9/11: Ten years on.

As you all know today marks ten years since the cowardly attacks of 9/11. It was a moment that changed our world. I can share a whole lot of words regarding that day, a part of me wants to do just that, but I won't.

I'd just like to take this opportunity to share a few stories regarding 9/11 which I read on Yahoo News and a little more.

http://news.yahoo.com/a-family-remembers--hero-of-9-11-gave-life-to-save-thousands.html
http://news.yahoo.com/f-16-pilot-ready-ram-hijacked-plane-9-194138786.html
http://news.yahoo.com/george-w-bush-9-11-reminder--the-badge-he-kept-close.html

There are many, many stories regarding the people who lost their lives this day. These are but a few and I don't want to turn this post into one big linkfest, so the last link I'll share is of a slideshow showing pictures of that horrible day.
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/9-11-the-25-most-powerful-photos-1315611364-slideshow/25-most-powerful-photos-photo-1315610966.html

Now a question; Were where you when this happened?

I was 8 when it happened. I was at school, totally oblivious as to what was occurring half a world away, as is to be expected. My first real memory of it is looking at the tv when I got home and seeing footage of a plane hitting one of the towers. I think I didn't really comprehend what was happening at the time. In time I did start to comprehend.

I know of myself that cold shivers go down my spine whenever I read about it, whenever I see a documentary of it and whenever it is mentioned in a speech or whatever (though only when it is more than casually referred to.). Sometimes it goes beyond that and I struggle to maintain my composure emotionally. I think it has to do with the fact that I identify with America more than any other country in the world. That country, its ideals and values, hold a special place in my heart. I think that's the reason why this happens to me, I think it also explains why there's such a deep anger in me towards the perpetrators of it all. I know I digressed here, I just started typing and it felt good to just add this.

Let me end with a quote.

“Are you guys ready? OK. Let's roll!"

-Todd Beamer, one of the passengers aboard Flight 93 just before they stormed the cockpit.

Intriguing, to say the least. I, for one, was asleep at the time.

I vaguely remember seeing it on the tv that evening.

I was sitting in the sofa in the living room, fourteen at the time, reading ... one of the first four books in the Wheel of Time saga (Can't remember which). My parents and sister come into the room and turn on the TV.
I keep reading figuring it's nothing not intresting. I look up about the time the second tower is hit asking "What are you watching?"

I was in high school, or just started when this had happened. I remember clear as day walking into the house when my mum whom is american herself looked all troubled as she watched the TV, so I checked what was up.

Nothing exciting really

However what really rubs me the wrong way is people selling merchandise in shops over all this under the idea of "We remember". It drives me fucking insane.

I was sitting on my ass in my child minders front room playing legos. Then I saw it on the news.

Every year when I go to NY, I visit Ground zero, it's a weird feeling

I was at home, and I remember my mom coming home after being out training with our new pup. She was all stressy and yelled at me to put the tv on. And I asked what channel, and she said "whichever", which confused the heck out of me. But sure enough, channel did not matter, cause it was on each channel.

I knew nothing of WTC before that day.

Nithel wrote:Every year when I go to NY, I visit Ground zero, it's a weird feeling

Been there. It's really quite an experience just to stand there.

Was playing Operation Flashpoint at the time when my brother came in and showed it on TV to me. Haven't played that game ever since because I kept linking the two. Shame, it was a rather good one. D:

Indeed, rip to all those who died.

My brother leaves for the army today. x) There was a bit of muttering from people when they learned the start date after all their testing, etc. XD

I had just gotten home from the library with a stack of books. Then my favorite run-in-the-background show (Heartbreakers) got interrupted.

I was watching TV while waiting to go to the Dentist, don't recall which program. Suddenly it breaks away to the news to show the 'accident', with live shots of the first tower smoking. Recall wondering why that 'newsplane' was headed for the second building.

Frulamin wrote:Intriguing, to say the least. I, for one, was asleep at the time.

So was I. I was still on vacation at home (was studying abroad during that time) and got woken up by my mother, almost in panic and making no sense whatsoever about a second Pearl Harbor and WWIII. If you wake up to that, the meaning of a bad awakening changes forever -_-

I was alone in my college dorm, completely oblivious while listening to Young Team by Mogwai for the first time; alone in the early hours of the morning. I didn't hear about it properly until the afternoon of September the 12th.

I remember being incredibly angry at the television as the events were just as the childrens hour was about to start on my local station.

This was when I was waaay too young to comprehend anything regarding WTC or 9/11

I was in my first year of high school, standing around talking with my friends a in the minutes before classes started. One of them told us that something happened, and we discussed it, though I'm not sure any of us really knew what was going on or were sure it actually happened. Then we got to class and they broadcast the details over the intercom. Later that day the school had a moment of silence.

I was in my dad's car on the way home from school, 2 days before I turned 11 so I was not that accutely aware of the universe around me when I heard it on the radio.

I believe my thought process was something along the lines of "That's terrible, why would someone do that, oh well can't be helped now."

I'm really not sure why the WTC attacks never had much of an impact on me, it's likely a combination of youthful ignorance at the time of incident (I wasn't even aware what a terrorist was, living in scandinavia in the 90's - All I knew about Israel and Palestine was that they sometimes fired weapons at eachother on the news) as well as a very strong "Fuck America" mentality coursing through the country as I grew into my teens (Bush Administration made all the lefties twist and scream in hatred over here <.<)

Call me stupid, but I was at high school. We were in Modern Studies, talking about '9/11' and I had no idea what was going on. >.> I didn't get any time for the tv as it was reserved for my step-dad after work, and they never brought any newspapers home. XD I was 12.

I was playing counter-strike at my home. Checked the TV. Went back to play counter-strike.

o.O I was 1just about to turn 16.. Was in college I came home In time to see mum waching tv looking somewhat distraut she got me in the room int ime for me to see the second tower fall Live via a hellicopter from sky news couldnt speek for some time.. mum told me of the first tower going down I was like nah till i saw the smoking tv screan not something I want to see again

Poor souls

Stoned. Hyde Park, Leeds. Just turned off a film, forget what. When the TV was interrupted to inform that a plane had hit the WTC. No one knew what that meant, or why. An accident? Looked like a film. I came round, or thought I did, quite quickly. Four hours later my GF at the time was still sat, staring unblinking at the screen. I told her to stop, I was tired, emotional and a bit confused. I said it would all be ok in the morning, or later that day, the world wasn't about the go crazy and change.

I was it seems a bit naive. Or just stoned.

I don't remember much at all, but I don't think it had such a huge impact over here (other than our planned vacation to the US had to be canceled because of ... visa related issues ahem). I do remember my crazy grandmother screaming about the Americans getting their just reward or something whenever I went over to see her cough.

I remember though later on after the US invaded Iraq, we got an entire month or two off school because everyone was afraid of bomb raids from Iraq or something. Everything was still sort of normal here, but I remember everyone being so tense around here and sirens going off every single hour or something. We weren't allowed out at night or anything either, and we had to shut all the curtains when it was dark and everything. It was really scary but no bombs were ever dropped and it wasn't that bad really, or maybe it was just because I was still a kid...

And oh ya I remember when they finally found Saddam and his execution ... ugh it was so sad, I remember ... not because he was a good guy or anything, but it was just so brutal and he looked so sad and pathetic.

OK now I'm really starting to ramble ...

I will never forget how I experienced 9/11 because it was ... ridiculous. I was in school, studying for my bachelor's degree in journalism. One of my classmates came in our room, saying a plane had just hit the WTC. The teacher's reaction was 'Oh no, my bike is parked there.' (There is a WTC in Amsterdam.. ><) Then he proceeded to tell us we couldn't go watch the happenings on the large screen in the main hall, but had to follow his class in 'journalistic selection procedures'.

Really. Not kidding.