Exactly 24 years ago from today, the world as we all knew it changed forever.
September 11, 2001 has gone down in history as the most tragic day in American history.
That day, two hijacked planes crashes into the Twin Towers, destroying them in the process. There were also two other planes. One that hit the Pentagon, and another that was supposed to head for Washington DC, but the heroes on the flight fought back, as the plane went down in Pennsylvania.
This resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, as well as thousands more from the lung cancer from the debris in New York City, and another thousand deaths from the War on Terror.
It’s hard to believe that nearly a quarter of a century has passed since 2001. Many of the people who lived through this tragedy are still alive today, and therefore it feels like recent history.
Gen Z is primarily the first generation to grow up in the post-9/11 world where terrorism is in the news daily, along with airport security tighter and stricter than ever.
However, there are a few Gen Z-ers who are old enough to have experienced and/or were alive during 9/11.
I was one of those babies. I may not have been old enough to experience the shock and paranoia of the time period, but it was something that I was aware of from an early age.
This is why I decided to write about where I was on 9/11, as well as talk about how I experienced and learned about the world around me growing up. Some of this is based off what I was told. It feels very unique for me, and even though I was too young, I feel like I’m a part of history.
Many people have been asked the question, “Where were you in 9/11?" And this is my answer.
I was just a 4 month old baby from the state of Michigan. Me and my parents were living in a small apartment that I was too young to remember.
The morning of September 11, 2001 felt like any other regular day. A nice and chill morning. Me and my parents just so happened to be in Detroit that day. At around 8:30, my mom had suggested that we visit Canada (which was right across the river), although they agreed to visit another day.
Eventually, we made it to a friend’s house. My dad was using the computer, and saw on the news that a plane had hit the tower. This was not too long after American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower. So he turned on the news, where me and my mom watched the news.
Like many people in the country, my dad thought it was some sort of accident. I mean, it just happened, and there was little to no information, so there was nothing but speculation.
But at 9:03 am, when the second plane headed straight for the second tower, the tone quickly changed. It was no accident. It was a terrorist attack. A realization that changed America as we all knew it.
According to my parents' story, we watched the entire event unfold for the next few hours. From the attack at the Pentagon to the devastating collapse of the Twin Towers to the crash in Pennsylvania. There were simply no words. We were watching in silence, as the world as we knew it changed forever.
The innocent world I was briefly born into was suddenly no more.
Due to all these hijacked planes in the air, the Federal Aviation Administration made the difficult but necessary decision to shut down all air travel nationwide. Transportation coming in and out of New York City was also shut down due to these attacks.
The chaos wasn't just happening in New York and Washington DC. It was happening everywhere. In Detroit, where me and my parents were, the bridge between Detroit and Canada (known as the Ambassador Bridge) was shut down for a month following the attacks.
And to think that earlier that morning, we nearly went to Canada, not knowing the devastating chaos that would unfold later that day.
I sometimes think about how astonishing it was, that I, a four month old baby, would've been stuck in another country with my parents because of 9/11, a very historic day in American history. So many other things would've happened that day.
After the attacks happened, we ate out and eventually drove back home. My dad describes the skies as being quiet and calm, which felt very bittersweet considering the context of that day.
Even though my family didn't lose anyone in particular to the attacks, I still find it sad how many young people out there, around my age, lost their beloved parents or other family members at such a young age. As well as the young and hopeful people who had a major career ahead of them but their lives were taken far too soon. Sometimes I Google their names and read their stories. Some whom I ended up outliving. Experiences like these shows you how short and precious life is, and it's very sad.
My experience of the aftermath was very interesting though, and something I find hard to believe.
As I started walking and talking, and eventually headed to school, I remember having clear but vivid dreams of a plane crashing into the Twin Towers. But I had no idea what it was or where it came from.
In around late 2007, I eventually out two and two together. I found out what 9/11 was.
At the time, I just saw it as some bad thing that happened when I was a baby. When you're a kid, you don't yet have a full grasp on war and terrorism, but you do become aware of your surroundings. Growing up, I remember hearing key phrases, such as "hijacking", "George Bush", "Osama bin Laden", "Iraq", and "Afghanistan". It's like I was naturally aware about the War on Terror going on in the Middle East, especially around the time Osama bin Laden was finally killed, which happened to be my 10th birthday.
I think the striking part is where I wasn't scared or crying at the idea of terrorism, and the fact that two planes have crashed into the towers. This was the world I ended up growing up in, so unfortunately the news cycle that discussed terrorism has become a part of our daily lives.
And because I grew up during this predominately post-9/11 era, this wasn't a subject me and my classmates were taught in schools. We (sort of) lived through it. But even then, I still did not know everything.
When I was in high school, my history teacher gave us a lesson on the tragedy's anniversary, one that changed my whole perspective of that tragic day. The one thing that stuck out to me was the intentions of these terrorists. I knew that the planes were hijacked. But what I didn't know is that Al-Qaeda's intentions behind the attacks was a whole lot darker: The simple idea of killing thousands of people just because they hoped for something special.
It was a lot worse than I imagined.
On top of that were the thousands more civilians who later died from health issues, specifically lung cancer because of the toxic particles from the dust. That felt even more devastating, and an issue we often overlook when discussing casualties.
In my senior year of high school, I also learned about how public transportation was shut down, so the brave vigilantes used boats to ride across the river and rescue those were trapped on Manhattan Island.
On top of that, my economics teacher told us about where she was on 9/11. Like many people in the country, she was watching it in the classroom on the TV, when she was just a middle schooler. And when her friend said it was terrorism, she asked, "What is terrorism?" When the class laughed (which I think was kind of insensitive), she explained how terrorism wasn't as major of an issue as it is today.
This was something that stuck with me, even years later. The 9/11 attacks didn't just result in an increase of airport security. It thrust us into a new era, far different from the innocence and optimism we had in the 90s. Although the 20th century was filled with wars and collapsing governments, the people of Earth went into the 2000s with a vision of a new and hopeful era, yet we got the exact opposite.
On the positive side, Ground Zero is no longer war-torn, but restored into a peaceful green zone.
The 9/11 Memorial, which marks the place where the Twin Towers once stood, is a place where people can come to pay their respects and visit their loved ones.
Additionally, the One World Trade Center has been built. These rebuilt landmarks shows that even when all hope is lost, we can rise above tragedy, look to the future, but also remember what has been lost.
Someday, I would love to visit New York City. The first thing I want to do is visit the memorial, the museum, and go up to the One World Observatory Deck. It would be a nice full circle moment for someone who had vague dreams of such a tragedy that shaped the world we live in today.
It is never too late to learn, mourn, and most importantly: never forget all that we have lost. The innocence of the old world, the towers we lost, and most importantly: The loved ones lost that day, and the years following.
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