Where Were You 12 Years Ago September 11th When Our Country Was Attacked?

It was September 11^th 2001 when I was living at home with my  83 year old father who was stricken with a serious illness as a result from his cancer.   It was a day I soon learned would forever change our history books,  a day when the United States was under attack... a day known as 9-11.

I was snoozing on the couch when I heard some urgent news blaring from the television.  I awoke to see my father, who loved watching the news, sitting up straight as an arrow, with his eyes fixated on the images on the television screen.  After rubbing my eyes to focus on the screen myself, I saw what looked like piles of rubble and people running in panic.  Assuming that it was another situation going on in the middle east, I asked my dad  “So, where in the middle east is the trouble this time dad?”  And with a blank, stunned look, not even turning away from the television, he replied “No... it's New York City... we’ve been attacked.”

Still a bit hazy and in a fog, wondering if I heard him correctly, I, in a groggy voice said “What, what did you say?”  My father, still in shock once again said “New York City, we’ve been attacked.”  It became more apparent to me of what was going on, as I saw hoards of people running away from what  was once known as the World Trade Center.  I became even more aware of my father’s reaction, and the look of horror in his eyes.

I had two very loving parents, who were a bit older when I born into the family as a  “big surprise.”  While most of my friends had grandfathers who served in  WW II, my own father served in that war, and after seeing the images of terror on our country flash before his eyes, his mind immediately flashed back to a time when he heard the horrific news that United States was under attack in Pearl Harbor.  Seeing him frozen like a statue, only made me realize that this was our Pearl Harbor, that history had repeated itself, and that yes, WE, the great United States, were in grave distress!

I'm sure you have stories of your own on where you were when you heard the devastating news. What was going through your mind when you heard, to quote Alan Jackson, that “The World Stopped Turning?”  What was your first reaction to 9-11?