What were you doing when.....

[brtmchl]

I agree with Eva, this is very fascinating. I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their feelings on such a sad day. These memories would make a great book for someone. I also found the story of Kennedy's back brace very interesting.
I read that some have tried to ask themselves why did Kennedy's assassination have a more profound impact than how they felt about 9/11? I can't answer that question for anyone, but I remember being in the 6th grade when another horrible event occured. We opened the dividing wall between classrooms and watched in anticipation as the first Teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was about to launch into space aboard Space Shuttle Challenger. Our excitement soon turned to horror and uncontrollable sadness when that horrible plume of smoke took the lives of all seven aboard, just a little over a minute after take off.
I also did not feel the same as I did then, as when I watched that second plane strike the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Maybe this first incident took away some sort of innocense, exposing me to a harsher reality. Before witnessing The Challenger tragedy, I had never witnessed a truly tragic act. But I do not believe that was what happened, I also don't believe it was simply because I was a child when the Challenger exploded. While both scenarios are tragic and sad, the difference,( at least for me ) involved anger. When 9/11 occurred I was sadened but consumed with rage. I had just witnessed an act of war upon the United States, and more specifically, a cowardly act of war perpetrated against an innocent civillian populace.
Was this how my Grandfather's generation felt when Pearl Harbor was attacked?
Sorry for the long text, I didn't want to take away from the endearing thread; but Laurie's questioning of her own feelings made sense to me.