Where were you when the towers fell?

[thetreble 19]

Well, as this is the 8th year we commemorate those lost in the attacks of 9/11, where were you when the towers fell? At the time, were you together with your American US spouse and how did the attacks make you feel, even if you weren't physically together at the time?

[Carlawarla 1]

Well, as this is the 8th year we commemorate those lost in the attacks of 9/11, where were you when the towers fell? At the time, were you together with your American US spouse and how did the attacks make you feel, even if you weren't physically together at the time?

I was driving into work when I heard it on the radio. I pulled over on the side of the road. I noticed a lot of other people doing the same. I was in disbelief. Cried so many times during the day. Watched TV at work. I felt sick. I was completely overwhelmed.

I hadn't met Gene yet.

[SapphireDreams 71]

I was in highschool and at school when I heard.

At the time, my husband and I weren't dating yet, but we were very close "online" friends and we were talking on the phone at that point with eachother. He was actually in his Freshman year of college and went to school in Manhattan, downtown at Baruch. I had no idea what his proximity was or anything and the phone line weren't working.

I tried calling him when I got home from school all evening and couldn't get through. Finally at 9 p.m. I got through to him and he was completely in shock. He didn't want to talk about it. Afterwards he told me that he was leaving one of his classes just after the planes hit and he could see the huge fog/cloud/dust and he said it was chaos everywhere. He ended up walking to the Queensboro Bridge and then getting into a car with some random guy (it was a gypsy cab) and then walked home through Queens from the bridge. I think it took him about 3 hours. He's still very affected by it now.

I work in the same area now, Wall St., so it's really surreal to me being here 6 years later.

[sdw 10]

I was at work and was in shock at what I was seeing on the t.v.

I wasn't with my husband at the time.

[Peachey 10]

I was in grade 13 religion class learning about the Muslim religion.

We had TVs in all of our classes in high school, so all day all we did was watch it. Except for in Finite Math, the teacher was like "NO, YOU MUST LEARN!"

I was deeply saddened by what happened.

Now, I am more curious as to how the events unfolded, and things like that. Still very sad tho

[J&K 0]

I remember not hearing about it until after everything had happened.

I was at my second day of my 1st year at Trent University (at the Oshawa campus). It was a Tuesday and I was in Intro to Canadian History with Prof. Robert Wright. Class started at 9am, got our syllabus, signed up for tutorial, and had a question and answer period.

After that, I went and grabbed lunch from Harvey's in the cafeteria, hopped on the bus, made it home to call my mom at work (as I always did) and she asks me, "have you turned on the tv?" to which I replied...."no, what's going on"

Once that tv came on, I was glued to CNN for days (when I wasn't in class).

Funny...I can't watch any of the footage now, I get too upset.

Didn't know my hubby then. In fact, I didn't know many of the friends I know in the US now, and have found that some of them were very close to what happened in DC, including my boss who saw it hit the pentagon and called 911.

[ashenflowers 5]

I was in my 2nd year of college, and on my way to school and heard it on the radio. At school we gathered in the lounge and watched TVs for a while in disbelief, and looked up stuff on the internet during class. I remember saying 'omg there's going to be a war, there's no way something like this happens and they don't go to war!'. I wish I'd been wrong. I went home and my roommates had the TV on, and we continued to watch news all evening, trying to figure out what happened.

My brother was living overseas at the point (which he is again now actually), and I remember thinking that not having all of my family members within easy contact range was very frightening.

I didn't know my fiance at the time... Apparently his father lost some colleagues that day... And he was supposed to fly out somewhere in that area that day but was delayed.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I was at work and got a quick email from my brother who was leaving for class - it said....

"Whoa, crazy $h*t...have you seem what's on TV? A plane just crashed into the World Trade Centre...gotta go."

Our company network was jammed with the people all trying to get to the internet to find out what was happening. I felt sick once I knew there was more then 1 (as if 1 wasn't enough) and I went and cried in the washroom at work. The rest of the day was a write off, although none of us actually went home but we just couldn't bring ourselves to be productive. I hugged my daughter a lot that day, she was 9 and didn't understand what was going on.

Didn't know Don then, we live 20 minutes from Washington and everyone here has a much different experience then us Canadians did.....there were fighter planes flying around and it was a scary day here from what I understand. Everyone here seems to know someone affected by it, very heart breaking

[thetreble 19]

The reason I asked this question is that I wrote extensively on the topic, even years later after it happened. There are so many angles you can take to the tragedy, so many lives were affected by it.

This morning I heard a story on NPR about a woman who snuck into a bank to get away from the smoke on Wall St. There was only one other guy in there, and his name was Don. He kept her calm for a few hours and then they were having Ferry service to Jersey City to get people away from the smoke and the chaos. She never saw Don again and has been trying to find him for years...she feels like he's the only person she can connect to on a day like this.

I was in OAC English class with Mr. Davidson, a very eccentric, neurotic teacher. I happened to LOVE his class so I never missed it. He was late for class so we were all just sitting there...10 minutes...15...and then he dramatically appeared in the room and said,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the World Trade Centers in New York City have been hit and are on the verge of collapse.."

And we watched for a little while but then they sent us home. Some officials in Canada were concerned for the toronto and the greater area. Of course, I was glad to get outta school but when I went home and saw what was happening on the television it was scary.

I didn't know Jared at the time, but he often reminds me of what it was like. Living just across the Hudson, many of his classmates lost their parents, and some of them uncles and aunts, cousins, etc.

I still often will ride the Path train to World Trade just to look around, and then take the subway down town.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I was at work in the MPs office listening to CBC on the radio when they made the announcement. I was actually involved with another American at the time and our relationship had been having trouble. I had scheduled off half the day from lunch on to go over and see him and we were going to 'talk'. I called him when I heard the news, and while we were on the phone the second airplane struck. He turned on his TV to see if he could get more information. He thought at first it was just a small commuter plane that had gone tragically off course and then saw what actually happened. Shortly afterwards, they closed the borders. I called him back to tell him I wouldn't be coming and he was actually angry at me! He didn't accept that the borders were closed and thought I was making it up. We argued and he hung up on me. (hehehe, the relationship lasted about another rocky 1/2 year before I finally said 'enough!' and made it stick - we broke up innumerable times before that and he kept saying he wanted to try again and I kept agreeing). I went home at lunch and watched the news, then went back to work instead of going over to the US.

After work I went to a wetlands nature preserve where I liked to walk when I felt troubled. I sat in the observation deck and felt the strangeness of having no flights overhead (we were in the pathways of Detroit airport) and then it struck me - the absolute stillness. There were no wildlife sounds or nature sounds at all - it was eerily quiet. That has always troubled me and struck home - it felt like the whole world was in shock.

Edited September 12, 2009 by Kathryn41

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I have a good friend who has a 'survivor' story as well.

He was doing temp type of work and for the previous 3 weeks had been working in an area away from the Twin Towers. That morning he was scheduled to start a new temporary job down stairs at the Twin Towers. He got on the Subway, but wasn't really paying attention and ended up getting on the train he had been using for the previous 3 weeks. Annoyed and frustrated because he now knew he was going to be late for the first day on a new job, he got off at the next stop and got on the subway headed the other direction. Just before it got to its destination, however the train stopped and everyone was told to get off. He was angry now thinking he would need to walk the next blocks to get to the Twin Towers. He said when he got up to the sidewalk, however, he 'saw' the smoke and dust and debris and without knowing yet what had happened, he joined those turning and running away from the area instead. He heard from the people around him that the Twin Towers had been struck by a plane (only one at that stage). It didn't hit him until later that day that if he had got on the right train instead of the wrong train, he would have been in the Twin Towers when the plane struck.

[R and F 34]

I was at work and my boss's wife called us to tell us about it and then I turned on the radio and it was all over the news. My boss went home and brought his TV and we watched it all day long. I went home and watched it all night long as well. It was so unreal and I cried so much. I will never forget that event.

[thetreble 19]

I have a good friend who has a 'survivor' story as well.

He was doing temp type of work and for the previous 3 weeks had been working in an area away from the Twin Towers. That morning he was scheduled to start a new temporary job down stairs at the Twin Towers. He got on the Subway, but wasn't really paying attention and ended up getting on the train he had been using for the previous 3 weeks. Annoyed and frustrated because he now knew he was going to be late for the first day on a new job, he got off at the next stop and got on the subway headed the other direction. Just before it got to its destination, however the train stopped and everyone was told to get off. He was angry now thinking he would need to walk the next blocks to get to the Twin Towers. He said when he got up to the sidewalk, however, he 'saw' the smoke and dust and debris and without knowing yet what had happened, he joined those turning and running away from the area instead. He heard from the people around him that the Twin Towers had been struck by a plane (only one at that stage). It didn't hit him until later that day that if he had got on the right train instead of the wrong train, he would have been in the Twin Towers when the plane struck.

It's stories like those that make you think about how strange, awkward and amazing life really is.

[Malrothien 6]

Ugh.. As an American... ugh. I can't even explain what I'm feeling today.

[thetreble 19]

Ugh.. As an American... ugh. I can't even explain what I'm feeling today.

usually "ugh" is internet language for discontent... I'm assuming you mean that you feel disheartened about it all though.