Step Class, Detention, Furry Websites: Where Were You on 9/11?

We all experienced 9/11 differently in some ways, but mostly we all experienced it the same.  Not just the same, emotionally – sad, outraged, confused, unbelieving – but the within the same circumstances as well.  #wherewereyou on Twitter really brings that home.  It was a Tuesday morning, and Tuesday morning is one of those times when almost all Americans are doing something we are obliged to be doing.  We were, almost without exception, in class, at work, or on the way to work.  Class was canceled, work was dismissed, we turned around and drove home to our families.  There was something authentic and dignified about being in class, at work, or on the way to work that morning, because you got feel 9/11 “properly,” as the rest of Americans felt it.  There was solidarity, rather than the usual aloofness, in being hunkered down together in our small, drab, unpleasant places against this big, blinding, terrible thing.

But it wasn’t like we knew to save the date.  It wasn’t like we knew that on that morning we shouldn’t be high, or cheating on our spouses, or pitying ourselves for some other, minor tragedy.  So there were people who got 9/11 like that as well, as a blow to the back of the head rather than the face.  I’ve sorted through the #wherewereyou thread and picked out some of the more unusual “where I was” tweets.  Some are ironic, others particularly unlucky, and still others, funny in their absurdity.  After the jump.  

Gingaaaah was chained to a particularly dedicated step class student.

gingaaaah #wherewereyou Gttng rdy 2 teach step class. Evry1 went running 2 TVs by treadmills. 1 selfish lady made me teach her while ppl wr dying

Beaglej went ahead and took the day off beforehand.

beaglej #wherewereyou At home playing hookey from high school because I just didn’t want to go. Turned the TV as they were reviewing footage

Love_drunk picked a bad time to try to fall in love.

love_drunk It was also just a few days after I met J. The next Jan, when everything in the world was still scary, we would fall in love…#wherewereyou

If marcmcpherson couldn’t stay on the right side of immigration laws before the Towers were hit, he didn’t have a prayer after.

marcmcpherson 9/11/01 #wherewereyou – living in So Cal packing my apt after being deported the first time. Streets deserted. Stores closed. Creepy

Savebabygorilla tried to tell us, but no one believed him.

tweetbeaver @savebabygorilla I was in OAC (grade 13 in Ontario) Biology class. I told the teacher & got detention for listening in class #WhereWereYou

And finally, even the furries were moved to dwell on human affairs.

zorinlynx #wherewereyou I was at work. Happened to be logged into FurryMUCK where it was discussed. Major news sites were down; FM was my only source.

Where were you?