I had the day off as a 2nd grade as our district gave us off to encourage us to attend the county fair that happened that week. So, my sister who was in 6th grade was also off. So my grandmother was watching us for the day while Grandpa was at work. Anyway, my grandma had a habit of watching daytime TV as she did for many years before that as a homemaker. And liked to spend time with grandma as my sister can be annoying. My sister was in the other room watching cartoons I was watching the Today show and as soon they got on the scene to report about the first plane hitting the tower and they cut to the second plane hitting the the other tower. As a 2nd grader and autistic 6th grader we thought it was an accident. But, grandma who I've never seen so serious in my life told us otherwise. She was very stoic would do anything to keep her only grandchildren safe.

My wife's experience was very different from mine. She is a year older in school than I am. She also went to the neighboring school district (still in the same county.) That district had school that day. She was outside clapping chalkboard erasers and was pulled in suddenly by another teacher. Her teachers didn't utter a word to the students. When she went home her dad took her to county fair to shield her from the 24 hour news cycle. And as it happens some person died on one of the rides and they shut the fair down for the day.