Re: How 9-11 Changed Me

ElishaDevenport — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:28:10 -0000

When the first tower was hit, I wasn't even aware. I was a junior in high school and was in the gym with several other juniors/seniors and a good portion of the freshman class as part of an orientation program our school had just started. All I really remembred was a voice coming over the PA simply stating "Attention, we are under a code Red. Repeat, we are under a code Red." Makes our school sound like a boot camp...it wasn't. Teachers ran to the gym doors and locked them quickly. A short while later someone came in and was speaking to the teachers. The only thing I heard out of the conversation was something about a 'helicoptor' (? apparently mistaken). A parent came walking into the gym as well (thought those doors were locked...). I quickly recognized him as my friend's dad (she was a freshman at the time) and found her for him. He then rushed out of the building with her.
By this point my heart was speeding up a bit. This obviously wasn't a drill (we had a couple 'code red' drills since the McVey execution near our school).
I don't know how long it was, but we were finally released from the gym and allowed to go to our second period classes, which for me was geometry. Of course, there was no lesson taught. We were lucky enough to have a TV in every classroom. I wasn't in my seat but barely a minute when the second plane hit (or the replay was played.)
The only other class I really remember being in that day was Spectra (American Gov't/Econ class). As each student walked in, they went straight to their seats and remained comepletely silent the entire period. Even Mr. Mann. I believe it was then I knew this one day was going to alter all our lives permanently. Mr.Mann was a serious guy. Sure he could joke, but when it came to such an event in history no one should ever laugh about, you yourself didn't even want to take a chance of laughing about it outside of class. You learned to respect the events that happened. So just his behavior when entering class that day was enough for me.
At one point in the day we were all evacuated out to the football field due to a bomb threat on the school (such a loving town isn't it?). A friend of mine I could tell was near tears and trying to hold them back. I asked if she needed a hug...turned out she had family up around NYC somewhere and was worried about them.
After school, I went to work. Believe it was only my second night working at DQ. We didn't do much. Just watched the massive line build at the gas station on the corner. My mom had stopped buy to see if the store had closed early and I needed a ride home. We stayed open our normal hours. My mom came to pick me up that evening after work and drove over to the theater so that I could see if I was still scheduled. It was in that short drive...not but a 2-3 minute drive...that I found out my dad had moved out and my parents were getting a divorce.
At that point, I had no words....nothing to say.
After everything that had happened in that one day, I felt numb all over.
I felt numb for a week or two. Eventually I told myself I'd had enough. I was going to live my life and enjoy my life. That was when I finally started to come out of my shy shell and started having a lot more fun.
So, I guess 9/11 altered my personality in a way, I became much more outgoing.
It still floors me to this day how far hatred from just one party...even one half a world away...can alter an entire country. But it altered it for the better...in most cases. There are still some points I disagree with, but then there's always my motto in life...."Everything happens for a reason..."
What is that reason? Eh. You'll find out eventually.

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Re: How 9-11 Changed Me