Where were you, and what were you thinking?!

[ThEgReAtOnE]

This thread is to focus on the location and immediate thoughts of you, at some point and time, throughout major historical events. I'll randomly post pics of historical events, and you should give info on where you were and what your first thoughts were, at the time of the events.

Here we go...

On September 11, 2001, we were attacked...
http://cla.calpoly.edu:16080/~lcall/world-trade-center-pi%23A4AC0.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

Note: This is not meant to be a debate thread. Just reflective.

[LUFPAN]

I was at work and I was thinking that we needed to leave a smoldering crater in the location of whatever country was responsible for this.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

Well, I was in bed - just waking up. Sore and tired. I was visiting my parents, in Garland. My dad knocked on the door and said somebody just flew a 747 into the WTC. Actually, I kinda strugged if off - as my dad always seems to over-exaggerate. Turning on the tv, I noticed nearly every single channel was covering the stuff. I reached over to my ladyfriend, woke her up and within 3 minutes of her being awake we both saw the second plane hit. We were stunned.

Then the stations started reporting that we were under attack. I called other relatives (my ladyfriend, too) and watched as businesses started to close.

I felt..
Awful. Confused. Cheated. Stabbed in the back.

I still do.

[oldtig]

I was teaching a class of freshman at East Texas Baptist University- then I dismissed them and remember sitting in my office with a bunch of students as I saw the second plane hit. Then as we all went to the chapel, on the way there, the entire campus was silent. I cried, thanked God for the blessings in my life, then called my mom.

[CyFallsMom]

I was working in the Public Relations dept at Enron - we already had enough trouble going on and then this happened. I remember walking onto my floor and we had like 40 plasma TV's hanging from the ceiling (we watched TV all day - mainly CNN) and everyone was just standing there stunned. We were watching when the buildings collapsed and everyone screamed and held there hands up to their faces - sheer terror in their eyes and mine. I looked outside and people were already streaming out of buildings and then they told us to leave the premises immediately...we just didn't know that they weren't headed in our direction. It was quite scary and I think I wasn't the only one having anxiety attacks that day. I grew up during the cold war (we had drills where we got under our desks and stood with our faces to the wall - like that was going to keep us from the radiation or something) so I had grown up with fear of this sort of thing - it was not new but it was very upsetting. All I could think about were all those people in the planes and the buildings. With my in laws living in New York and my sister in law just two blocks away when it happened, you just have to thank God that they were fine in the end.

[CoveMom]

One thing you are always hearing on the news reports about Tuesday, September 11, 2001 is how it was a beautiful fall day. That does not do it justice. It was and will always be the most beautiful clear crystal blue sky that I will ever see. I even said something to my boys about the gorgeous day before they went to the school bus.

I was getting ready for Officer's Wives Club's Annual Sign-up Day at the Fort Belvoir Officer's Club. As I was going into the bathroom, some word on the TV caught my attention. I heard the announcer on FoxNews say "it appears a small plane has hit the World Trade Center." I looked at the hole and said out loud, "no." I knew it was not a small plane because I had just been there the fall before and knew how massive those buildings were. I sat down and watched. I was supposed to take a friend to drop off her car for repair and then to Mount Vernon High School to assist with photo day. She showed up all smiles and asked why I was not ready. I pulled her into the kitchen and we watched the second plane hit.

I sent Regina to the car dealer with a promise to follow and be there after she got the car checked in. I got ready and started driving up Route 1. My cell phone began to ring and I couldn't reach it. It rang again and I somehow knocked it to the floor on the passenger side of the car. When I leaned over to get it I saw that the sky was filled with black smoke to the nortwest of me. That was the Pentagon. I turned the radio up and the phone rang again, it was my Mother-in-Law wanting to know where her son was because she knew he was supposed to be traveling that week. I assured her he was in Arizona safe and sound, but he hadn't called to say so yet. (He was)

When I arrived at the car dealership Regina was a mess. You see, her husband was a Major General and his office was in the outer ring of the Pentagon. At least I was able to tell her the plane hit on the other side of where his office was. She did not speak to him until 10:30 that night.

Our world went silent. You just do not realize the background noise of a large metropolitan area until all air traffic stops and most of the highway traffic comes to a standstill. That silence will be in my heart forever. We waited as a neighborhood to see if any of my immediate neighbors were lost. Thankfully, no. My children stayed at school and were only aware of a tension in the air, not the tragedy itself. 99.6% of the kids in that school were military children. I explained to them when they got home. That was hard since Daddy was away on an airplane.

My friend Lynn who is also here in Texas now was on her way to Marymount University in Arlington and was almost there when the plane passed directly over her car. She saw that plane right before it hit. A nightmare she will live with forever.

All I could think was that we were now at war. I didn't need anyone from Washington or the TV News to tell me that. In fact, I wondered how long it would take them to figure it out. Not long, it turned out.

[KT2000]

I was a sophomore in college, and was getting ready to go to class when the first plane hit. One of my roommates called me out to the living room, and we watched as the second hit.

I thought the first was a huge aviation accident, but when the second hit I think we all realized it was a deliberate attack.

[pied]

I was on a cruise ship in Skagway Alaska. On the ship you get 2-3 channels one being ESPN.

Turned it on to get some scores etc, and it was showing the ABC feed. At the time they were talking about how many planes were uncaccounted for as it was a couple of hours after the towers fell.

They showed NY and DC, and all you could see was some smoke. It took about 10 minutes to really understand what was going on. There was no recap.

After that it was very odd. Here we were(with our 1 year old) about as far away as you could possibly get. My step mom was in the Pentagon, and we got ahold of her later that day.

Made the rest of the trip odd, and my in laws ended up making the drive from Anchorgae down the AL-CAN highway as they were supposed to be flying back stand-by.

[Dds115]

I was in the hall walking to my math class in 8th grade. I remember all my teachers crying as we watched. My good friend's father was in the pentagon that day, so he was naturally worried, almost in tears. What a horrific day that was. We watched it all day on TV in school.

[jtk1519]

I was sleeping late. A friend called and told me to turn on the TV. I sat in a numb silence for what felt like days. By 11:00, I had moved every TV in the house to the living room where I had 6 TVs showing 6 different channels. I watched them for the rest of the day without the mental or physical capacity to even stir up any emotion. That came later.

[Miss Kitty]

I was at work. I first thought it was an aviation accident then when I realized the horror of what it was after seeing the second plane hit, I just wanted to get to my kids and throw my arms around them. I just started praying.

[DragonBand06]

I was in 8th grade in yearbook class at the time it happened...
At first I thought it was just some idiot who flew into the tower by mistake, and then when I got home (they wouldn't show us what was going on) I saw the rest.

[ahsstud]

8th grade stu-co meeting. ms. jordan came in and said we had been bombed in new york. she was a nutcase so i didnt pay her any attention. i went on to 3rd period science and ms. davis had the the tv on abc and she was glued to it. she never said a word to the us the entire 45 minutes we were in there, not a word. she got up after the first tower fell and cried in her office. i remember thinking my mom works in the tallest building in abilene, what if they're targeting us??

[svhorns]

it happened my sophmore year in high school... I had just got to school and I had a friend saying a plane hit one of the towers... I was like "oh really" not thinking it was a freaking boeing 747 or whatever it was... then first period started and the teacher turned on the TV...then the 2nd plane hit and the principal came over the overcom and told all the teachers to turn off the tv's... lots of kids started moaning and groaning and started yelling at the teacher to turn the tv back on.... at the time I really didnt know how big of a deal it was until I realized millions of people are in and out of that building all day everyday... and it suprsingly effected a lot more people down here in Texas that I thought it would....

Now that im a helluva lot more educated...I have my opinions on what happened but we wont get into that....I would probably start a board breakdown...

[Mac Is Back]

6th grade year, in first period World History class. We were discussing the ancient Mayan civilizations (and, ironically, how their calender ends abruptly in 2013, a year which some people believe will be the end of the world) and an administrator stepped in briefly and said that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Our teacher refused to put on the news, so for the rest of the day I was trying to picture what it was like. Nobody ever told me that two planes had hit, and that the towers had fallen. I assumed for the entire day that it had been a major accident, and everything was fine. I was quickly informed otherwise that evening at home.

[RocketTRN]

This thread is to focus on the location and immediate thoughts of you, at some point and time, throughout major historical events. I'll post a pic, and you should give info on where you were and what your first thoughts were, at the time of this event.

Here we go...

On September 11, 2001, we were attacked...
http://cla.calpoly.edu:16080/%7Elcall/world-trade-center-pi%23A4AC0.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

Note: This is not meant to be a debate thread. Just reflective.

I heard about it first at school but didn't know the the magnitude of it. I was in 7th grade and had never heard of the world trade centers and i thought it was like a Cessna so i didn't think it was a big deal. After football practice when we were on a knee around coach he told us that we needed to go home and spend time with our families because America had just been attacked and then i realized the magnitude of it when i got home and saw the videos.

[1337boy]

7th grade football practice at Carroll Middle School

thoughts:
why can't we just kill the terrorists (I was an ignorant 7th grader and hadn't a clue about any angry-at-us middle easterners)

[ThEgReAtOnE]

On January 28, 1986, NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight...
http://www.spacetoday.org/images/SpcShtls/Challenger/Challenger51Lcrew.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

[svhorns]

I was too young for that... I was only a year old

[DragonFan]

I was at a computer conference in Anaheim California. We had just had the best computer show day in the history of my company. We had contracts for lots of business signed on the 10th and a lot more to be signed on the 11th. I woke up on the 11th when my then wife called to let me know that a plane had hit the WTC. I turned on the news in time to see the second plan hit. The keynote speaker for that evening was in the WTC at a meeting above where the plans hit. I called my sales staff and told them about the attacks and they all thought I was kidding. We all meet at the Conference center and tried to make some sense of things. The conference was canceled as nobody wanted to do any business and everybody was walking around in stunned silence. Half of my staff that was at the conference had gone site seeing and called and asked if they could take the one rental car we had and drive back to Texas. I told them to go, knowing that it would strand myself and some other employees. With the airports closed and no time frame given as to when they would be opened again, I started to look for ways to get back to Texas. All the rental car companies were out of cars. I was able to find 1 charter bus and two drivers. I chartered it. (it was the last one in the LA area as all the other charter busses were on standby for the military if there was going to be a mobilization ordered). I went to the conference center and told everyone there that I had chartered a bus to get to Dallas and anyone that wanted to go could get on the bus with me at 4:00 PM. I had about 20 people show up to ride the bus. We left LA with no one on the roads and the skies were empty except for an occasional military aircraft. With two drivers we could get to El Paso Texas before we had to stop. Most were vendors at the computer conference so we had a collection of wines and cheeses that were supposed to be used for a reception that night so we had an open bar with all the wine and cheese you could eat. We arrived at El Paso early in the morning and we asked the drivers to take us to the airport before they went to the hotel. American Airlines was allowing us to fly the rest of the way home so we let the bus go back to LA as we boarded the planes for home. I was never so glad to see my family as I was when I finally got home!

All of the contracts that were signed at that conference were canceled due to uncertainty. All sales prospects in the pipeline dried up. Nobody wanted to talk about anything for over a year. My business has yet to fully recover from this event. I have had to downsize and regroup and the effects of that was one of the reasons that my marriage broke up.

The effects of that one event took a greater toll on this country than many understand.

[farmerfan]

As for 9/11, I was just getting in from work. Worked out at UPS at DFW at that time. Shift was every tues-sat from 3-8 am. We got off early that day around 7:15 and as I got back to my house I did what I always did and fix breakfast and turn on the TV. I remember the station cutting off into the special report and I went in and woke up my roommates after the second plane hit. After the first one hit my first thoughts were this is messed up. After the second one hit I went in and woke up my 2 roomates who didnt think anything of it. One of my roommates dads came over and got his son out of bed. We stayed glued infront of the TV and when the towers collapsed became someone pissed and scared at the same time. I will never forget that day. We couldnt go back to work until Friday when they allowed the flying to resume.

As far as the Challenger, I too am to young to remember that event.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

I was in grade school.We had been following the Challenger on-goings for a while. Christa - the School Teacher - was very popular, thus classes were pooled into the Library. We watched it live. All I remember, was sitting down - Indian style - on the floor, with a ALOT of other students. It all happened so quick. No one really knew what had happened. One kid even said, "COOL!" The teachers quickly turned it off, and we were sent back to our classrooms. Then, the Principal came over the loudspeaker and said a horrible tragedy had taken place and the entire crew was lost. He specifically said the teacher, Christa, was gone.

We knew, then, that things were bad. When I got home, I remember my dad watching tv, when the evening news came on. I remember them saying it was one of the greatest tragedies in American history. They did a tribute.

Sounds weird, but I remember we had Kentucky Fried Chicken, that night.

[toddg]

i remember glancing the tv in the lobby of my dorm(coleman hall) at texas tech, on my way to a class and saw the news coverage, i sat down on the sofa in front of the tv..i was the only one there at the time, and before i knew it..it was 4 hours later and i was surrounded by students, all as stunned as i was...it was heartbreaking to see the shuttle go down, i have always been a patriotic guy, even as a kid, and seeing the challenger go down in flames was gut wrenching and i will never forget it.

[Miss Kitty]

On January 28, 1986, NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight...
http://www.spacetoday.org/images/SpcShtls/Challenger/Challenger51Lcrew.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

Sitting at my desk listening to it. My reaction was, this can't be real.

[RocketTRN]

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/feb03/shuttle-breakup1.jpg
space shuttle columbia

[ahsstud]

On January 28, 1986, NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight...
http://www.spacetoday.org/images/SpcShtls/Challenger/Challenger51Lcrew.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?


i was too young for that one, but i was at the fort worth stock show the saturday morning the columbia exploded re-entering the atmosphere. i remember i had to show my charolais steer that day and i was outside the hotel when dad turned on the tv and yelled something about a spaceship exploding. looked up to the sky and saw the fireball streaking across the sky. very weird feeling

[wide-e-wide]

I was still in the Navy then. I remember hearing sirens and "general quarters" being shouted over the 1MC (PA system) and thinking WTF? This is shore duty...why are they having "general quarters" we're not even on a ship???
They briefed us on the situation and told us to secure all of our computers and phone lines. The building and base were all secured and no one was allowed in or out for hours. My heart sunk when I heard about the Pentagon. The Pentagon has a lot of Yeoman/Personnelman working there...so I went to tech school with a few people that worked in offices there. I lost a very close friend that day in the Pentagon. I have pictures of us together in a big frame with a flag on my wall to this day.

For the first time in my military career I felt vulnerable. I felt as though something was about to catch us unaware and we were going to be in deep [censored]. I had been stationed on a few different Naval Air Stations...so by this point I was numb to jets flying over. Pretty much didn't even notice them... never looked up. After that day I started looking up when I heard planes. I also remember being very angry...we weren't allowed to watch footage initially so we were just using our imaginations. When I finally saw footage it was far worse than what I had pictured in my mind. I was absolutely livid.

It is just an incredibly sad day that will live with all of us forever

[ThEgReAtOnE]

On April 5, 1994, the lead singer of Nirvana took his own life...
http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/5d/images.art.com/images/-/Kurt-Cobain--C10104555.jpeg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

[yallerjacket]

When I heard about Cobain, I was pulling out of the mall parking lot and heard it on the radio. I was a big fan, but I wasn't really all that surprised. He always seemed like a troubled man.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

I was in school. When I got home, MTV was plastered to the breaking news. All I thought about was Jim Morrison, and how he was only 27 when he had killed himself. (Overdose) I thought, THE DOORS (one of my all-time great bands) was really only alive for about 3 or 4 yrs, before Jim off'd himself. Ironically, Nirvana was really only alive for about 3 or 4 yrs, before Kurt pulled his own plug. Both bands had everlasting memorable hits, and seemed to act as lightening rods for their respective generations. I thought to myself, I guess is how Rock Stars become Legends.

Both, "Smells like teen spirit" and "Light my fire" ranks on my Top 25 All-Time Rock-N-Roll List.

[farmerfan]

When I heard about Cobain I was pissed and dissapointed. I remember throwing out all my nirvana CD's and still have a hard time listening to them today when they come on the radio or played at a bar.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

Being called - by many - the greatest National Championship Game, ever...Jan 4, 2006 - UT vs USC...
http://i.cnn.net/si/si_online/covers/images/2006/0109_large.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

[farmerfan]

Being called - by many - the greatest National Championship Game, ever...Jan 4, 2006 - UT vs USC...
http://i.cnn.net/si/si_online/covers/images/2006/0109_large.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

I was at my apartment. My first thoughts were Wide is hammered.

[KT2000]

I was with champ and chill in my apartment, and I didn't think Texas would win until we stopped LenDale White on 4th and 2. I knew Vince would not be denied if he got the ball. I think the Horn defense knew that as well. We were all convinced Texas would win after stopping the 4th and 2. It's the greatest individual performance I've ever seen in college football on the biggest stage possible.

[wide-e-wide]

When the Challenger explosion happened...

I was in Mrs. Faver's class at Trout Elementary in Lufkin. Mrs. Cartwright's class across the hall had come over to join us in watching the launch live on tv. They rolled the television in and we talked for a while about our upcoming field trip to NASA. Then they turned the lights down so that we could watch the launching of the space shuttle. Initially we were confused...most of us had never watched the launching of a space shuttle...so we didn't know if what was happening was supposed to happen. The teachers immediately walked closer to the tv set and were totally shocked.

I basically remember how sad everyone was for days after that. Terrible thing...

[Miss Kitty]

I was at home alone. I was happy but torn because of all of the silly debates on the 5A board about how Aggies should not cheer for the Longhorns and all of the bandwagon fan BS.

I just wanted to be happy for the Horns without all of the drama.

[yankee]

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/feb03/shuttle-breakup1.jpg
space shuttle columba
i was at a solo and ensemble performance for band early that morning in middle school, many people heard the loud noise from inside the school, although no one really gave it a second thought. i got home, pretty sure it was a saturday, and my dad was watching the tv and i heard the news. i remember walking outside to see if there was any debris, later finding out that it was nowhere near us.

[wide-e-wide]

I was at my apartment. My first thoughts were Wide is hammered.

I was on the couch here with my wife watching the game. After the 4th down stop I looked at my wife and said "The Longhorns are gonna win this game".....I repeated that after every play. I already had my hands up in the air before the ball was snapped to Vince for the TD run. I could just feel it....I knew what was about to happen. I basically went nuts...My wife went nuts...and I blared "Texas Fight" all over the house for about 30 minutes. And yes.........I was absolutely hammered.


Oh...and I cussed out every ESPN analyst,announcer,custodian,parking lot attendant.....all of 'em. They couldn't hear me but it sure made me feel better.

[yankee]

9/11 is a day no one will forget, myself included.
my story is pretty much the same as everyone else's. my dad called that morning, i was getting ready to go to school, and he told my mom to put on the tv because a plane had hit the world trade center. saw the second plane hit live on tv, and i knew it was something bad. parents kept taking kids out of school early, and/or picking them up after school when normally they take the bus. one of the things i remember most from 9/11 was how quiet the skies were. where we live, you can see and hear the planes in the sky. i walked outside, and there was nothing.

[ahsstud]

i was too young to remember much but i do remember kurt's death being in the news. after much debate i've bought into the conspiracy theory that kurt didn't pull the trigger.



as for the best day of my life, january 4 2006, i was in my friends' apartment, and i was shitcan smashed

[wide-e-wide]

I don't really remember Cobain's suicide. That date is right around Spring Break so there is no telling what I was doing at that time.

I do remember being in Phoenix,AZ at a party when I heard that 2pac died.
I didn't believe it until I saw it on the news later the next day. I thought it was just a stupid rumor. This doesn't have to turn into a "Is Pac dead" thread...but for what it's worth I have my doubts about him being dead.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

In 1989, the Dallas Cowboys traded Pro-Bowler Herschel Walker....
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/4/4f/Herschel_Walker_DC.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

[wide-e-wide]

I was...how do you say...umm...in a place where they send bad little boys.
I read it in the newspaper and wondered what the hell the Cowboys were doing. I always loved Hershel and hated to see him go. I was really happy that he got a chance to come back later in his career.

[cyfallsgoalie31]

I was...how do you say...umm...in a place where they send bad little boys.
I never knew you visited Neverland Ranch. :D :p

[ThEgReAtOnE]

I was in school. I believe it was a Friday, and my folks were headed out of town. Amongst the packing, the news came up with a Special Report. HW had been traded...to the freakin' Vikings, of all teams. I thought, this freakin' owner is a moron. Dallas is dead, for sure. It was right after Cross-eyed White had led us through some horrible seasons, and Troy was coming in to take over QB'ing.

Eventually, however, the trade acquired 5 Vikings and 6 future Draft Picks, most noticeably, Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, Kevin Smith and Russell Maryland. I liked that Herschel came back, too.

[CoveMom]

Challenger disaster. I was in Germany with my husband. I was working late and someone came ruinning down the hall to say that the Shuttle had exploded. It was then I realized why the music had stopped on AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio and Television Network). I finished up my work, numb. Then went home and watched hours of coverage on AFRTS. Incredible sadness. It was awful. The next day we all gathered at the Kanteen for beers and tears after work. One of the few times I got plastered in the 80's.

[CoveMom]

Columbia disaster. I was getting the kids ready for school and saw the coverage on the TV. Called a friend in Dallas/Plano to tell her to turn on the TV since they were still seeing pieces in the sky at that time. I was stunned. Again, numb. I told my oldest son and then sent the boys to school. It was a strange day. I really didn't know how to feel except to hope it was just a freak accident. Who knew that the environmentalists had caused the foam recipe to be changed and that that might have been the cause?

[cyfallsgoalie31]

September 11
I was in art class and I knew that something was up. About midway through the class period a office attendent came to my class and asked to talk to me in the halls. Thje first words out of her mouth were, "There's been an accident" She went on to say that my dad had called the school (he was in Boston and staying at the same hotel as the terrorist) and said he was ok and not to worry about him and that he would be home in a couple days as he was supposed to be fly back on the 11th. i believe he got home on the 14th.

but i will always remember that sentence and the future termination of a middle school office worker.

[CoveMom]

Curt Cobain. Seriously, I had to ask someone, "who is Curt Cobain?"

[CoveMom]

Herschel Walker. This was in my "I hate football" days. I really did not care, but I do remember hearing about it. :o

[CoveMom]

September 11
I was in art class and I knew that something was up. About midway through the class period a office attendent came to my class and asked to talk to me in the halls. Thje first words out of her mouth were, "There's been an accident" She went on to say that my dad had called the school (he was in Boston and staying at the same hotel as the terrorist) and said he was ok and not to worry about him and that he would be home in a couple days as he was supposed to be fly back on the 11th. i believe he got home on the 14th.

but i will always remember that sentence and the future termination of a middle school office worker.

She lost her job for passing a message from your father?????!!!!! :mad:

[cyfallsgoalie31]

She lost her job for passing a message from you father?????!!!!! :mad:
no she lost her job because she used the same opening line to my sister and my sister, being an 11 year old girl, lost it. she bawled so hard she was immediatly sent to the councelors and the APs had a talk with the woman.

[farmerfan]

no she lost her job because she used the same opening line to my sister and my sister, being an 11 year old girl, lost it. she bawled so hard she was immediatly sent to the councelors and the APs had a talk with the woman.

dang cyfallsgoalie that was an intense story. glad to see that your father was safe and made it home safely. I am also sorry to heara bout the counselor.

[cyfallsgoalie31]

dang cyfallsgoalie that was an intense story. glad to see that your father was safe and made it home safely. I am also sorry to heara bout the counselor.
thanks, i didnt think too much of it at the time but now i realize how odd it was to start off with that sentence when she knew that i was little frazzled because, like everyone else, i was glued to the tv. i knew my dad was in boston and i knew thats where the flights were from.

[CoveMom]

no she lost her job because she used the same opening line to my sister and my sister, being an 11 year old girl, lost it. she bawled so hard she was immediatly sent to the councelors and the APs had a talk with the woman.

That makes a little more sense. Chances are it wasn't the only time she made a "poor choice of words." If not, then I hope she was able to work somewhere else.

[wide-e-wide]

I never knew you visited Neverland Ranch. :D :p

It was actually the Texas Youth Commission's version of Neverland Ranch.

[CoveMom]

It was actually the Texas Youth Commission's version of Neverland Ranch.

So that's how you ended up in the Navy!!!!! Enlistment offices in Gatesville? :D j/k you must have learned something, you seem to have turned out okay.

[wide-e-wide]

So that's how you ended up in the Navy!!!!! Enlistment offices in Gatesville? :D j/k you must have learned something, you seem to have turned out okay.

Nope that came years later.

'89 was my first of two trips to TYC facilities. I'm not ashamed of it. It probably saved my life and without it I wouldn't have the knowledge that I have now. I can pass down to my kids and other kids the things that I learned. It is the reason why I'm in a profession where I help people now. And in some instances my past helps me establish a rapport with otherwise unreachable or neglected juveniles. It's something that will always stay with me.

[slorch]

This thread is to focus on the location and immediate thoughts of you, at some point and time, throughout major historical events. I'll randomly post pics of historical events, and you should give info on where you were and what your first thoughts were, at the time of the events.

Here we go...

On September 11, 2001, we were attacked...
http://cla.calpoly.edu:16080/~lcall/world-trade-center-pi%23A4AC0.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

Note: This is not meant to be a debate thread. Just reflective.

I was at a week long training course for a newly promoted position, when an HR rep pokes her head in the room and says a plane hit one of the towers. We were all thinking a Cessna. We walk into the breakroom just in time to see the second plane hit.
At that point I thought about the people in the buildings and their families. I then was overcome with the desire to whip somebody's ***. I don't mean one individual, I mean a nation.

Today I still feel unfulfilled. The full force and power of the US military and people has not been felt, and we are a weaker nation today because of it. We have morons walking around and saying we should make friends with the people over there. I say we follow through and destroy those who shelter terrorists. We have been made to look like inconsistent wussies. I hate it.
I know it is said, " If you give up freedom for security, you have neither." I say quit making it so damn cozy for everyone against us, and finish the business at hand. We are at war, and many in our country is worried about how their mutual fund did yesterday. Or being able to show how queer they are. They are oblivious to the fact that there are people dying to destroy us.

How soon we have forgotten the value of liberty and the cost of freedom.

sickening...


Semper Fidelis, America.
I love my country, it is time to be Americans again.

[slorch]

On January 28, 1986, NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight...
http://www.spacetoday.org/images/SpcShtls/Challenger/Challenger51Lcrew.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

I was a sophomore at Rider High school, but i skipped school that day.

I wasn't mature enough to realize the gravity of the situation. i was just in awe of the actual explosion, but didn't think of the seven people inside.

Then i was worried my mom might come home early...

[cyfallsgoalie31]

That makes a little more sense. Chances are it wasn't the only time she made a "poor choice of words." If not, then I hope she was able to work somewhere else.
this was not the lady's first offense by all means. she once told one of my friends that they had "lost" his mother. he took it as she had died, obviously causing him to bawl. she meant it as they couldn't get a hold of her to tell him of the school's rezoning issues.

[slorch]

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/feb03/shuttle-breakup1.jpg
space shuttle columbia

We lived in Amarillo, and was awake and noticed the news saying they had lost the shuttle. I went outside and when I came back in they said the shuttle had disintegrated over east Texas. I was hoping nobody else on the ground was hurt.

Having a family, I thought of the astronauts children, and families. I was deeply saddened. Rick Husband's family was in Amarillo. They changed the name of the airport in honor of him. I heard it said he was passionate about serving God and flying. We all lost that day...

[slorch]

On April 5, 1994, the lead singer of Nirvana took his own life...
http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/5d/images.art.com/images/-/Kurt-Cobain--C10104555.jpeg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

I thought, "what an idiot" I loved Nirvana and thought he was far from fully developed. As great as some of their material is, I feel cheated out of what SHOULD have been a long and prosperous career.

[slorch]

It was actually the Texas Youth Commission's version of Neverland Ranch.

now some questions are being answered:rolleyes: :D

[slorch]

In 1989, the Dallas Cowboys traded Pro-Bowler Herschel Walker....
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/4/4f/Herschel_Walker_DC.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

I was getting out of high school in Abernathy, Tx and going off to summer camp, USMC style...:eek:

football was the farthest thing from my mind at the time. I was sad to find out Hershel was traded, because he was a class guy and great runner.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

On December 2, 2001, Enron collapsed...
http://www.lubbockonline.com/images/020302/enron.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

[ThEgReAtOnE]

On December 2, 2001, Enron collapsed...
http://www.lubbockonline.com/images/020302/enron.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

I happened upon it while I was flipping back and forth from the 9/11 Ground Zero Specials, on CNN and Fox News. Then the local news kept talking about how much the employees were screwed, and I finally stopped and focused on the situation. I was floored. I kept saying, "Somebody will kill Lay and Skilling, before trial begins!" Then the next day, a Senior Exec. committed suicide.

Afterwards, I thought about the employees and their misfortunes. I was appauld. I had no sympathy (and still don't) for any of them...alive or dead.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

On February 22, 1980, the "Miracle on Ice"...
http://www.bunksplace.com/bobrichter.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

[ThEgReAtOnE]

On February 28, 1993, the FBI and BATF laid seige to Mount Carmel, ultimately ending on April 19th...
http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1993/1101930503_400.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

[slorch]

On February 22, 1980, the "Miracle on Ice"...
http://www.bunksplace.com/bobrichter.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

I was 9 years old and we were glues to the TV. My brothers and I were screaming and running through the house. It is one of the things I always can get people to understand why I love sports so much. Almost everybody knows whta it felt like when our boys struck gold!

the movie Miracle is good too. This weather is perfect for reflecting on that great team...
Thanks TGO...

[slorch]

On February 28, 1993, the FBI and BATF laid seige to Mount Carmel, ultimately ending on April 19th...
http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1993/1101930503_400.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

I was driving to Dallas on 114 from Lubbock, and just thought, " damn they should do that more often and really shut down the criminals." i still say we have no real punishment for crime. We would have far less crime if Slorch was making the call.
you murder someone, we exile you into Oklahoma. see i told you was tough...:D

[ktCarl]

This thread is to focus on the location and immediate thoughts of you, at some point and time, throughout major historical events. I'll randomly post pics of historical events, and you should give info on where you were and what your first thoughts were, at the time of the events.

Here we go...

On September 11, 2001, we were attacked...
http://cla.calpoly.edu:16080/~lcall/world-trade-center-pi%23A4AC0.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

Note: This is not meant to be a debate thread. Just reflective.

At work on a break in the lunch room thinking it was an aviation accident. Watching the first tower fall live was horrible.

[ktCarl]

On January 28, 1986, NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight...
http://www.spacetoday.org/images/SpcShtls/Challenger/Challenger51Lcrew.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

At work (Conoco) and someone yelled for us to come to a conference room where a TV was set up to watch the launch. I remember the sick feeling in my stomach when the shuttle exploded.

[ktCarl]

On April 5, 1994, the lead singer of Nirvana took his own life...
http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/5d/images.art.com/images/-/Kurt-Cobain--C10104555.jpeg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

Driving out of the Sonic drive-thru window and thinking, "They forgot to put the mustard on my burger!"

[ktCarl]

Being called - by many - the greatest National Championship Game, ever...Jan 4, 2006 - UT vs USC...
http://i.cnn.net/si/si_online/covers/images/2006/0109_large.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?

In my living room thinking, "I saw him do that to Katy in 2001".

[ktCarl]

On February 22, 1980, the "Miracle on Ice"...
http://www.bunksplace.com/bobrichter.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

In my living room screaming..USA USA USA!

My Dad called me and told me, "That will prove to those Ruskies that we are not just full of soggy corn flakes"!

[ktCarl]

On February 28, 1993, the FBI and BATF laid seige to Mount Carmel, ultimately ending on April 19th...
http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1993/1101930503_400.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

At work wondering why they didn't arrest the guy when they had the chance to.

[wide-e-wide]

Miracle on Ice:

I was watching the game with my Dad at our house in Beaumont. I knew it was something special because I had never seen my Dad get excited about hockey before. I probably had a Longhorns t-shirt on because as you know I'm a "bandwagon" UT fan.
I also remember he had a "Hey Iran" sticker on his truck with Mickey Mouse shooting the bird. ahaha...don't know why I remember that. Probably because my mother hated it.


The Waco standoff:
I was in school in Huntsville and remember watching footage of it on the news. Those college years all kind of blend together for some reason...memories are kind of fuzzy.:D

[ThEgReAtOnE]

I was 9 years old and we were glues to the TV. My brothers and I were screaming and running through the house. It is one of the things I always can get people to understand why I love sports so much. Almost everybody knows whta it felt like when our boys struck gold!

the movie Miracle is good too. This weather is perfect for reflecting on that great team...
Thanks TGO...

I didn't watch the game, as I was into watching Cartoons. I definitely wasn't into watching Hcokey. (Still isn't.)

Shockingly, I didn't understand the full impact of the win, for quite some time.

Magic.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

I was driving to Dallas on 114 from Lubbock, and just thought, " damn they should do that more often and really shut down the criminals." i still say we have no real punishment for crime. We would have far less crime if Slorch was making the call.
you murder someone, we exile you into Oklahoma. see i told you was tough...:D

I was in school. We were talking about attending Madi Gras (NO, LA), yet I was amazed with this young girl (in my class) who had just announced she was leaving school to fight cancer. (Chemo-therapy. She died, just months later. Sad stuff.)

But, the Principal came over the loudspeaker and said there had been a tragedy, and 75 people had perished. It sounds cold and crazy, but I couldn't help but think, this freakin' moron (David Koresh) had attended GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL. Yup...he was a freakin' OWL! (Our Team Manager later told us, he taught Koresh at Garland High and said he was a complete and utter psycho. He was destined to do something stupid...which is exactly what he did.)

I was embarrassed, more than anything. But I did feel sorry for the so-called "Davidians", who had fallen prey to this psychotic L.O.L! (Loser of life.)

[jakerz]

Being called - by many - the greatest National Championship Game, ever...Jan 4, 2006 - UT vs USC...
http://i.cnn.net/si/si_online/covers/images/2006/0109_large.jpg
Where were you and what were your first thoughts?


I was screaming like a little girl. I know some of you felt that moment in your body when they showed Vince pointing to the crowd with all the confetti coming down....wow...it's something I just can't describe.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

On August 24, 1989, Pete Rose accepted a permanent place on baseball’s ineligible list...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/Pete_Rose_Time.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

[wide-e-wide]

I was in HS in Lufkin. I just remember saying "I don't believe he actually bet on baseball". I was wrong because Pete was lying his [censored] off.
I still think he should be in the HOF though.

I still have the copy of Sports Illustrated's "Under Fire" with Pete on the the cover.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

On August 24, 1989, Pete Rose accepted a permanent place on baseball’s ineligible list...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/Pete_Rose_Time.jpg
Where were you and what were your thoughts?

I remember thinking "Who gives a sh--?!" Integrity my a--! Rose is one of the greats. It's a shame he isn't in the HOF. To me, until he gets in, I can't recognize the Hall.