Where were you when the world stopped turning?

Alan Jackson song "Where Were You" about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 always makes me (and surely countless others) stop in my tracks and remember it all. Here's my story.

I was 20 and a sophomore at MVNC. I was in the shower when I heard my phone ringing off the hook. I had no early calsses that day and had slept in. I got out when I was good and ready not at all concerned by the fact that my phone had been ringing. When I answered it was my friend Critter and he said "Go turn on your TV." That was all he said. I was not worried but turned on the radio instead because our tiny old TV didn't get great reception even on basic channels. When I turned on the radio I just got confused. Airplanes, world trade center, attacks, hijacks, WHAT? I knew I needed to visually see the television and know what was going on.

I don't remember who was in our Maplewood 102 apartment that morning but I do remember going downstairs and watching TV and just feeling still so confused. I was watching when the second plane hit the towers and that's when I understood what was happening. I watched until I couldn't watch anymore because I had to go to class. I went to a canceled class were students and the professor had tears in their eyes and the prof told us that there was going to be a special prayer service held in the chapel very soon so I went straight there. I hugged people, cried, prayed for the victims and for the ones dealing with the tragedy. I prayed for my friends Mark, Critter, and Hensley because I knew they would most likely be called up to active duty in the Air National Guard. They were withing the week. My friend Liz had a brother and sister in law living in NYC and we heard that they were safe. My friend Wendy's family lived just outside of Washington DC and it seemed to take forever to hear that her dad was safe. I didn't personally know anyone else who was missing or could have been there, but that didn't stop me from being terrified for the ones I didn't know.

My friend Summer and I were scheduled to leave on a two week African safari through Ford Motor Company on 9/21/01 and we quickly learned that the trip was simply canceled, not to be rescheduled. We learned that international flights were canceled and that people all over the world were to stay put, watch and pray.

I knew our world had changed that day and I feared that it would never be the same. It has not been the same.