I'm 17 years old walking between classes in high school, senior year, when someone yells in the halls "somebody is shooting down planes in New York, and the Pentagon got bombed!"
My next class is AP Government. The teacher is about 20 feet down the hall, standing in the doorway of his classroom. He has the TV tuned to CNN and is ushering students out of the hallway, into the room, so he can close the door. An email has been sent to all the faculty that expressly states the televisions are to remain off; he tells us this. He then tells us that he believes we are witnessing the beginning of a war, and that we have the right to see what is happening as it unfolds. We spend the rest of class watching in horror as the twin towers burn and collapse. Our teacher speculates as to the persons behind the act; he expressly mentions Osama Bin Laden. It is the first time I have ever heard this name. The CNN anchors report that all major US cities are on high alert, and all planes are being directed to land at the nearest airports. Class ends and we scatter.
The next class is marching band. With some other 300 students, I stand in formation on the practice field, and we drill for our halftime show. The school is located between one regional and one international airport, but no airplanes pass overhead today. Everyone knows why. Five minutes before we are released to head inside, a formation of 3 fighter jets passes overhead at high altitude. They are too far away to make any sound except a distant whisper; I think all 300 of us saw them anyway.
5-1-2011
My little sister, turning 19 this month, calls from college to let us know her dorm is going crazy with the news that Bin Laden is dead. She read it on Tumblr. The President is about to speak; turn on the TV. Also, she tells me, this is the day the death of Hitler was first announced publicly in 1945. I check Wikipedia: she's right.
Fuck yeah.
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