Many labels are often placed on the terrorist attacks of 9/11. A “day that changed the world”, “a day that will live in infamy”, “a day to remember”, and so much more.

Most of the time, all of these labels are agreed upon and no one can deny the impact of 9/11 on history, America, or even the whole world. Since the attacks, terrorism surfaced as the most relevant issue, airport regulations started forming, and the ways in which buildings are built drastically changed.

But how do individual Americans remember 9/11? What was their experience like? These might be questions often forgotten amongst the magnitude of the changes that the attacks brought. Without doubt though, every experience was unique to itself?whether someone was at the World Trade Center that day or was watching the news live in the West Coast.

Although I do not have a personal memory of the event, an interview with my parents revealed that they had quite a unique experience.

My parents had gotten wed just two days prior to the attacks and were on a honeymoon at Hawaii on the day of the attacks. They were just about to visit tourist spots when their tour guide told them that there had been terrorist attacks in New York. My parents recall, “We couldn’t visualize what that really meant when we heard him talk. It was something we’ve never heard about or experienced.” Everyone was talking about the attacks that day though, and multiple tourist attractions were shut down.

Only when they returned to the hotel that night and watched the news did they find out exactly what happened. The next day of their honeymoon was also affected by the attacks. They were at Honolulu and had planned to go to Maui through plane, but instead had to ride a boat. On their last day, there were also no planes in flight and they had to stay in Hawaii for another day. They recall that everyone was afraid of boarding planes and constantly discussing the attacks. There were also many people at the airport and although it was busy, the mood was solemn. The 9/11 attacks in such ways were not just a collective experience but one characterized by individual memories of grief and solemnity.

<Ashley Kim/ New Covenant Academy 10th>