Where Were You? Share Your Memories, Stories of Sept. 11

“Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?”

The lyrics of the Alan Jackson song never fail to stir deep emotions from this day, 13 years ago, when our world so drastically changed.

We all have our memories from that day -- where we were, how we heard, what we did.

I was getting ready to take my daughter, who was then not quite 3, to Stepping Stone Day Care on Drum Point Road when I heard Don Imus on the radio saying something about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. Because Imus was known for being a jokester, I turned on the television to see what he was talking about.

As I watched the CNN broadcast, I saw an aircraft circling, and I remember thinking, “Geez, the news helicopter got up there quickly.” Seconds later that aircraft slammed into the South Tower. I still remember the horror I felt, realizing -- like everyone else -- that this was no mistake, no error; that the United States was under attack.

Within minutes, I got a phone call from work. “We need everyone in here. We’re putting out an extra.” It was one of the few times the Asbury Park Press had ever put out an Extra in its 150-year history.

I took my daughter to day care -- though I really wasn’t sure it was what I wanted to do. No one knew how far the attacks would spread. No one felt safe. As I drove home (we had moved to Berkeley by then) I listened to the radio reports of what was going on. When they reported the towers falling, the tears streamed down my face, because I knew -- as we all did -- that a lot of good people had lost their lives.

Where were you when you heard about the attacks? What do you remember from that day? Share your stories in the comments below.