I was in third year of Uni, just about to head out to class when my Dad called me and told me to turn on the TV. Our TV was a hunk of junk (grainy, black and white with colour fading in and out occasionally), and when I turned it on it looked to me like New York was burning (one, if not both towers were down at that point).
I remember just watching in awe for about half an hour. Then phoned a friend who hadn't heard about what had happened yet - told him our generation's JFK moment had just happened. Spent the rest of the day watching footage with him (on a better TV) talking about how this was going to change the world significantly, and not for the better.
I think the sheer dramatic spectacle of the event wasn't subsumed by emotional impact until they showed images of people falling from the towers. As I recall, the first time they showed that footage the reporters didn't seem to realize what they were showing - as though it was just debris falling through the air.
The most amazing, horrible, and powerful event I expect to see in my lifetime. Well, hopefully.
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