I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was home sick (flu, ugh), and watching something on channel 7 when it was interrupted with a "breaking news bulletin". At first I was just annoyed, like "okay, whatever, did the big dig finally fall out?" I watched the horrifying scene of the planes crashing into the towers unfold on my own television screen, and I was terrified. My dad was supposed to be on a plane that day. When the announced the flight numbers of the planes that went into the Towers, 911 and 175, I remembered my dad's flight number; it was 175. I broke down crying. My parents were divorced by that point, see, and I didn't get to see my dad that often. I called my dad's house, just to be sure, and to my amazement, he picked up. Told me he was supposed to be on Flight 175, but that his alarm clock never went off, and he overslept and missed. I was relieved, to say the least. My mom called right after we hung up, and asked if I saw the news. I told her yes, and she told me one of her co-workers was on flight 911. I felt so sorry for her, and her co-worker's family. This just struck so close to home. It wasn't until later I found out about the Pentagon, and even later when I found out about the one in Pennsylvania. It was a terrifying day for me. My mom's co-worker and her entire family died on one of the planes (her co-worker had her kids out of school and everything, they were going away on vacation). My dad could have died, if only his alarm clock had gone off on time. And so many other people lost brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, and so many other things. So many people lost their lives. Sam called me when she got out of school and asked if I'd heard about it (they had the news on one of the TV's at Farley; she'd known about it for awhile). I told her yes, of course, and we started talking about how scary it was, and how close to home it felt to us. That day shattered a reality so many ten-year-olds held onto: that we were safe no matter where we went. Rest in Peace, all victims of 9/11; whether you were on one of the four planes, in the Pentagon, or in the World Trade Center, may your Souls be at peace somewhere in the world
~Jessie