Share Your 9/11 Story. Flashbulb Memories!
69One of the things that has always interested me was the concept of "flashbulb memory" and I thought I would put this out there and see if anyone else is interested. Flashbulb memories are usually very vivid and take place when something very traumatic happens in our lives. In most cases they take place when something negative happens in our lives. Maybe your father said something critical and you still remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when he said it. He may have said 1,000 great things about you, but you remember the negative because it was a traumatic experience and it is endelibly burned in your mind.
Although these kinds of things are things you remember, I think there are several other things depending on how old you are that did not happen personally to you, but you will remember exactly where you were and exactly what you were doing when these events took place. And you will remember them for the rest of your life. These are photographs that will never fade away!
There are some highly emotional events that have taken place in my lifetime. The 1st event was when John F. Kennedy was shot. I remember where I was, what I was doing and the events that took place for me personally when he was shot. I was in 8th grade study hall and my teacher entered the room and stated that the president had been shot. It just so happened that my study hall teacher was a New Englander and sounded exactly like JFK when he spoke. Well some in the class thought he was joking and laughed about it. We soon found out by his display of anger that he was not joking and it was soon after announced over the school PA system that what he stated was indeed the truth.
That is one "flashbulb memory" that I have among many and I am confident that many of you also remember exactly where you were, what you were doing and the surrounding circumstances the day JFK was shot. My idea here is to gather together as many stories as possible using three significant events that have taken place in my lifetime. The 1st I have already mentioned is JFKs assassination. Where were you and what were you doing the day you got the news?
The 2nd event is the loss of the Columbia Space Shuttle. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on that awful day?
And the 3rd and closest in our memory is the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001. I would like for us to begin with The World Trade Center because it is the most traumatic experience we have had in recent times. I believe you can all remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when the towers were hit.
I will be setting up a web page and going through these stories and in the future when I feel that I have gotten enough responses from the American people I will hopefully be putting these stories in book form and will present them to the United States Library of Congress for posterity. I am hopeful that the response will give us an opportunity to see what others were doing and maybe even see what was going on with friends and family who went through this same experience. We all went through it together in one way or another and it will be neat to see others experiences.
The only thing I ask is that we keep it clean and to the point. Let us know where you are from too!
Thanx for your time and consideration and I look forward to your response.
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This is a great idea, Wayne.
I was working at home during the morning of 9/11. An associate called me from the office and asked, "Do you know anyone who works in the World Trade Center? It was hit by a jet." I was in such a hurry to turn on the TV I almost forgot to hang up the phone. I watched, somewhat dazed, as the images on the screen reported what I thought was a great tragedy. Then, the second plane flew into the towers. "This is just like Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941," I thought to myself. I called my associate back at the office. "Close the office," I said to him. "I think this country is now at war!"
That morning of 9/11 will be etched in my memory forever. That’s why it was so important to me to write about the "Tear Of Grief" memorial donated and built by the Russian government on the New Jersey shore of New York Harbor. My hub http://hubpages.com/_quill/hub/TEAR-DROP was meant to spread the word that there are others in the world who share our grief.
Q.
BONNIE MAJOR says:
8 days ago
I remember 911 as a very scary and trying day. I was on the phone w/my daughter when the 1st plane hit and we just were amazed and wondered what was going on. My husband was working outside on a deck in North Syracuse when I called him next. As we were talking he turned on the t.v. there and we watched the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower. He remembers that the sky went still and that was very unusual to be so close to the airport where planes fly incoming and outgoing all day long. I was substituting in our school district. By then we knew that it was a terrorist attack. My sister called and we were both concerned about our kids in school. I then called my mother to make sure they knew what was going on. And then we had to decide what to do about the kids. I called the school and talked w/the main office and the nurses office. The nurse told me that they had all kinds of parents coming in to get their kids. I still was unsure of what to do. I called my husband back and he said that the only thing flying in the sky at that time were jets. We talked about our son at school and what to do. I had remembered at that time that the school we went to in Camillus had fall out shelter signs on the outside's of the buildings and decided that the kids would be safer there. Also wondering if we would be going there ourselves. My sister however decided to go and get her daughter. My daughter had decided to leave her kids at school also. I then gathered all the things they were recommending on t.v. and waiting it out glued to the t.v. most of the day. Then the shock of the 3rd plane crashing in Pennsylvania. So many hours of crying for those that were having terrible things happening in their lives and yet so many good stories of people they were finding a great hope that there would be more stories to tell of thos left behind and those who came through it. Thank god we were all safe and the kids came home with an early dismissal. I remember our friends who lived in New York City. but could not get a hold of them. It was some hours later that he got in touch with us and said it was awful but that they were safe. I then just prayed for the rest of the day and for days after for everyone to remain safe and that the attack was over. It is something that I know everyone has vivid memories of and will never forget
I was at home watching it on TV when it happened. I was suppose to go on a business trip that morning on United. I spent the entire day in front of the TV in total disbelief. I will never forget that day for as long as I live. Ever since that day I have been more patriotic than ever. My living room is decorated in all red white and blue. At xmas two yeas ago I did my tree in red white and blue. I have read books regarding 911. I have seen documentaries. My heart goes out to everyone that was effected. I had a client that was in the tower at the time. My personal feeling I saw a movie last weekend which ended the movie as 9/11 with someone in the towers just before the hit. That bothered me so much that I haven't been able to get the imagine out of my head after all these years, I just can't imagine what the victims families will feel if they see this movie. Thank you Wayne for this opportunity to post.
My memory of 9/11 is strange in a way, and in a way I don't think I will ever fully understand, as I have spoken about it before, and none of my friends feel the same as I do, or even remember where they were. so here go's.
When the first attack happened, I would have been eating in the lunch hall, in the first week of Year 3. However, my memory isn't of this, it is of when I was told about the attacks, and this memory still upsets me almost 9 years later.
I remember walking out from school with a friend, to go to his place after school, before we went to Karate later in the evening.(I was only 8 at the time) So, when we got to his place, we took off our bags, changed our clothes and sat at his breakfast table, and I can see it so clearly it is like it was yesterday, his mum came over, handed us some buttered bagels and then sat at the head of the table and announced "boys, I have some bad news, two planes hit the world trade centres" and what I said next, always makes me ashamed of myself, and it hurts me to this day to think I could be so ignorant and just plain stupid, I said to my friends mum "what airline was it Angela?" she replied "United and American" then I said "oh well, there crap anyway" the reality that thousands of people had just died never hit me, but I guess, at 8 years old, you don't really understand, especially when your thousands of miles away in England. But I still remember how paranoid I was for about a week after, that I would be out at the mall, and a plane would come crashing through the wall.
Anyway, this memory has somehow caused me to keep 9/11 very very close to my heart, or maybe it was the fact I had been to America in May of 2001,and enjoyed myself so much I didn't want to leave, I don't think I will ever know why I feel so strongly and deeply about 9/11, or shed the guilt I feel for saying what I did that afternoon at the breakfast table, still, almost 9 years on, I get still the same feeling of sadness and guilt, every time I see anything about 9/11, or even listen to certain songs from around 2000/01.
Alastair.
Buckingham, United Kingdom.
I was only four years old when the 9/11 attacks took place. I dont know the exact cause behind the attacks, but i do know one thing. I beleive the terrorist thought they could bring America down,when in reality i beleive it made the majority of America stronger. I beleive that every individual was some how affected by this mess. In my opinion America is the country that does, that is. Even though many people have different oppions about 9/11 i dont think theres one person who does not think the attacks were disquisting. I often think about the innocent people, waking up that morning ready for another usual day at work. Yet little did they know they would be dying a few hours latter. May those who were killed, never be forgotten. Aswell as the many heroes who carred so much, to not give up the effort to search for the few survivors. All of the makes me proud to be an american. - allie
9/11:
I was in the car with a friend on my way to high school. My friend's mom was driving because neither of us had our licence yet. My friend really wanted to listen to music and kept flipping between radio stations trying to find one that was playing a song. Every station was talking about the trade centers, but she wouldn't stay on one station long enough for us to understand what they were saying. When we got to school, everyone looked shocked, lost and empty. One of our friends was crying. She told us about the attack and that she had an aunt who worked in one of the trade centers. She kept shaking and crying.
I had no idea how I felt. I'd never been to New York, didn't know anyone who worked in or near the trade centers. I sympathized with my friend but didn't know how to process the information. Then the school bell rang and we had to head to class.
None of my teachers would turn on their TVs. They made us keep working like any other day. They didn't want us to fall apart.
Beerad 2 years ago
Hey Bro, Great idea, I will pass mine along and let other family members know.
Ya Know I still remember clear as day......................