most memorable media experience 9-11

When the 9/11 "bombings" of the World Trade Centers took place I was in 6th grade. I'll never forget sitting in my double period of English/Reading class with my teacher Mrs. Wood. We were about to take that weeks spelling test when the room phone rings and then Mrs. Wood lifts her eyebrows and says, "Hm, okay", and she hangs up the phone looks at me and tells me I am dismissed for the rest of the day. I found that really surprising and didn't question anything, I just grabbed my things and went down to the office. My mom was standing there in the midst of chaos. The principles and vice principles were all acting really weird but trying not to say too much because a student was present (me). I looked at my mom and asked her whats going on .. and she just sat there and said I'm waiting for Erin to get down here too, I'll tell you guys after we pick up Eric from school too. Eric is my little brother. Finally, Erin, my cousin got down to the office and looked almost as confused as I was. After we picked up my brother my mom started asking us if we knew what terrorism was and none of us really understood. So she remained quiet and drove us to Sandy Hook in NJ. I was always very familiar with NYC growing up because we used to go with friends out on their yachts and stay by Chelsea Piers. So when my mother got us to Sandy Hook the sky was filled with smoke. That's when she told us, the Twin Towers were purposely hit by suicide bombers. My heart imediately sank, I started crying a little then got control of myself. We went back to the house and I must have sat in front of the tv for 4 hours straight eating an entire bag of Wintergreen Mints. My cousin and I were so freaked out by the whole thing. We would watch both towers get hit and then see them collapse at least 5 times in 10 minutes. It was extremely tramatizing for my to watch and to this day, almost 7 years later i can still invision that image in my head like it was only yesterday.