Twenty-five years later, Sept. 11 remains a watershed moment, one with both personal and global implications. To mark the anniversary, TIME spoke to people with very different connections to the day, to hear about what they experienced at the time as well as the ripple effects. For some, the legacy of the date is one of profound loss.
Others know about the tragedy mostly from history class. One thing is clear: The attacks that changed the world also changed lives. I was 4½ when my dad died.
I have only brief memories of that day. I remember my mom taking my twin brother and me out of preschool. I remember watching the TV at home and then going over to one of her friends’, whose husband was also a firefighter, and watching it there.
We were so young, we didn’t really grasp what was actually going on. But as you get older, you start to realize what you’ve missed out on. It’s not quite the same as being sad because you miss someone close to you.
It’s more like you’re sad because you didn’t really get to be close to them. My dad was a cop for 12 years and a firefighter for only 18 months, but joining the FDNY was always his plan. For as long as I can remember, I also wanted to be a firefighter.
I did the entry exam when I was 18, even though they don’t take anyone until 21. I went to college, but I think I was just killing time. I dropped out after two years, as the process ramped up.
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