Many Where Were You Stories

I am sure if we all sat down in a room, we could tell each other a different story about where we were. Each person would have different emotions. I have my own story.

I was living in San Diego with my husband, we were laying in bed listening to Jeff and Jer, since we are 3 hours behind the east coast, we were still in bed. All of a sudden they annouced a plane hit one of the towers, Brian was in the shower and I immediately turned on the news. I knew immediately what was going on, I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach. We watched as the second tower hit, and Brian said he better get to work. I talked to him on the phone through the drive and what they were saying on the television and what he was hearing on the radio. I kept Bryant with me and he went to work with me that day. I knew that I was needed elsewhere even though I wanted to be glued to the tv. I took Brian 3 hours to get on the island and then he just parked his car on the street and started walking to the base. I would hear from him sporatically throughout the next three days.

The plane hit the Pentagon at 6:37 PST, we were under attack and people were scared.

I went to work, many children stayed home, and teachers for that matter. We were all talking and if I got an update from Brian I would pass it on, since we weren't allowed tv's in the classrooms, and that would not have been a good idea with the kids anyways. Many of the parents had field offices in NYC, and were also playing the waiting game. To find out what was going on we would turn on the radios, and keep them very low. We were a federal buidling, so we were closing early that day since many of the parents came to pick up their children. I took two children home with me, becuase their parents could not get off of work. So I had something to keep me busy, once they left the tv came on and I sat in front of it until after midnight. Brian would get home around whenever and fall asleep for a few hours only to have to get up and try to make it back on base. Bryant had no idea what was really going on, he was too young, and I had no idea how I could explain to him that we was no longer safe. He was 8 years old.

The next few days were filled with rumors, and everyone was on edge. I was at the bar with Brian and Paul, watching the U2 dedication concert for the victims. I can just remember sitting there, trying to not think about it, and listening to the boys talking. I guess that was the first day I was not glued to the television.

We were laying in bed one morning and Brian told me that they found one of his friends, a day later, walking down the street in a trance, blood running down his ears... he was lucky, he survived.

Brian also reminded me that he was supposed to go to the Pentagon a few months before the attack. The department that he was in was moved because of rennovations. He would have been there, in the middle of it. He lost many friends, people from the military that he had met and known throughout the years. You know how the military is, it's a family and we all stick together.

Family is so important, makes you think and wonder if you really are ready to give it all up for something else.