September 11 Digital Archive

story10488.xml

Title

story10488.xml

Source

born-digital

Media Type

story

Created by Author

yes

Described by Author

no

Date Entered

2004-03-19

911DA Story: Story

I was at home in California. When I woke up that morning, it was eerily quiet. No planes flying overhead. No traffic noise on Pacific Coast Highway. No lawnmowers, no leaf blowers.

Many calls and emails had come in from co-workers and family back east, telling me about the tragedy that had occurred while the West Coast slept. Everyone I knew was fine. I looked at the TV, but turned it off immediately. Just couldn't bear to watch the horrors in my beloved New York.

From my back patio overlooking the golf course, I saw a foursome of lady golfers, laughing, chatting, playing golf. The terrible news hadn't reached them yet. I thought of shouting out to clue them in, but I decided not. Let them remain in their blissful, pre-9/11 state of mind for a little while longer. Enjoy peace as long as possible. They would hear about it soon enough.

It was surreal to watch these happy ladies playing through, oblivious to the news, when the rest of the world was so saddened. I was witnessing people who existed in a different historical era.

Citation

“story10488.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 9, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/10295.