story3021.xml

story3021.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 began as just another typical day in my life as a high school junior at a rurual public school. I woke up late, dragged myself out of bed, and hurried off to school barely sneaking into class before the second bell. Looking back, the discussion in my first period English class was very prophetic, chilling almost. As we were discussing Hemingway's novel, "A Farewell to Arms", the subject of war was aroused and how America had become alienated from it. As my class discussed this alienation and apathy toward war and the world, my teacher spoke a sentence that I will never forget. Mrs. Gilgoff said, "It would take a war to wake America up." These words escaped her mouth just thiry minutes before the first plane hit the World Trade Towers.
I was in my second period class, Calculus, working on a problem when a fellow student, Al Anzivine ran into our classroom and ordered us to turn on the television in a frantic, yet scared voice. Our teacher, a bit confused, did as he told her, although with a bit of annoyance for the distruption of our class. Immediately I watched with my peers the instant replays of the first plane hitting the tower and listened intentively to the newsbroadcaster, who looked just as confused and perturbed as I felt. Confusion was a key emotion for me that day. I saw both towers hit and collapse with my own eyes, yet neither seemed real. I watched as the section of the Pentagon burned, yet felt disassociated from it all. I felt numb. It couldn't be real, I thought. My eyes were decieving me, playing a very cruel trick.
This is America- home of the free. Things like this don't happen here...to innocent people...on our soil. The towers crumbing down and planes crashing suicidely to their deaths was something I watched in action movies or heard about on the international portion of the evening news. Never in my life (nor did any other American) think that a tragic event such as this could or ever would happen here on our own soil. We thought we were invinsible, indestructible, untouchable. We were remarkably wrong.
September 11th has given a new meaning to my values and priorities in life. My family has become more important to me and spending quality time with them has overtaken the time I would have (in the past) watched television. I've learned to value friends more and the precious time that we have to share. September 11th has reinforced the fact that we're all mortal and we have no guaruntee on life and the longevity of it. I cannot let each day just pass me by as an observer. I want to take part, be active, make a difference each day I live and breathe.
September 11th was a wake up call to a sleeping giant. However, now that this giant is awoken, it shall not apathetically fall into the same sleepy trance as before. America will not be defeated. We will not give up. The red, white, and blue will fly high and prevail.