5 years ago today two planes flew into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and one crashed in Pennsylvania (it was headed to D.C. with the Capitol as its target). Today many forms of media are doing different tributes and memorials to remember the day. On the radio they had listeners call in and tell the story of where they were and how they found out. Here is mine:
It was my freshman year at UW-Madison. I got up as usual and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. My roommate was already up and changed, watching television while lounging in her bed. I returned back from the shower in my street clothes, towel wrapped around my head, carrying my little shower caddy. As I opened up my door, I saw my roommate out of bed, standing by her desk, on the phone with her brother. In her other hand she had the remote control. She had just changed the channel to CNN. She then looked at me all puzzled and said, "A plane just flew into the World Trade Center."
My reaction, although to some may seem harsh, is very characteristic to me. I immediately thought, "What kind of dumbass pilot flies right into a building?" I didn't think at all of a terrorist attack. Because I thought it was some fluke accident, I quickly combed my hair, grabbed my things and went to my Math 221 discussion.
After my class I came back to my dorm. First I went to the cafeteria to grab my lunch. Everyone in the cafeteria was talking about the planes but not going into detail. I got confused about the plural use of the word. With my food, I went to my room, my roommate was gone to class. I turned on the television and got the news. By this time not only did I find out that another plane flew into the other building, but that they had both collapsed and that another plane flew into the Pentagon.
I didn't go to any other classes for the day. I just stayed in my room watching the news in utter shock and feeling guilty about how fast I brushed off the initial news.
I guess that this event is similar to the JFK assassination. Everyone asks you where you were when you heard the news, and you remember.
1 comment:
I remember that day, very vividly. Getting Michael's stuff together for his senior picture sitting and watching GMA, and then seeing them go to the report that a plane had crashed into a WTC building. Then, when the 2nd plane hit, realizing that this was no accident and that the US was under attack. And yet, strangely, everyone (except the television stations) kept on doing what they were doing. We went to Strukel's. and Mike got his senior pics taken. In the background, we could hear the TV on and the office girls would come in to report when the buildings collapsed. Then going to the bank afterwards, the radio was on and I asked the clerk if the schools were canceled, and she said she did not know. School was not canceled....and dad went to work. I kept trying to call you girls at Madison, because I was afraid that if there were going to be more attacks, that Madison was not a safe place to be....with it being a capital and Wisconsin being next to the Great Lakes and all. But I could not get through to you until much later on. That was a day I will never forget.
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