Lest We Forget.

I was 22. I remember getting up late, I didn't start work until 2pm, so I could sleep in. As was the norm, I switched on the TV. The scenes that greeted me were surreal. It couldn't possibly be real. In all honesty, my first thought was: "Oh, cool! When's this movie coming out?"

Thence came the slow realisation. Thence came the creeping darkness and dread. Thence came the lifting of the veil of innocence.

This was real.

I ran through the house in horror and tears, trembling. My mother had just gotten up. "Turn on the telly!" I cried. "Huh?" Came the bemused response of a woman who though that this was just another Wednesday (It was already September 12 here). I led her to the lounge room and switched on the TV there. Two towers, once the proud symbol of New York's commercial centre, were on fire. People, real people with lives and loves, threw themselves from on high, desperate to escape fire and death.

"As long as they don't collapse..." I didn't have time to finish the thought.

The world that has become in the aftermath is not the world promised to me as a child. I grieve that it is the world we bequeath our children.

I was 6. People might think I don't remember anything because well, most of my friends who were the same age as me don't remember it. I do I guess because I was in NYC, in the WTC, only 2 weeks before 9/11.

My sister and I got home (I was in grade 1, and my sister was starting her first year in Secondary school). She just sits next to me and said:
"There was an accident or something in New York. The World Trade Centre is destroyed."
I was like: "What?!" Very alarmed since I was there not a long time ago.

I spent the entire evening watching the news on CNN. Pics after pics. I didn't realised all the mess besides the buildings collapsing. Like I didn't realised what all the smoke and the dust might do. And I was kinda traumatized when I saw people jumping from windows.

After that I was kinda obsessed about it and even made a model of the thing all in paper and scotch tape

By the way, people, who saw the movie: United 93? It is a good movie.

@Dan: telly? Sad story :shock:

I personally realized couple of years later that it wasn't the end of the world and the worst disaster ever. Planes were hijacked a lot before for many reasons but not for killing.

I was about 5? I was too young to remember what exactly happened, but I do remember vividly the image of the second plane (United 175) smashing into the South tower.

I guess you could say I was too young to even realise the actual significance of what I saw. Being a 5 year old child, I could only think that it wasn't real, that it was actually a movie.

It was only years later, did I actually learn about what exactly happened, the lives lost, the devastation that had been brought about.

Julien, "telly", in British/Australian slang, is television.

Although we already have this thread : http://www.aoin.eu/t3281-where-were-you-the-september-11th-2001

I didn't remember too much about that time but I pretty shocked when that attack begun. Because as I know, that tower was one of the world tallest tower at that time..

I don't remember much, since I was quite young at the time, so all I remember seeing (on Ethiopian TV) was a wall of dust coming down the street and people running away from it.

I'd say for the 10th anniversary, a new thread is needed.

Personally, I was at school that day, just getting ready to turn 6 (My birthday was the 15th, still is). My mother had just dropped me off and was driving away from school when news of the first plane hit the city's airwaves, I still didn't know but something felt off about the day all day, and then probably around 10-11 there, 11-12 in DC/NY/PA, and for most of the 11 mile trip home (it was a private school on the far other side of town), we kept quite, my grandma did atleast tell me something had happened, didn't know what, but I got home, turned on our tv, and there was cnn, I can't remember much after, I guess i've blocked it out, but now, even today, I rarely have a day I don't remember, nor does my mother, and I doubt my father does. Every time I see the american flag I remember. It's seared in my brain, and I will never forget.

A proud american

I was 3? and I was in India, I don't remember much, but after seeing the footage when I was 8 or 9 made me realize it was trouble. The only thing I remembered was that we stayed longer in india (Probably cause of flight blocking)

I was only 4 when this happen, and like most of you, I couldn't remember much either...But it's only several years ago that I could truly give this disaster the true respect to those who died to rescue and those who died innocently with no reason at the World Trade Center, United Airlines 93 and at the Pentagon.

Even now it's hard to really comprehend, though I haven't been affected, that this ever happened, and truly saddens me that those who died, were killed in the first place.

This disaster would be nothing I'd ever forget, for as long as I live...I will pay my repsects to those who lost their lives and to their families.

May no one forget this dark moment in time, no matter the opinions.

Thats very Beautiful

Man if I remember those tragedy it's very terrible... :~XC:
cuz the victims more than 2000, this a major human genocide. I also sent (eventhough it's a bit late) deepest sympathy to those who lost someone in this tragedy.
I hope no more major tragedy like this again ever. :x

Huston: nice sketch..