It was really interesting to read this. I was 19 when it happened, so I've wondered what it would have been like for someone younger, someone who would ultimately grow-up post-9/11.
wow, you were on my age, that's so weird to think about O_o. Yeah, it's weird, it's like I reacted years later, when I realized what it was. Like, it broke my heart, and made me sad, which it hadn't really done before, because I was too young. I also remember growing up with all these references to that day, and I never really noticed what changed after the attack.
In my town, the change was immediate and obvious. I lived next to a major military base. Everything was locked down. People I would have normally seen that day weren't allowed to come into town. I had two classes that day and I remember my art teacher walking in, writing on the board "Tell me how you feel and then you can go," and then sitting down with his head in his hands. Most of the class was missing. The rest of us drew or wrote or just left because we felt nothing
( ... )
I was thinking about this before, about how I can't really separate out "pre-9/11" and "post-9/11", because I was only 12 when it happened, so post is all I really know. I remember that when I asked my parents why it'd happened, they couldn't answer.
My experience was pretty similar. I was eight at the time ... I remember we had some family over, and my aunt had been playing some board game with me. It was pretty late. Someone turned on the TV, and then I saw the footage of the buildings burning.
I was confused and a little scared, and everyone in the room had gone silent. I remember that I was really tired (like on the brink of sleep) and that I'd heard the words "America" and "attack". I'm pretty sure I fell asleep on the couch as people were watching, and I remember waking later up for a couple of seconds and realizing that my Dad was carrying me to my bedroom.
idk about that, I didn't think a lot about it until years later. I remember the day and all, but I don't remember a lot my feelings, except the ones I expressed in that class-room. It's weird.
I have almost the same story as you - I was in Grade 6, so I would have been about 11 as well - our teacher tried to explain it to us, but we didn't know what the WTC was ("is it, like, a mall?" "it's not the white house, right?") - and a lot of our classes combined so the teachers could go watch the news in the library
( ... )
I didn't know what the WTC was either, it was the first time I heard of them.
Aww, that must have been scary.
Me too, actually. I've tried watching videos, and they break my heart, and I often cry. And then I feel guilty about crying, because it's not even in my country, and I don't know anyone impacted by it. I've been traumatized seeing videos of it on youtube, that I wish I'd never seen.
I know that feeling; I often feel guilty because I experience a lot of grief re: 9/11 and Remembrance Day when I sometimes don't think I have as strong a claim to it as others, but you don't have to feel guilty - no apology needs to be given for empathy. You feel what you feel <3
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I was confused and a little scared, and everyone in the room had gone silent. I remember that I was really tired (like on the brink of sleep) and that I'd heard the words "America" and "attack". I'm pretty sure I fell asleep on the couch as people were watching, and I remember waking later up for a couple of seconds and realizing that my Dad was carrying me to my bedroom.
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Edited for icon I wanted to use. Yeah, I'm persnickety like that.
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hehehe, I do that too:)
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Aww, that must have been scary.
Me too, actually. I've tried watching videos, and they break my heart, and I often cry. And then I feel guilty about crying, because it's not even in my country, and I don't know anyone impacted by it. I've been traumatized seeing videos of it on youtube, that I wish I'd never seen.
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