Thursday, September 11, 2008

911

It's been 7 years today.

I was coaching basketball at the University of Southern Mississippi. We practiced at 6:00A.M. every morning. We had just finished the day's practice and I was leaving the coliseum to head to my apartment to get cleaned up in order to go to an athletic department meeting.

I got in my car, and turned on the Steve and DC morning show out of St. Louis. They were just getting reports of it, trying to confirm the reports, etc.

I got to my apartment, turned on CNN and was watching the coverage. At that time no one was sure that it was a terrorist attack. Some were speculating, but it was pure speculation.

Then, a reporter on top of an adjacent building with the Twin Towers in the background was reporting the known facts at the time. He broke the news as it was coming into his ear piece that another plane had indeed been hijacked. About the time he got the words out of his mouth you could see behind him the plane flying into the other tower. Then he turned around and realized what happened.

I quickly showered and returned to the basketball offices. No one there had heard anything about it yet, so we turned on all the TVs and radios available, and like much of the world watched the rest of the day in complete and utter non-belief.

One of my colleagues who coached women's basketball had a sister that worked at the Pentagon. Thankfully she was safe.

That's where I was. Please feel free to comment about where you were and what you were doing that day.

4 comments:

HektikLyfe said...

I didn't get to watch anything. I worked for a real jerk and he made me cover for everyone while they watched T.V.

My imagination made it worse.

The Reluctant Dreamer said...

I'm an early riser...so I was at home...watching tv. Wide awake and perky. The station I was watching was interrupted by a news report and they showed smoke and the towers falling and it was one bad report after another.

I remember thinking the world was under attack and I was horrified but in shock at the same time. I fumbled around and called one person after another...

I was in Florida but almost all of my friends knew someone in the city where that terrible tragedy took place. I will never forget sitting on the floor of those pink apartments in total shock.

melvisx said...

I was driving to work, listening to the news on the radio. The firs thing I did when I got to school was find a TV. I didn't cover much curriculum that day. My students and I spent our time trying to phathom just what was going on.

The Diva on a Diet said...

Saw your post on the Google Coffee Shop and thought I'd add my experience.

I live in New York City, and was sleeping lightly that morning ... my dreams interrupted by the relentless wail of fire engines as they zoomed down the highway near my building. I was conscious of the sound, but not fully awake until my phone rang. It was my sister in law and she was screaming at me to put on the tv. I did and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I saw the second plane hit as we were on the phone.

When they hit the Pentagon, my sister in law came over - we both felt like the entire country was under attack and we needed to be together. Beyond that I was desperately trying to reach my husband without success because our phone and internet lines were out. He was walking home from work because the subways weren't running.

Eventually, most of our family, the ones who live in NYC, ended up in our apartment and we watched the rest of the events unfold. I remember feeling terrified that we would be bombed or something that night. I was afraid to go to sleep.

There's more, but that is enough. Seven years seems like a long time - and yet not really. Its amazing how easily the shock and fear can come roaring back. I wish no one in the world would ever have to experience such a day again.

Peace.