Young Writers Society

I was 8 or 9...and in 3rd grade. Our teacher sat us down in a circle and hopelessly tried to explain to our frenzied, short-attention spans what had happened. Then our principal just let us run amuck on the playground...ooh, goodness. I have to find my journal entry for that day. I WAS SUCH AN IDIOT.

It didn't really hit me until I was reading an issue of Time from around then...about two years ago, in 4th grade.

I was having one of my greatest days when "it" happened. I was 6th grade at that time.
I woke up in 5 O'clock and jogged around the town a little. After jogging, I took a shower and grabbed a banana before hopping into my school. Nothing unusual happened. It was so peaceful I fell a sleep by accident and got yelled at by my teacher. We, no wait. Other kids except me went to the lunch; I was held back for sleeping through my teacher's lecture. It was horrible because the lunch ladies were going to serve my favorite food, which I knew because I happened to glance at the menu that they sent us in a mail before grabbing a banana. My friends, faithfully, saved up some chips and shared it with me when they were all returning. They were talking of something. Actually, the whole class was a chaos. I didn't know the reason; well, I didn't care. The teacher bam opened the door and rush to the other side of the classroom to turn on the T.V. After few seconds, whole class saw a plane crashing into two skinny towers and a second one finishing them off. We were horrified. Actually, THEY were horrified. I didn't know what Twin Towers were. I didn't know of it until I was slapped down by my best buddy for laughing at the towers burning down.

Wow. It's amazing to hear everyone's accounts of what they thought about the attacks. Although I do agree that Jack has a point saying that more sympathy was shown to those who died in the September 11th attacks than the numerous people dying in Africa everyday. It's tough to think about...

Anyway. My experience was less thrilling. My hellhole of a school didn't even TELL us that there was an attack on the Twin Towers because they didn't want to have to deal with hysterical children. -Rolls eyes- I was in eighth grade at the time.

I was in sixth grade. I was sitting in English class I think. My English teacher was married to the art teacher. We were all working quietly on something and then he came in and whispered something to her. She started crying. None of us had any idea what had happened for another thirty minutes or so.

I was home sick, watching cartoons or something, maybe it was the history channel? It doesn't really matter. Then my mom called from work and said "Danny, turn on the news." I asker her why and she just said, "You'll see" And then I saw it, (I saw the second building attack real time) and first I was shocked, then angry then sad, then sad AND angry at the same time.

I was in the sixth grade, and was still going to school in a town about half and hour away from my hometown. We were on the way to school when my mom called my dad's cell phone and starting ranting about a national emergency.

We pretty much blew her off because she was still manic at that time, but then we turned on the radio to listen to the news.

Everyone at school was really quiet and tense, and there were TV's tuned to the news all over the place. It wasn't until about four days later that I really understood what had happened, because I'd never heard of the Twin Towers, except maybe in passing.

When they were still digging through the rubble for survivors, my dad told me about a group of people that had gotten under a table before the towers collapsed and survived until their air supply ran out and they suffocated to death. I burst into tears because I was scared and horrified. I think that was one of the first times I ever thought about how much hate there was in the world, and it really freaked me out.

Did you know that more people have died in auto accidents because theyre not flying than died when the plains hit?

For your research, my mom took me into the basement so that my little bro wouldn't hear anything. I asked "Did I do somthing, is somthing bad?" And she said "Yes, there is somthing bad but unless you are not telling me somthing serious, you are in no way conected." I wasn't upset, alaska for some reason doesn't really feal like a part of the states. I didn't even know it was on pourpose till I went to school.

It is true that plains are in the safer way to travel. It's just that when things go wrong, it usually ends up REAL bad.

I didn't know you could use a flat piece of land for transportation.

Psst... it's plane...

jennafina wrote:Did you know that more people have died in auto accidents because theyre not flying than died when the plains hit?

For your research, my mom took me into the basement so that my little bro wouldn't hear anything. I asked "Did I do somthing, is somthing bad?" And she said "Yes, there is somthing bad but unless you are not telling me somthing serious, you are in no way conected." I wasn't upset, alaska for some reason doesn't really feal like a part of the states. I didn't even know it was on pourpose till I went to school.

Yes, but that's not what we're discussing. The reason why more people get freaked out/sad when terrorists attack is because nobody is used to, at all, terrorism (maybe used to isnt the right word choice...meh) But anyway, with all the people driving around, especially with all the bad drivers out there, people assume that unfortunately, people are going to die from a car accident. But people DO NOT assume/expect that when they build a scyscraper, its going to get two jets crashed into it, or when you get on a bus, that there will be somebody with a suicide belt on it as well, just waiting to blow it sky high.

I mean, in Israel, one of the most terrorist-ridden countries in the world, more people die there yearly from car crashes than from bombs and guns and bullets, but you don't see Israelis and Israel-supporters rallying for safer cars/driving laws. No, they rally against terrorism. Because it is a much more sinister, evil, sick twisted form of death.

Sorry, didn't mean to breach topic. It was stupid, I hope I didn't offend anyone too badly. Its the alaska thing..

And my spelling ablilties are abismal, I know. Thanks for being so subtle.

Wasn't that directed at me? I can't spell either. I'd never get published if I had to stick to typewriters.

AAAAAaaaaannnnyywwwwaaayyy.... getting back to the topic. I was in 5th grade and in math at the time. None of our class knew, but when the period ended, one of my friends (a gossip queen) was trying to get the news out. She told me, and I was like, "hold on, what the hack are the twin towers?" I knew nothing of them until they were rubble. and then we watched the film coverage in science. I wasn't concerned, so I ignored it. It wasn't until the news reporter said something (I don't 'member what) and it started to sink in.

I wrote this in 2003 for something. I also have a couple of diary entries, which I'll probably post on here, just for record's sake.

2003 Memories...
Actually I didn't believe it at first. Griffinkeeper was running around saying something bad had happened to the WWTC and I thought this was ANOTHER one of his practical jokes. He woke me up though, and I groaned and turned on the radio to listen to some music.

I didn't hear any music though. I only heard the radio personalities talking about planes crashing into buildings in hushed, terrified voices that kept breaking up once in a while from emotion.

I was up, and it was obvious that I was not going to sleep at all. So I crept into the family room which had the TV on, very unusual, and I saw the pictures. I must admit I grew sick to my stomach watching the planes, but I had to see it over and over until I realized the truth, we were attacked in a horrible way and that 10,000 innocent people (the figure was later changed to about 3 to 4 thousand as we grew more aware of what really happened) died.

And I was also terrified. My family lives around Seatle and San Francisco. What if they were hit?

The day was a blur. There were no arguments in the house that day, only a subdued silence.

A diary entry!

It's a little stupid now... I was young, honest! But it was written when I was scared, so please understand the sloppy writing.

September 11, 2001 AD (9/11)

Dear Diary,

I am afraid WWIII has begun.

Today I remember waking up and staying in my warm bed, thinking today was going to be usual.

At around 7:30, I hear Joe knocking on our doors. “Turn on the satellite,” he hisses to Mom and Dad. Joe hurried to Justine’s room and told her that two airplanes had crashed into the World Trade Center in NYC. I thought he was joking. I turned on the radio, and sure enough even 107.9 talked about it. Even right now at 9:26 PM they are switching to music to talk.

Anyhow, I’m starting to get scared. I go downstairs, and I am confronted by the scenes of the Twin Towers collapsing, the Pentagon in smoke, and the White House being evacuated. I stared at the news in horror for a couple of hours. My mom was a little worried, so she made us breakfast, including crumb cake.

I’m still shaken. The day seemed like a dream, yet it wasn’t. My thoughts were drifting, and I didn’t think of much, yet I know what happened. I am half afraid for myself and family and half sorry for the families and the people died. It’s estimated at 10,000. I think it will be more.

At least there’s one good thing about it; the nation is coming together. Democrats and Republicans are joined together. The people are outraged at what has happened, and the president has vowed revenge. Like Admiral Yamamoto said when Pearl Harbor was bombed, “We have awaken a sleeping giant and filled it with terrible resolve.” History repeats itself, doesn’t it?

Thank God I don’t have anyone I know in those flights and buildings. If I did, I would be a stammering idiot.

So who did this terrible deed? The media says it’s a terrorist attack. I believe it is more than that. It is an organized group that has thought about this for a long time and has the nations backing it up, particularly the Palestinians.

I can’t believe the nerve of those people! They were dancing in the streets when they heard the news.

Many nations have so far offered their condolences. The nations that will support us wholeheartedly if we go to war are: Germany; Italy; England; and France. God bless these nations and look after them!

America is all fired up again. We will do whatever it takes to defeat these cowards. We will show them that God has his eye on us and will always protect us if we are just. They will pay for killing thousands of innocent people. America will make sure of it!