story4744.xml

story4744.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

My sister's call woke me that morning. She told me to get out of bed and turn on the television. At first, groggy with sleep, I couldn't fully understand what was happening. I watched the buildings burn and fall and just felt a sense of numb disbelief and total disorientation. As a government worker, I was sent home that day because of fears of additional attacks.

My father was gravely ill at this time, so I went to the hospital in the mid-morning and broke the horrible news to him. We sat and watched the news reports together with my mother all day. It was that day that my father decided to discontinue medical treatment.

I can't help but feel badly that my father's last few days were filled with images of the worst that human nature has to offer. I am also thankful that in my 34 years, I have only awakened one morning to someone else's hateful, cruel vision of the world. It is truly a miracle to live in a country where it is possible to wake to a peaceful and beautiful world daily.