My Black Tuesday
September 11, 2001, is a day that all Americans and our friends overseas will remember. We will remember the horrifying television pictures, where we were, our reactions, who we were with and their reactions.
I was substitute teaching at a high school. It was first block and it was the regular teacher's planning period. I was using that time to work on the Suite article I published that week. The school secretary sent the staff a message that the World Trade Tower had been hit by a plane. I thought a poor pilot had made an unfortunate mistake and decided to continue working on my article before I had to quit for a class about 9:30 a.m.
Nine-thirty came, the second block students arrived, I took roll and they started their assignment. Everyone was working quietly and I got back on the internet to check the news. I went to CNN.com and was shocked. By the time I got to the news, the second tower had been hit and the Pentagon. I realized how serious my mistake had been earlier. This was a major attack on our country, not a mere isolated accident!
I had lunch after second block. Some of the teachers and I talked about the prospects of war and the National Guard being called up. One teacher's husband is in the Guard. I have two nephews who joined the National Guard for the college money. While I believe my family should serve and sacrifice, I confessed I really didn't want my nephews called to serve and disrupt their education.
We talked about the "youngness" of the military and expressed concern about our safety possibly being in the hands of young people whom we still see as our children, and children who have gone through our schools.
Then I had hall duty before the next block began. The talk of war was everywhere and students were scared. My daughter for once was not embarrassed to stand with me for a while during lunch. It was already being said that everyone would remember where they were when this day's attacks were made, just as those who were alive know where they were when President Kennedy was shot. A student asked, "Miss Morse, where were you when Kennedy was shot?"
"I was in the first grade in this town. I remember we got out of school early."
Other students were asking, "Miss Morse, do you think there will be a war?" "Miss Morse, will my brother die?" "Miss Morse, will we be bombed?"
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