Where were you when the world stood still?

On 9/11 every year, people post about what they were doing and where they were when they heard about the terrorist attacks. I don't think I've ever written mine down so I want to for my kids to know.

I have a lot of secondary NYC pride. Being born outside there and having visited there for my growing up years made me feel like an honorary citizen of New York. While I have retracted wanting to live there (or any city ever again after living in Miami), I will still argue that it is better than any other Northeastern city (cough Boston).

So it was the beginning of 6th grade for me. I remember coming downstairs and seeing that the TV was on. The TV was NEVER on before school, so I thought "Cool!" Then I realized something was super wrong. My mom and dad were so focused on it and Austin came running up to me saying there was an airplane crash at the Twin Towers. We had just gone to visit the summer before, and Alyse went up into one of the towers. It was surreal to watch them smoking like that. As we were eating breakfast the first tower collapsed. It was so surreal (again, no other word to describe it) to be witnessing live. It was so unfathomable and cartoonish the way it came down that I thought this was a joke. Like a Pee Wee Herman type collapse? But it wasn't. All I remember is the audible gasp from my parents and the tears and then it hit me that this was REAL and this was horrific. I was 11, remember?

I remember the cameras shooting people running and screaming from the falling debris. My cousins told me that all day that day people were being pulled out of class to be told about the status of their parents.

Every year I learn a little more about that day. I'm so glad that our videos didn't show (or our parents protected us from) the footage of the people jumping out of the buildings. I think of the first responders and the people who saved lives and it's awe inspiring. I think of those people who rushed the cockpit and brought down United 93 to save the lives of who knows how many people and I am grateful for their sacrifice.

I just watched a video that had some audio of voicemails people left from the planes and it makes me never want to fly. The fear they had in their voices makes your heart stop. I still can't watch footage without tearing up.

So, that's where I was when the world stood still.