I have not forgotten you .

Let's dance:

I remember 9/11/01 like it was yesterday. I was in shock, terrified and mad. I was glued to the TV as they were sending us home from the BofA Tower I worked in. A surreal scene watching people jump and then the Twin Towers coming down. Hearing the stories of heroism in the towers, at the Pentagon and on flight 93. Memories burned into my brain and psyche. There are a few things I will never forget. This is one.

We can never forget what those animals did to us 19 years ago.

I was working at Coast Guard Headquarters in DC at the time. I remember seeing black smoke coming from the Pentagon, across the river. I'll never forget!

My daughter had a brides' maid in her wedding whose father was killed in the Pentagon attack. That was a shocking and unsettling day...the firemen and police who didn't hesitate to enter those buildings to help others only to perish themselves...amazing heroism and personal sacrifice that is typical of first responders. They get nothing but respect and gratitude from me.

Working at the FD that fateful day. Received a call and immediately turned on the tv to see the horror unfolding. Never had so many emotions at once.

Thanks for posting this and remembering. It puts the issues of today back in perspective. There is true evil in this world and this country is the shining light. We should never forget.

First block, Earth Science, and we're having class as usual. Around 9:00 my good friend Dr. Donald Williams came to my door and told me about the first plane hitting the tower. Of course my first reaction was, "Get outta here; no way!" He said to turn on the TV. I did and from that point on all science and sports medicine classes ceased. We watched.....we gasped....we sat in disbelief. The two things that transpired in my classroom that I'll never forget were: 1) the students who were so disinterested in their country's history unfolding in real time that they put their heads down and slept and 2) when I told them that they're witnessing history and that this day's events will be their generation's Pearl Harbor. They replied, "What's Pearl Harbor?" Those who forget or ignore history are doomed to repeat it. At the time we said, "Never forget." Have we forgotten? Where is the unified America that I saw on Sept. 12, 2001?

Never, ever forget the grief, horrid pain, suffering and sacrifice of thousands of innocent Americans...

My son teaches 11th grade Honors History at the same school he attended where he was a Sophomore on 9/11. He showed 3 separate films about 9/11, the last on about the man with the red handkerchief. Told me that his kids get it.

scatman77 wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:49 am

First block, Earth Science, and we're having class as usual. Around 9:00 my good friend Dr. Donald Williams came to my door and told me about the first plane hitting the tower. Of course my first reaction was, "Get outta here; no way!" He said to turn on the TV. I did and from that point on all science and sports medicine classes ceased. We watched.....we gasped....we sat in disbelief. The two things that transpired in my classroom that I'll never forget were: 1) the students who were so disinterested in their country's history unfolding in real time that they put their heads down and slept and 2) when I told them that they're witnessing history and that this day's events will be their generation's Pearl Harbor. They replied, "What's Pearl Harbor?" Those who forget or ignore history are doomed to repeat it. At the time we said, "Never forget." Have we forgotten? Where is the unified America that I saw on Sept. 12, 2001?

I don't exactly remember what happened the rest of the day. I had planning at the time and had just left a faculty meeting it seems. I think I told the students later in the day they were welcome to leave the room if they needed to do so but I think I did a bit of teaching chemistry for the first class I had that day. I don't think I did a lab or anything that day but I did give a few notes and such. I think the students appreciated a bit of routine for those 90 minutes with me.

After the school fire at Eastern in 2006 we had a few days off to make arrangements for where classes would be and such. My first day back I don't think I had a classroom at the GTCC-Greensboro campus so I took a portable whiteboard outside and gave notes to the physics class for a bit after we talked for a few minutes. Again I tried to have a normal day with some allowance for the emotions of the day.

Maybe my problem is I don't do a good job handling tragedy and need some sense of "my normal" to process.