Growing up, I remember hearing the stories from my parents, aunts and uncles describing where they were when they heard the news about Pearl Harbor or the assassination of JFK.
The event for our generation is 9/11.
On September 11th, 2001, I was surprised by a phone call a little before 7 a.m. Pacific Standard time. I didn't answer the phone. A few moments later the phone rang again. I answered it with a feeling of apprehension. Early morning phone calls are typically bad news.
I later found out that the first caller was a neighbor. The second caller was my sister in Kentucky. All she said was, "Turn on the television! Turn on the television!"
Henry and I hurried into our front room and turned the television on. Live news casts showed the burning Twin Towers followed by replays of the second plane hitting the tower. With in a few minutes of our turning the television on, the first tower collapsed.
We spent most of that day watching or listening to the news. Some of our friends with children in public school, kept their children home that day. Our children attended a homeschool class at a local park and zoo. Except for the homeschoolers, the place was practically deserted. I asked my now 12 year old what she recalled about that day. She said that she only remembers a few images from the television.
At the time, as part of our "school work," I had my oldest daughter write a condolence letter to the family of one of the lost firemen.
My in-laws were scheduled to take an international flight on September 13th. A grandchild had been born on Sept 11th and they were planning to see the new addition. Needless to say, their flight was cancelled and it took a week before the flight was reinstated. They were one of the first to fly after 9/11. My mother-in-law said that the plane was practically empty. The pilot thanked them for flying and said, "Come back soon and bring 10 friends."
I found two documentaries on 9/11 very moving. The first program was called Stranded Yanks and followed the experience of travelers stranded in Newfoundland after all the planes were grounded on 9/11.
The other program, called simply 9/11, consisted of the footage shoot by the Naudets who were actually filming a documentary about a rookie firefighter when the World Trade Center was attacked.
I plan on having my children watch both these programs when they are older. The Naudet brothers documentary is suitable only for adults or late teens, but the Stranded Yanks is appropriate for children.
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Related Tags: 9/11, Stranded Yanks, Naudet Brothers
7 comments:
We watched 9/11 last night. At 15 I felt Sean was old enough. I found it very moving and powerful. Especially since my Dad is a retired fireman.
Today I still remember that we were in the middle of a math test when Jonathan's friend Bryan called. I thought he was joking until he told me to turn on the TV.
We have watched the Naudett brothers' 9/11 twice with our daughter who is now 15. The language is very rough in places, and graphic images are quite difficult to watch, but so much more is captured in that documentary that cannot be seen with the eyes.
Our oldest daughter recently turned 12 years old. Probably when she is 15 or 16 she will be ready to watch the Naudett 9/11 documentary.
One of the things holding me back is the language. We never swear, nor do our friends, so that kind of language is very extreme for our experience. The documentary is good enough that I would encourage mature teens and adults to see it, but some might not wish to hear that kind of vulgarity ever. In addition, it is pretty intense live footage that might not be suitable for some.
I really, really liked the Stranded Yanks documentary. I came away with such an optimistic feeling. Regardless of the evil actions of a few, good triumphs in the end.
I agree with you about that langauge. It is very offensive. I have not seend Stranded Yanks. I wonder if I can find it at the library.
Stranded Yanks has been shown on PBS 3 or 4 times over the last few years. Probably they will broadcast it again. (Many PBS stations broadcasted it on September 10th, so you may need to wait a year for it to come up in the schedule again.) Check your local PBS station, maybe they will play it again this month.
"Even though I tried to ignore the mainstream media memories, no matter how hard I tried to avoid thinking about Patriot's Day, I struggled to sleep last night. I wished I could have written a brilliant blog post. I wished I could have done something to save all those children, moms and dads. I wished we didn't live in a world that hates our Lord and the "Crusaders" who follow Him.
Today is a new day. I see that our children still smile. They still homeschool and learn in freedom.--An Eagle's Nest Homeschool,http://eaglesnesthome.blogspot.com/
i was doing math and didn't find out about it till 3 30 uk time. it was like the world had stopped
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