School had just started at 8:40AM at Potomac Falls High School in Sterling, Virginia on September 11, 2001. Mrs. Sheldon just asked our class to take out our homework, but nobody did. (Nobody really listened to Mrs. Sheldon; we took her class because it was a joke). Within the next couple minutes we all calmed down; we stopped talking about last nights basketball game and the fight that occurred afterwards. Our class took out our homework and waited for it to be checked. Mrs. Sheldon then announced today’s class topic: The World Trade Center. She proceeded to pass out pictures and worksheets (which she was famous for doing) to complete. I saw this as my cue to ‘go to the bathroom’. I left and returned about twenty minutes later. When I returned our principle came over the loud speaker (he never had anything important say, he just liked to hear himself talk). We turned on our television as told, and my eyes started to water at the sight I had just seen. One plane had just…WAIT NO…two planes had just hit the world trade center. My heart felt as if it was up in my throat. I want to cry, why was unclear at this point, because I knew nobody that lived near the World Trade Center.
Fire man taking down the flag
Statue of Liber with smoke in the background
The bell rings and we all stand there in awe gazing at the television. Mrs. Sheldon tells us we have to go to our next class. When I arrive at my next class, my teacher announces that he will not broadcast the news, and that he is going to pretend that nothing is wrong, as if this is just a normal day. The class went frantic. (The freshman class had a reputation of being feisty). “How could you do that?” “What are you thinking?” “Do you not realize….” Were just a couple of things said. Anger came over my biology class. Within a couple of minutes the class was full of anger, hate, tears, fear, a bunch of mixed emotions. I saw our All-Met Defensive Line Men almost start to cry as he shouted “You suck!” at our teacher. Finally class was dismissed. And we went to lunch.
US flag
When we got back from lunch we were made aware that our pentagon had been taken from us as well. I was worried because my mother was suppose to be there that day. I was called to the office as I sat in a room. I waited there for 2 hours, until someone came in to talk to me. I started crying before my counselor had even said a thing. “Someone is picking you up from school, soon.” Said my counselor. I thought to myself “That’s it?!? That’s all you’re telling me? No clue, no comfort, no nothing!!” Within minutes my mother walked through the door. I cried. I cried a lot. News paper from 9/12/01 School was cancelled the following day. All after-school activates were cancelled for the next three weeks. And that was just the start of all that we would have to change, and turn upside down since this day. Whenever we travel now you always hear people say “Well the terrorist…”. Don’t really understand what would provoke someone to do something such as the events on September 11. How could someone be filled with so much hate? So much hate, to hurt innocent people. I suppose I never will. God Bless.
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