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Where Were You That September Morning?
September 11, 2026
We publish this piece on an annual basis, and we encourage you to comment below, answering the question ‘Where Were You That September Morning?
September 11, 2001. It’s been 25 years.
Life, at least when that morning began, seemed good. I’ve always been a work at home dad, so I was home with my two girls. The youngest was almost four months old, and the oldest was approaching her fourth birthday. It was a normal morning. The little one was asleep, “fat and happy” as we used to say, after a morning bottle. The oldest was in the living room just a few feet from my office watching PBS Kids on the TV as I worked on a project for a client.
Then this arrived in my inbox:
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 08:52am– World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has
crashed into tower. Details to come.
I got up, walked to the living room and flipped the TV to CNN. They were talking about how a pilot could make such an error, hitting such a large building. They were speculating that it was just a small plane. But then as the TV news helicopters zoomed their cameras in closer, the anchors were beginning to notice what I had already thought….those holes the tower were to big to have been a small plane.
(continues below photo)
I called my wife at work in Atmore. She had seen the breaking news email, and had tried to visit the CNN website to see the story. If you remember trying to use the internet that morning, it was near impossible to get a news website to load; they were all overloaded. She was unable to see the pictures. I was describing what I saw on the TV to her.
I managed to grab a picture from CNN via my web server and then download and email it to her. We were speculating about how it could happen when the second one hit.
I remember saying “wait, hold on, wait…”. I told her what I just watched on the TV. The second plane had hit the other tower. We quickly decided that we were at war as the anchors on TV speculated again that perhaps there was a problem with some navigational system, causing jetliners on a beautiful, clear morning in New York to fly into some of the tallest structures in the world.
Another breaking news email arrived:
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:21am– Second plane crashes into World Trade Center.
She and I began to speculate ourselves that we were at war. What would we do? What should we do? What about the kids? It was not panic, understand, but just that protective momma and daddy instinct, I suppose. Prayer. That was a good idea. Maybe go to the bank and get out a little cash. That seemed like a good idea. How would you prep for a war on American soil? We were not sure.
I continued to relay information about what I was seeing on TV to my wife at work, who, in turn, would relay the information to her coworkers. They had a TV, but no cable service or antenna. They ended up fashioning a homemade antenna to see a fuzzy picture.
Meanwhile, the breaking news emails kept arriving…
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:32am– Sources tell CNN one of two planes that crashed into World Trade
Center was an American Airlines 767.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:42am– President Bush calls plane crashes at World Trade Center a
terrorist act.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:45am– Significant fire at the Pentagon. Details to come.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:46am– White House evactuated. Details to come.
The Pentagon on fire? The White House evacuated? Notice that in CNN’s email they were in such a hurry that they misspelled “evacuated”. One sentence at a time, the situation became more grave.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:55am– CNN confirms a plane hit the Pentagon
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 10:03am– One of World Trade Center towers collapses; fire forces
evacuation of State Department
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 10:30am– Second World Trade Center tower collapses in Manhattan
Over and over, we watched those towers collapse on TV, and we watched our Pentagon burn.
Our almost four year old asked a lot of questions. “Were people hurt? Did they need a Band-aid?” The magnitude of the event was lost on a four year old. Looking back at those first few hours, I think the magnitude of the event was lost on all of us.
Like many Americans, I sat glued to the TV that day, continuing to watch the video of the towers falling. Our almost four year old asked if another building fell down or if it was the same one. It was time to change the channel on the TV.
You might remember that many of the entertainment TV stations ran network news feeds. Others just simply ran screens about the day’s events. There was no USA network, no ESPN, no MTV. But on PBS, we found children’s programming at a time it was not normally on. For a little while, sitting in the living room floor holding my kids, the world stopped turning that September day, as we watched Big Bird and the Cookie Monster.
Country artist Alan Jackson later wrote a song “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”.
Some of those lyrics:
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cryDid you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don’t know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left belowBut I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
Where where you when the world stopped turning that September day? Your comments are welcome below.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Bethany (Reynolds) Landis, click to enlarge.
Comments
10 Responses to “Where Were You That September Morning?”
Office manager @McKenzie Trucklines Ensley and a dispatcher appraised me of the first tower impact. Immediately went on line to verify and soon became aware of the second strike. Dang!
Started out like every other school day in Molino. My 10 year old had just gotten on the bus, dropped off my special needs son at his school and went over to friends in East Hill to say hello before making a trip to the grocery store. As I walked into the house my friend said come look at this as he sat in front of the TV stunned. I stood there in disbelief, I became so afraid and shaken by what was happening in real life time on TV, I said “ I’ve got to go get my children “. I drove back and picked up my special needs son and had found out that the children from elementary school had already been loaded up and bused home. When I arrived home my other son was crying “ where were you mom, you weren’t home when the planes crashed into the buildings”. I told him I had to go get his brother and everything was going to be alright now. He was just as upset as I and we spent the rest of the day being so grateful to be home together no matter what was to come. I’ll never forget that feeling of insecurity and being reminded how life is a gift from God.
I was working at OneBlood on 9th Ave when a platelet donor had the news on. Shortly after the 2nd plane hit, the company brought all the buses back to the facility. They staged them around the building. Pensacola came out in droves to donate blood. The people were lined up around the building. Businesses were sending us food. We had to have ice delivered because our machines couldn’t keep up. We drew blood until 2am. I had started my shift at 7am. I am back working for the blood center today and it’s a bit surreal. I have memories that don’t feel 25 years old.
I was at Keesler AFB, on active duty with the Air Force. I was in a training class, we had a 15 minute break and walked across the street to the convenience store on base. It was live on TV, as I looked up the second plane slammed into the tower and all I remember is staring in disbelief at the TV and mumbling an explicitive. The cashier didn’t see it and I told her to turn around. By then, everyone in the little store was somber, watching in horror. I rushed back to my squadron and we went on lock down. Ill never forget the sight of it and the slow realization of how many lives were lost in that moment.
I was teaching at King Middle School and the news was on, since school had not begun. A student told me a plane was in a building. As students came in we continued to watch. It was a self contained classroom, so a co-teacher and I had the same class all day. When the second plane hit, we were all watching. At that time I told my students to get out their journals and write. Write what they are seeing, what are they thinking, how are they feeling. We watched and wrote for the better part of 3 hours. Some were worried it was World War III. Some wondered if the school was going to be hit. One girl wrote that she wondered if all those people were going to heaven. After the towers fell we noted that everyone was gray from the ashes. There were no colors, no races, only human beings in trouble and everyone helping each other. My suggestion was that everyone keep their journals, so 20 years from now they will remember. It has been 25 years, and I wonder how many of them still have their journals.
My mother and I were going through Atlanta that morning. We didn’t have the radio on and she said, “something is wrong, there are no airplanes flying.” We turned on the radio and heard what had happen.
I’m a truck driver, that morning I was unloading in Philadelphia, Pa when it started. Had to go about 20 miles to reload to go to Orlando, Fl. The whole way done I-95 looking for low flying airplanes because one plane was missing and couldn’t find it. Back then we didn’t have up to date electronics to stay informed.
I was at work in Atlanta,GA. We all stopped work, went to cafeteria where televisions were located to watch coverage.
Serving in the US Navy, 1986-2010, stationed in San Diego, CA.
Turning on the morning news and wondering why anyone would want to go and see such a terrible movie. I actually thought it was something they were reviewing out of Hollywood and it would be at theaters soon. Then they showed reporters at this station and I realized it was no movie. I went out in the yard and it was too quiet. The jets weren’t flying over the house as they did every morning. I felt scared.