I was 17; it was my senior year of high school. I had computer processing/typing class first period, and my teacher had a strict “no television or radio while typing” rule, since we all had to wear headphones anyway. We had no idea what was going on until the end of class when the principal came over the PA system and addressed it. It was such a surreal day, and watching it play out in real time was such a strange jumble of emotions. That’s definitely the day my childhood ended, and I had no idea what to expect from the world.
I was the same age, same year in school. Except I was suspended, so I had to go to work. I told my dad they were flying planes into buildings but he wasn't receptive. "Go turn on the news". It was a surreal and quiet day in the vicinity of NORAD for the rest of the day.
It’s so weird to me seeing this comment as someone who’s currently 17 and in her senior year, 25 years after this day took place. If it happened today I’d likely have been in the same situation that you were, but I’ll never know that same feeling.
The takeaway is that life in the 90s was much more laid back and different than it is now. Hard to understand unless you lived during that time. For me it’s sort of like knowing old guys who were in WWII and not fully grasping what it was like because you didn’t live through it.
I was 17 and a few days into my senior year as well. It was such a weird time. Up until that day we were talking about where we wanted to go to college but all of a sudden the world seemed different. I knew kids who changed their plans away from NYC and kids who decided they wanted to pursue careers in various public safety roles. My boyfriend's 18th birthday was a few days later and it was scary watching him register for the draft. A girl in my class threw away her headscarf while we were watching the footage, I think out of fear it would make her a target.
I was a junior in high school. I was much more "fortunate". My first class was US history. And Mrs J had that TV on all day from what I heard. A lot of classes were like yours though.
I had heard from the radio on the drive in that something had happened to the first tower. That a plane flew into it. But everything was speculation. Not yet a confirmed terrorist attack. In Mrs J's class we watched the second plane hit the second tower (live) and we knew then. The worst possibility.
My school tried to get us back onto curriculum for the rest of the day. Our principal over the PA wanted us to try to focus on school work - and I understand why. But I'm so thankful for the teachers who had the news on that day.
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u/smithstephaniel 15h ago
I was 17; it was my senior year of high school. I had computer processing/typing class first period, and my teacher had a strict “no television or radio while typing” rule, since we all had to wear headphones anyway. We had no idea what was going on until the end of class when the principal came over the PA system and addressed it. It was such a surreal day, and watching it play out in real time was such a strange jumble of emotions. That’s definitely the day my childhood ended, and I had no idea what to expect from the world.