story9131.xml
Title
story9131.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2003-03-06
911DA Story: Story
I remember the drive from Piscataway to Morristown was unusually slow that morning. Normally, NJ Route 287 is an extremely fast road. The sun was shining so bright, and the day was just beautiful - so I didn't care.
I usually listen to the radio in the morning, but decided to listen to some Steely Dan instead. Little did I know that horror was unfolding in America.
I arrived at work and a friend greeted me outside our building. He said "trouble in paradise." We had recently experienced a massive layoff, so I thought that the axe was falling once again. But immediately, another co-worker frantically came out of the building and said that the city was locked down, and that another plane had hit the second tower. Someone grabbed a radio and we began listening.
A few minutes later, I decided to head down the street and see tv coverage. I still remember the day being so beautiful. I remember watching the towers crumble. Dear God, I will never forget that.
They closed work at 11am, and I headed home. I remember looking up in the clear blue sky and seeing no airplanes. What an eerie feeling. I remember seeing the smoke coming from the towers from my apartment window in NJ. I remember sleeping about 2 hours that night, constantly getting up with my wife to watch the news.
Living so close to NYC, I always loved the Towers. They were just so magnificent and beautiful, especially at night with all the other city lights.
The following week, I found out that the goalie on my men's hockey team made it out with about 10 seconds to spare. He saved one woman's life, but lost several friends at his workplace.
I also found out that a friend's cousin, whom I had met just a few months back, died in the attack.
Just recently, I visited the 9/11 exhibit in the Smithsonian Institute of American History. It was incredibly moving. There, two feet away from me, was wreckage of all kinds. I reached out and held a piece of a door from a firetruck. I then left the exhibit. It was just too hard.
They say that time heals wounds. It will take a long time, but by the grace of God, we will get through it.
May God bless all the families and friends of the victims on this tragic day.
Ed Sleeper
Bridgewater, NJ
I usually listen to the radio in the morning, but decided to listen to some Steely Dan instead. Little did I know that horror was unfolding in America.
I arrived at work and a friend greeted me outside our building. He said "trouble in paradise." We had recently experienced a massive layoff, so I thought that the axe was falling once again. But immediately, another co-worker frantically came out of the building and said that the city was locked down, and that another plane had hit the second tower. Someone grabbed a radio and we began listening.
A few minutes later, I decided to head down the street and see tv coverage. I still remember the day being so beautiful. I remember watching the towers crumble. Dear God, I will never forget that.
They closed work at 11am, and I headed home. I remember looking up in the clear blue sky and seeing no airplanes. What an eerie feeling. I remember seeing the smoke coming from the towers from my apartment window in NJ. I remember sleeping about 2 hours that night, constantly getting up with my wife to watch the news.
Living so close to NYC, I always loved the Towers. They were just so magnificent and beautiful, especially at night with all the other city lights.
The following week, I found out that the goalie on my men's hockey team made it out with about 10 seconds to spare. He saved one woman's life, but lost several friends at his workplace.
I also found out that a friend's cousin, whom I had met just a few months back, died in the attack.
Just recently, I visited the 9/11 exhibit in the Smithsonian Institute of American History. It was incredibly moving. There, two feet away from me, was wreckage of all kinds. I reached out and held a piece of a door from a firetruck. I then left the exhibit. It was just too hard.
They say that time heals wounds. It will take a long time, but by the grace of God, we will get through it.
May God bless all the families and friends of the victims on this tragic day.
Ed Sleeper
Bridgewater, NJ
Collection
Citation
“story9131.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 2, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/5662.