Written Stories:
1. "I was in 8th grade. We were in homeroom when the announcement came over the intercom that there was a very important assembly in the gym and we all had to go. We had gotten a few warnings that the principal wasn't happy with our adherence to dress code, and I was wearing cargo pants which were not allowed, so I was terrified that the assembly was about that and I would get in trouble.
There was a lot of confusion as the principal tried to explain what was really going on. This was right after the second plane hit when it was clearly not an accident, but nobody knew anything else. The teachers wheeled in a TV and we watched the news. Most of the kids didn't understand what everything meant, it was too distant from us, some just kept joking around. A couple girls acted terrified and emotional, but we just thought they were being dramatic.
When we went back to homeroom one of the quiet kids had his head down on his desk, clearly crying. His dad was in NYC on business and he hadn't heard from him.
That made it a little more personal.
- Reddit user /u/InuitOverIt
There was a lot of confusion as the principal tried to explain what was really going on. This was right after the second plane hit when it was clearly not an accident, but nobody knew anything else. The teachers wheeled in a TV and we watched the news. Most of the kids didn't understand what everything meant, it was too distant from us, some just kept joking around. A couple girls acted terrified and emotional, but we just thought they were being dramatic.
When we went back to homeroom one of the quiet kids had his head down on his desk, clearly crying. His dad was in NYC on business and he hadn't heard from him.
That made it a little more personal.
- Reddit user /u/InuitOverIt
2. "I was in my sophomore year of high school. I was only 15, so I didn’t even fully understand what was going on. I was usually disinterested in the news and didn’t ask many questions, so terrorism was not even a blip on my mental radar.
My sophomore geometry teacher turned on the live news during period B, and we all watched in horror as the second plane hit. I was so scared and confused.
I immediately left period B and found a pay phone, pushed in a quarter with a shaky thumb, and called my dad at work in Boston. He couldn’t take my call, so I left him this shaky message I still can hear echoed in my brain to this day,
'Hi, Dad. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news or anything, but there are planes crashing into the World Trade Center in New York, and I’m scared. I love you and I’ll talk to you soon.'
I went to my mentor teacher’s classroom, where she dimmed the lights, hugged us all, and we watched the billowing smoke on the screen while she cried and cried. It was so raw, and heartbreaking in a way I cannot explain. I knew then that something much bigger than I can fathom was going down before my eyes.
It was a sad, somber day. I can’t remember the rest of the day, or going home, talking to my dad, or learning more details. This is all I can remember from that day- that shaky, uncertain, scared feeling where you realize that the world can be much, much bigger, scarier, and more complicated than you think. It sobered me into adulthood, and I’ve carried it with me forever.
Together, every 9/11, my husband, three kids and I gather to remember those who were lost and cry about the tragedy. As an adult, I’ve never tried to shield my kids from the scary things that can happen in the world, which can be a challenge. But when they gather with me while I’m watching the morning or evening news, and they ask me questions, I answer them. In whatever way they can understand, I tell them about the terrible things that can happen in the world outside of our own bubble. I never want them to feel scared and confused about a world news event and not have anyone to coach them through - I want them to have to tools to do so themselves, and to be the leaders we need to make a change and difference.
It’s a bittersweet reality."
- Reddit user /u/ChryMonr818
My sophomore geometry teacher turned on the live news during period B, and we all watched in horror as the second plane hit. I was so scared and confused.
I immediately left period B and found a pay phone, pushed in a quarter with a shaky thumb, and called my dad at work in Boston. He couldn’t take my call, so I left him this shaky message I still can hear echoed in my brain to this day,
'Hi, Dad. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news or anything, but there are planes crashing into the World Trade Center in New York, and I’m scared. I love you and I’ll talk to you soon.'
I went to my mentor teacher’s classroom, where she dimmed the lights, hugged us all, and we watched the billowing smoke on the screen while she cried and cried. It was so raw, and heartbreaking in a way I cannot explain. I knew then that something much bigger than I can fathom was going down before my eyes.
It was a sad, somber day. I can’t remember the rest of the day, or going home, talking to my dad, or learning more details. This is all I can remember from that day- that shaky, uncertain, scared feeling where you realize that the world can be much, much bigger, scarier, and more complicated than you think. It sobered me into adulthood, and I’ve carried it with me forever.
Together, every 9/11, my husband, three kids and I gather to remember those who were lost and cry about the tragedy. As an adult, I’ve never tried to shield my kids from the scary things that can happen in the world, which can be a challenge. But when they gather with me while I’m watching the morning or evening news, and they ask me questions, I answer them. In whatever way they can understand, I tell them about the terrible things that can happen in the world outside of our own bubble. I never want them to feel scared and confused about a world news event and not have anyone to coach them through - I want them to have to tools to do so themselves, and to be the leaders we need to make a change and difference.
It’s a bittersweet reality."
- Reddit user /u/ChryMonr818