911 Ten Years Later
Embrace
By September 11, 2001, I was too old to allow my parents to hug me in public. I was too mature to let my mother push me on the swing or to play baseball with my dad. I was in fifth grade—we were the “seniors” of elementary school.
Who I Was
Following the attacks, a mosque across the street from his school was vandalized. A throng of protesters encircled the place of worship and defaced its exterior.
Clear Blue Sky
I was in Cambridge, Mass., in the mouth of a large red slide when I first heard about the attacks, only what I heard was that World War III had begun, and that the war was why we were enjoying an early recess
Silent Ceremonies
When I came back from school that September 12th, my father told me—not out of paranoia or fear, but out of rational precaution—that I should begin carrying a photocopy of my passport in my wallet from here on out, as an official ID. I still keep the ten-year-old folded paper in my pocket.
Dancing on a Grave
America responded differently—with jubilation. Streets crowded with people in spontaneous patriotic rallies. Drinks were poured. Republicans said nice things about Obama. At Harvard, students congregated, as they did when Obama was elected over two years prior, in the Yard.
Blank
My classmate was the first one to tell me. She said, “Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center.” My brain emptied. After what felt like hours, I conjured up the realization that I lived across the street from the Twin Towers, a 30 minute train ride from my Upper West Side school.
Shoes on the Bridge
On September 11, 2001, my mom brought me to Wagner for my second day of middle school, a little before 8 a.m. My memories of the morning are tainted by the pain of my new shoes.
Cambridge on Pause
Erin B. Ashwell ’02 recalls that Tuesday afternoon as one rife with terror, confusion, and sadness. “I remember walking to Sever Hall…and I remember you could hear coverage of what was happening from table to table…there was certainly a lot of shock, disbelief, and anger.”
I Want You Not So Far Away From Me
It’s second period on Tuesday September 11, 2001. (Is there any way to say it without sounding melodramatic? That’s just what it was.)
That Kind of Symbol
For a generation that had known nothing but 1990s peace and prosperity, 9/11 has come to represent, in one way at least, a loss of innocence. The very real emotion that led to the proliferation of American flags has by and large faded. All such feelings do.
Touched by Tragedy
For the families of the victims, this anniversary is similar to this day every year, a time when they are torn between the public spectacle of remembering 9/11 and the private grief of losing a family member.