I was about 5 weeks pregnant, teaching my period 3 AP seniors, in a high school on Long Island, about 50 miles from NYC. The principal’s voice came over the PA to announce that there was an accident and that a plane hit one of the Twin Towers. At this time, there was no mention of a terrorist act. There were some audible gasps and a buzz of conversation before the bell rang and the period was over.
When I went into the English Resource Room/teachers’ work area, I noticed someone had set up the television. We all just stood staring at the screen, dumb-founded. Suddenly, the first tower collapsed like a house of cards. This time the audible gasps were mixed with exclamations of “Oh my God!” I vividly remember crying and instinctively touching my not-yet-noticeable pregnant belly. All I could think was, “What kind of world am I bringing my baby into?!”