Where were you when the catastrophic news hti the airwaves?  We all have an interesting and unique story to tell about our experiences on September 11th, 2001. What was going on in your head? Invite your reading, viewing and listening audiences to compare experiences with those of renowned media personalities, authors, experts, lawyers - and personalities such as Dr. Robert Schuller, Donald Trump, Lt. Colonel Bo Gritz, and Gloria Allred.

Since the disastrous events of that fateful day in September, it has become somewhat of a phenomenon to record and share the thoughts and feelings of those directly, and indirectly involved in the tragedy. Now, when the events of 9-11 are recollected, one question remains on the lips of every person in the world, “Where were you?” Reynolds writes, “It may be a simple question, but the affect is long lasting and the answers complex.”

Why must we record these thoughts? The media is often an excellent record for hard facts - what happened, when, why, who caused it - but it often fails in developing the human side of the story. We all know what happened at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but can we honestly claim to know what was going on in the minds and hearts of those affected by the bombing?

Janette Reynolds’ book, "Where Were You On 9-11?" is considered the single most eclectic anthology of interviews bar-none. According to Reynolds, "I have always felt very strongly that every individual's story bears specific merit,no matter how great or little their position in life."

"'Where Were You On 9-11?' highlights the unique opinion that people possess about the events of that day, and how monumentally key those differences are to the healing process and to regaining and bilding a wholesome perspective."  Therefore, Janette purposely assembled the famous, the infamous, politically correct & incorrect, and the known and unknown together in one book for thier oral account of the day that changed our lives forever.


In addition to Reynolds’ powerful new book, there are a number of other resources that allow people to post their thoughts and memories about the horrific tragedy so we all may:

• Begin to heal
• Grow in understanding and tolerance
• Realize the importance of remembering that day

http://www.wherewereyou.org
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/9one1/

Here are some personal recollections and reflections by a selection of world personalities:

Sarah Ferguson - The Duchess of York
“We were on tour around America for my charity, Chances for Children, and Weight Watchers. So, I had my team with me. My assistant, Lee, my hairdresser, Josh, my trainer, my publicist Kate Waddington and security. But when we saw what happened, we immediately went ‘round to try and find a way to give back and to help, and the first thing I wanted to do was to personally do something. I wanted to go be a nurse at St. Vincent’s Hospital, I wanted in some way to give. I mean you feel so helpless! But actually my security officers had a different idea - and they were right. They said, ‘Look, you’re going to be of no use to anyone because they need to get on. Get out of the city. Go and re-group and think about what you’re going to do.’ The only thing I could think of doing was to start the 9-11 Fund, which is for people who lost their jobs as a result of this tragedy.”

Dr. Robert Schuller - Pastor, Speaker Motivator
“I had worked most of the night, so I was till sleeping when my wife awakened me saying that a plane had hit a tower in New York. I sat in front of the TV for more than an hour. If I felt total grief...weeping. I could not relate to this tragedy, and after about an hour and a half of watching the news - we saw what was happening, so I called a special prayer service. I mean, I said, ‘Let’s call our people and tell them that at noon there would be special prayer service.’ And I’ll tell you some- thing amazing, there is a telephone service that will do that for you. I mean, they called about ten-thousand homes! They called everyone. And at noon on September 11th, we had about a thousand, two-hundred people that showed up.”

Pam Houston - Author, Professor
Houston was on a rafting trip in the Crystal Rapids (Grand Canyon), and September 11th, 2001 marked the last day of her excursion. Houston and a group of her friends heard the news first from a river guide. They thought he was joking, and Pam Houston - Author, Professor Houston was on a rafting trip in the Crystal Rapids (Grand Canyon), and September 11th, 2001 marked the last day of her excursion. Houston and a group of her friends heard the news first from a river guide. They thought he was joking, and they were thrown into a state of disbelief and confusion. “I will never forget the time between hearing and not having it confirmed. The mood in the van with the eleven of us was we had no idea what was going to happen next. We were in this weird silence - and so far away from everyone and everything. We felt like we were in this kind of safe place - like the last safe place. Yet, on the other hand the distance made us feel like we didn’t exactly have our finger on the pulse of what was happening. We were just driving up out of the Grand Canyon and everyone was dealing with it in their own way.”

Gerry Spence - Lawyer, Author, Poet
“I did see the second crash live, and I was fascinated by the speculation from television announcers and the sort of inept way in which they were presenting the matter. I mean they were surprised! They were horrified! They did not know what was going on. So, I watched it over, and over, and over, and over, attempting to get some information. And of course, to get the little snippets of information that were coming out one had to watch the towers be attacked again and again! And then both of the towers collapsed in real-time - and I mean this had changed my life, but it did not affect me like it affected the people that were involved. The people who lost their friends and families, or were close to people who were lost, people that saw the smoke and breathed the fumes! I mean these are memories that will never fade for the them.

Additional sites of specific interest/controversy:

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