Where were you?

September 11th, 2001 was just another normal Tuesday school day for me. I was 13 years old and in 8th grade. I remember waking up at 6:30 and getting ready for school. I went upstairs and showered and returned to my basement bedroom to finish getting ready. As I turned on the radio to listen to the popular pop music station, they were talking about something happening in New York City. I lived in Idaho and had only seen NYC on T.V. But I still couldn't believe that something like this was happening to the Country that I live in. I hurried and finished getting ready and ran upstairs to turn the television on. It was then that I saw the second plane hit. I gasped and my Mom, who had fallen asleep on the chair, woke up and I remember her just staring blankly at the news and I could see the horror in her face as she asked "What the hell is going on?". I sat down and explained what I had heard on the radio, how they thought it might have been bombs but that they realized it was planes. We continued to watch the news together and cried each time we heard, and watched footage of the other planes that had hit The Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pa. We just watched in silence until I realized my bus was almost there and I needed to leave. I gave my Mom a huge hug and told her I loved her and went out to my bus stop. When I walked on the bus everyone was silent and the bus driver was listening to the radio. I don't remember the ride to school but I do remember the feeling in the hallways and classrooms at school. Everyone was extremely saddened and full of emotion. It was hard to concentrate because every single classroom had the news turned on. It was in my first class we watched the towers collapse. At this point it was pretty obvious it was a terrorist attack. I remember being worried about the possibility of War and, if my Dad would have to go back to the Army. I was extremely scared. I don't remember the ride home from school but I do remember my Mom had freshly baked cookies waiting for us when we got there. I didn't know anyone who lived in New York City, worked at The Pentagon or who were on any of the planes, but I still felt like I had suffered a horrible loss. My Mom, sister and I held a candlelight vigile for 5 minutes that night in complete silence. I still remember where I was every single year on the anniversary of September 11th. I have watched numerous movies and television shows about the devastating events that took place that day and my heart still goes out to all the family and friends who lost loved ones that day. I do remember and I always will.