Severna Park Reflects: Where Were You on 9/11?

There are few things in the world that can make an entire nation stop and pause the way 9/11 can.

Eleven years ago today, pretty much at the exact time I am writing this, a plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Each year, when the anniversary rolls around, echoes of, “Where were you?” can be heard in conversations with loved ones, in a classroom or with a stranger. It is the one day that seems to unite us all.

I was in my seventh-grade English class. I remember everyone was really confused, someone came and knocked on our door and our teacher left the room for a few moments. She came back in crying, and shortly after that, my mom came and picked me up and took me home.

In honor of the 11th anniversary, I asked Severna Park Patch Facebook users to share where they were on 9/11 and the response was overwhelming.

“Seventh grade - math class at SP Middle,” wrote Brittany Robinson. “Stayed in school all day, and my grandmother was at my house when I got home. My dad was supposed to be flying that day, and was one terminal over from where the planes took off. Scary stuff! I will NEVER forget this day!”

Reading through all of the comments, I was surprised by how many people mentioned they were with their newborn baby at the time.

Here were these women, enjoying their new life. Little did they know their child was about to grow up in a Post 9/11 World—a world of intense airport security checks, terror alerts and unthinkable tragedy.

Amy Constable Belson wrote, “Brand-new 6-day-old baby, settled in on the couch to feed him, turned on the TV, saw the tower fall, thought it was a planned demolition of the WTC and was surprised they would take down a building that wasn't that old...then I listened a few minutes and learned the truth.”

Added Lisa Quesinberry Allen “I was pregnant with our first baby and was due to see his heartbeat that day. I called the doc's office to see if they were closing, but they weren't. I watched the horror all day, wondering what kind of world I was going to bring my baby into.”

Two Facebook users reflected on their personal experience or with their husband's experience in the Navy that day.

“I was on the computer (back in the days of dial up) and my husband sent me an e-mail telling me to get off of the computer, he was trying to call me, a plane had hit the WTC and it was an obvious terrorist attack,” wrote April Kelly Gremillion.

“My husband called me to tell me the ship was getting under way and he couldn't tell me where they were going or when they would return. I was never more afraid in my life. I'll never forget the overwhelming sadness of that day and the weeks that followed," Gremillion wrote.

Added Terry Cutshaw, “I was in the Navy, stationed on ship out of Yokosuka, Japan. It was nighttime there; my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I were watching Disney's The Fox and the Hound cartoon when the news broke in. We were all recalled to the ship and I didn't see her again for 4 months. It was the same as the previous poster, under way indefinitely.”

No matter if you were in grade school, awaiting new life, or shipping out to sea, we all remember where we were. The memory comes like a wave of sadness forcing each of us to reflect in our own way.

As we all carry on throughout our day, and reflect on how the events of 9/11 forever impacted our lives I encourage each of you to do something great today—in honor of all of those who weren't given the chance to do all of the things they wanted.

Here are the rest of the Severna Park Facebook users 9/11 reflections.

• Nicholas Zahn: ‎8th grade - science class at SP Middle. Stayed in school all day, mom was at home watching the news, and was sure that I'd be as safe at school as at home. My dad was working at the DC navy yard. My uncle was in the WTC NY, and jumped on the last subway train to NJ from the basement of the WTC.
• Kathy Lapinski: At work, at Goddard Space Flight Center (where I no longer work). On break from class -- when i came back from break, saw the entire class in front of the TV -- then, the plane hit at the Pentagon. It was very surreal - almost couldn't believe it was happening...(read more)
• Ren Rick: My mother called me. she knew i didn't watch television, and would not hear the news until i left the house... which i didn't do at all that day, because I had no idea what was happening in the world. god bless all the lives lost and the lives touched by this horrific tragedy.
• Michelle Lyon: In my house in Chartridge having a playgroup while my oldest child was at her first staggered day of kindergarten.
• Amanda Nelson Mays: Teaching in my 1st grade classroom
• Scott Ellis: I was working in glen Burnie. In the highest building on the incoming flight path for BWI. It was surreal to see all the planes coming in as fast as they did. I remember hours of silence after all flights were landed and out of nowhere here came a plane. It was so scary to see it coming after no planes for hours. This was an international flight that was coming in finally. When I drove home from work I took Rte 100 from GB to ellicott city and only saw 2 cars the whole way.
• Kelly Nolan Martin: Freshman year of college....sitting in my Freshman seminar class at Mount Saint Mary's...I remember leaving class and trying to call my mom and get intouch with my Dad who was working in Roslyn not too far from the Pentagon...it was impossible to reach anyone.
• Jennifer Banks Hall: Sitting on the couch with my then newborn baby, giving her a morning bottle. I was thinking that I meant to turn on the news and somehow must have turned on, instead, a really terrible movie about tragedy in New York. About 15 seconds later, I realized it was the news. Called my husband and didn't tell him why but told him to come home now and tell his office (near DC) to leave as well. Called my parents--both working at BWI airport and told them to leave to get home and clear out their office as well. Minutes later, the plane hit the pentagon.
• Julie Banks Antinucci: I was at work, and my sister (who commented above) called me to tell me that a plane hit the world trade center. We were on the phone with each other when the other plane hit.
• Sean Marshall: On the banks of the Hudson River in Irvington looking down river at the city with a giant smoke cloud hovering over it.

 Where were you?