I'm putting this in the Serious forum so that we can express our more controversial and/or darker opinions and ideas.

Dave.

I was completely shocked and traumatized. I found myself crying all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, for more than a week.

At first it was a completely emotional response, with no time for thought or perspective. Indeed, some 3 months later I realised, in hindsight, that I had just recently been feeling completely "right" again. Prior to that there was a certain apathy or emotional numbness.

I think this personal devastation was due partly to the immediacy of the event. I was just watching the normal Canada AM newscast and suddenly, in real time, right before my eyes, in the safety of my living room, I saw the second plane hit. I felt somewhat like this when, under similar circumstances, I saw the space shuttle carrying the teacher explode, only this was much, much worse.

We stopped watching television for a period of time after the first day because it just seemed to make the trauma worse.

Living near a military base, I'm a little anxious today as there is some (alot more than normal) activity in the sky this morning. Its a little unsettling as I have family members working at installations that could be potental targets. I'm also finding it somewhat difficult and painful to watch peoples recollections on TV today.

Last year, alot of emotions went through me, starting with shock. Watching the acts of terror unfold on the television set was unbelievable, I had alot of questions as to how this could possibly occur. I was glued to the television for the rest of the day, relaying any information I had to my husband, also thinking of my children and family. As the day unfolded, emotions turned to fear, anger, and ended with sadness. In the days that followed, I found it extremely difficult to watch the family members pleading for anyone to come forward with any information on loved ones who hadn't been heard from. This is definately a time in my life I won't forget.

I was in BC, and awakened by a phone call telling me what happened. Turned on the news and watched the incredible scenes with a moderate amount of disbelief. Then went into school, had a fairly normal day with most discussions revolving around what happened. Being in a scientific community it was interesting that the discussions mostly focused on how it happened, how the structures failed, how hard it would be to fly a jet straight into a tower. Quite different from the "let's get them" attitude I heard about from many others.

In all honesty I thought that WW3 was about to begin. I sat there watching t.v. looking at my child who at the time was just about to turn one thinking..." I can't believe I brought a child into this world, what future have I doomed her with" I realy felt guilty.

upset but not surprised and do not ask me to explain that...

Woke up in the a.m., took daughter to school, and went back to bed (can't remember why I aws so tired, but went back to sleep). Woke up to discover that my phone had been disconnected, so went to the telephone place around 11 am, got home, checked e-mail, msn came on & dad told me to turn the tv on, that it was horrible and sad, and so i did...i haven't even known until after lunch. Kinda felt scared, like uncertain of what was going to happen and what the repercussions would be, and that was it.
Felt terible about the first reports saying WAAAAAAY more people died than actually did (those first #s were really high).
Weird that a year has already passed....

I distinctly recall waking up, first thing I always do is turn to CNN and that's when the first plane had hit.....I was still watching as the 2nd hit. A feeling of disbelief came over me, as I wished I was watching a movie unfold instead of real-life. When I saw people actually jumping to their deaths, I cannot explain the feeling of utter helplessness and amazement. Amazement that people would rather plunge to their deaths as opposed to being burned alive....

That day - life as I had known ceased to exist. People were more careful....actually some were downright paranoid as to what was around the next corner of life. To this day I feel a profound sense of loss for what life used to be like and a great deal of sorrow for those whose lives were lost or changed forever. For those children left with only 1 parent or no parents. To those wives who were pregnant and who have now given birth to fatherless children. To me it's still a very sad time and hopefully time will heal all wounds.

i was thikng what gislan so niecly staetd in teh othre thraed -

<did thoes poepel desreve to die absloutly not - but if yuo kick a dog enuogh tiems dont be shockd when it biets yuo>

I had just woken up. My b/f called from work to tell me it was "the end of the world" and to turn on CNN. I was watching when the second plane hit and I almost puked.

...BUT... all this fanfare on every freakin' channel all day long is getting to be a little much. I can understand showing the ceremony this morning, reading all of the victims' names and things, and the president's speech and all. That is tasteful and a fitting remembrance. However, IMO, 24 hour coverage and re-living of the event is probably opening a lot of wounds all over again.
Again, just my opinion, and I do not mean to offend anyone with it.

My thoughts are with everyone who lost a loved one on 11/9/01

That morning a year ago I told the wife to prepare for war. That we must think on a Political scale.
The first thing I learned in Poly Sci is that if killing bothers a person then leave the class. Politics is about the taking of anothers life. War is big business. In the movie JFK, Mr. X makes a statement that a country only purpose is its war capabilities.
I am convinced that the war on the act of terrorsim is a polite way of starting Global Genocide.
My concern now is the same as then, to do my best to preserve my family.
With that said, if President Bush is so concerned with weapons of mass destruction, what about the weapons that the United States posess? And they are not afraid of using them.