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I’m an only child, born before my cousins and kids of family friends. I’ve always thought myself more mature than my peers, even at a young age.  But as I look back on September 11, 2001 I realize I was just like most teenagers that day.

I was a junior at Bishop DuBourg High School in St. Louis.  Fifteen years old at the time. Even though by that point I already knew TV news and journalism was in my future, my mindset that day wasn’t to consume as much of history-in-the-making as I could.  It was, for the most part, school and activities as usual for me.

I was in band class when I found out.  We were watching a movie that day, “Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk” I believe. I don’t remember exactly how we knew to turn off the movie and put on the news, but I think someone came down our near-empty end of the hallway and told our teacher something terrible was going on.

One of my best friends said someone told her emergency officials were ordering 50,000 body bags. The rest of the school day was a blur, but one class does stand out in my mind.

My chemistry teacher refused to let us watch the live coverage that day. Something I’ll always remember and despise about her. She was my only teacher that day who wouldn’t let us watch history unfold before our eyes.  To her, chemistry was more important.  I don’t remember a lick of anything I learned in that class.

That night it was off to dance class and an escape from the terrible news that day… until one girl reminded us of the events in a very teenager-like manner.

As I look back 10 years later, I see I wasn’t as mature as I thought.  I can’t even remember if I saw either one of the towers fall while watching live TV.  I don’t remember crying that day or even in the years following.  I guess I couldn’t help the fact that I was 15 and interested in chatting with my friends and going to dance class, and not sitting on the couch with my eyes glued to 9/11 coverage.

Unlike many of my peers, I can’t say 9/11/01 propelled me into journalism.  That goal already was set.  But I can say I wish I was 25 back then instead of now, working in the news business, completely absorbing every second of that day, and more mature.

I was naïve then, but looking back a decade later, I think we all were, at least a little, until that fateful day.