bed, logged on to here, and BL chat was just a buzz! People talkin about how crazy all this was, how things are going to change, who did it, what's going to happen from here, but most importantly...what about the people in NYC and DC. Which was really cool to see that much concern over someone lots of people from this site have never met.
School was cancelled and I came home.
I really don't think it hit me until I was driving around tonight to get gas. Here I am in Bellevue, KY a little suburb of Cincinatti, OH and I'm feeling the effects of this! As I sat in line for nearly and hour to get gas. Gas stations were running out, traffic backed up for miles, prices soaring as high as $4-$6 in some spots! Ya know I actually shed a few tears for a minute. I'm nervous to see what is in store for our country.
I think a British journalist said it best in that for the first time America is shocked, shaken, and feeling completely vulnerable!!
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AIM:erratica21
~*~If everyone is standing around, waiting and expecting something great to happen...it never will. It's when no one is watching that the best sets are played:)~*~
~~~D.A.V.E. the Drummer
 
Squirt~
Thank you for this post, for giving us an outlet to express ourselves during this horrific time.
Much Love and God Speed
------------------
Weep not sad soul, nor forget, that sunrise never failed us yet.
 
you're most welcome meg.
thought i'd add something too. they're the lyrics from seal's "prayer for the dying."
----------------
"fearless people.
careless needle.
harsh words spoken,
and lives are broken.
falls for agin'.
help me, i'm fadin'.
heaven's waiting.
it's time to move on.
crossin' that bridge
with lessons i've learned.
playin' with fire
and not getting burned.
i may not know what you're goin' through.
but time is the space
between me and you.
life carries on, oh, it goes on.
just say 'die,'
and that would be pessimistic.
in your mind
we can walk across water.
please don't cry -
it's just a prayer for the dying.
i just don't know what's got into me.
crossin' that bridge
with lessons i've learned.
playin' with fire
and not getting burned.
i may not know what you're goin' through,
but time is the space
between me and you.
there is a
light through that window.
hold on -
say 'yes' while people say 'no.'
life carries on.
it goes on, oh.
i'm crossin' that bridge
with lessons i've learned.
i'm playin' with fire
and not getting burned.
i may not know what you're goin' through,
but time is the space
between me and you.
there is a light
through that window.
hold on -
say 'yes' while people say 'no.'
cause life carries on.
it goes on, oh, it goes on.
life carries on -
when nothing else matters.
when nothing else matters.
i just don't know what's got into me.
it's just a prayer for the dying.
for the dying."
[This message has been edited by Squirt (edited 12 September 2001).]
 
I was in bed...I turned on the TV right after the second plane hit the WTC. I had heard about it on the radio as I was waking up but thought it was a joke.
Miss you Squirt, thanks for the call.
 
I woke up and thought, "This day is going to suck." I had no idea...
got to school. Suffered through Geometry and walked to my second hour, convinced the day could only go up from there. Walked into second hour with a smile on my face, oblivous to what had happened. Suddenly someone comes in and says "turn on the news!" There's the world trade center, two huge holes in it. I had no idea what was happening. My friend and I made stupid jokes about it, because we thought it wasn't that serious. Then, i saw it fall. I saw it fall, LIVE ON TELEVISION! i saw 10,000 people die live on television. I went through the rest of the day in a state of shock. It didn't hit me, i just took it like every other thing i've heard. (2 million kids killed in the holocaust, okay...) Six 53 minute class periods later i had watched the news for 6 hours straight. That's all we did all day at school. I saw those buildings fall 30 times, but the first hurt more than all the others combined. I convinced myself i shouldn't cry, there's no use being sad about something that already happened. Finally, at around 6 it hit me. I began to cry. i cried for everyone. For those who lost their lives, and all of the people that knew them. i cried untill one am, when my sleeping pill finally kicked in and i fell asleep, shaking w/fear.
Where was i? i was at school, and i saw it live...
I know this isn't part of the post, but this is what disturbs me most of all...
i come to school today and everyone is talking about how we should kill the terrorists and declare war on afghanistan.
Didn't we learn our lesson? america has killed so many millions of people and no one cared, we only care when it's us. and what do we want? we want to kill... that's the most sickening thing i've ever heard. i can't stand it.
just think about it, along with grieving for the dead... when you heard about terrorist attacks in israel, did you cry about it?
~lil
 
I awoke to hear that someone had crashed a plane into the WTC. That was 6:45 MST. I fell asleep and got back up when I heard that the Pentagon had been hit, and another plane crashed into the other tower.
I yelled at my mom to turn on the TV, and that's when I saw the carnage.
I raced to school in time to see the towers collapse. I was in a room with about three hundred other people. It was silent.
The world is changed.
 
I woke up around 7:30-8ish or so.. central time.. which is still fucking with me.. heh.. walked outside, smoked my "Good Morning.. You're Still Shady" cigarette and came back in and turned on the tv. I saw a large, familiar looking building on fire, and quickly ran back into the bedroom and awoke the still slumbering Duo Dos, we both came back into the living room and she informed me that it was the World Trade Center. We were both, obviously in shock, and were trying to figure out what was going on.. Shortly thereafter, the second plane hit and we both then realized what was going on.. and we just sat, slackjawed and stared in amazement as the scene unfolded and the towers burned and eventually collapsed. During the course of that time, the plane hit the Pentagon, a car bomb reportedly went off.. and honestly the only thing running through my mind was "World War 3" and "I wonder if my family is ok." Granted my family lives 800 miles north in Cincinnati, Cincinnati is the home of GE (Aircraft engines for most military planes) and Fernald (A dismantled, but still radioactive and LARGE nuclear plant) I honestly dunno why I kept thinking about it.. but I was. Cincinnati was never mentioned, thank god, and we continued to watch television coverage and after we left, we listened to NPR (the only TRUE unbiased news radio source in this country, thank you very much
smile.gif
)
In the days since, we still find ourselves glued to the tv and radio, and although I am becoming quite tired of seeing the same images and hearing the same facts recounted over and over again.. I still will never forget waking up and seeing that building on fire and thinking "What the fuck is going on." It was honestly a fear that I have never felt before.
Here's to tracking down the bastards responsible for this and beating the ever-loving piss out of them with tire irons.
Duo Uno
 
Noon.
"I know you have to work third shift tonight, but you need to go ahead and wake up. Something has happened, and I can't hurt alone right now."
"What is it mom?"
 
i was sittin on the fone at home to my best mate at bout 12am going "wholy shit. wholy shit. wholy shit." and he was laughing cause he was stoned and i was yelling at him cause it wasnt funny.
------------------
I sold my soul to the devil, and the price was cheap
 
Asleep, as so many on the west coast. I woke up just as usual at about 11:00 my time and brushed my teeth and went out in the kitchen. My mother said "Ah, you're up and moving. You might want to call work and see if you still have to go in."
Last time she said something like that, she was half-hysterical - someone had tried to bomb the college where I work. I'm not sure why she was so much calmer this time - perhaps because the World Trade Center wasn't where I was ordinarily going to be later that day. I just blinked as I looked at the TV behind her, then scrambled back to my bedroom to turn on my TV and channel-surf, hop online and start trying to check for people I knew back east, and talk to my fiancé.
I've stayed in very frequent and lengthy contact with him - not because he or anyone he knew was endangered (he lives in southern Ontario), but because it is suddenly even more important to me to make sure he's alive and well day to day, hour to hour.
------------------
The problem with troubleshooting is that real trouble shoots back.
 
It was Tuesday, September 11, 2001- I was sitting on the front steps of Christenbury Memorial Gym at East Carolina University. I was wating for a bus to come get me, take me back to my apartment, so I could get some much needed sleep....A friend got off the shuttle and said "have you heard? the world is ending, terrorists are attacking our country, go home and watch tv while you still can....".......I got on the bus, and for once 50 some people were completely silent as radio reports told us of this tragedy.....It was eerie......I get home, but I didn't sleep for the next two days, I cried, and honestly, I was scared......
------------------
"...I really don't mind what happens now and then, as long as you'll be my friend in the end..." -"Kryptonite" Three Doors Down
"cause it's always raining in my head...Forget all the things I SHOULD have said..." Epiphany, Staind
 
I was sitting on my bed watching it all happen outside my bedroom window, while frantically trying to call my best friend who works there.
------------------
~*Jen
*As bad as I am, I'm proud of the fact, that I'm worse then I seem.*
 
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