story957.xml
Title
story957.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-08-01
911DA Story: Story
Asleep.
9:00 a.m.
9/11/01
I was sleeping in, as I had afternoon classes that day. My dad called me, waking me up from my snooze, insisting I turn on the television -- something had happened in New York City. I said, "Nah, I'm going back to sleep." He said, "Sleep some other time. Go turn it on. I must go. Bye." I rubbed my eyes, drowsy, and shuffled down the hall.
Turning the TV on, I could make out a building on fire, with a blurb at the bottom of the screen, in all CAPITALS: "WORLD TRADE CENTER, PENTAGON UNDER ATTACK."
Then through my tired eyes, I saw the buildings fall. For some reason it conjured no emotion in me, due to the shocking chain of events unfolding all around me. I was so "dazed and confused" that I didn't know if I should go to class or not.
I decided to go. The campus was deserted. About 10 people were in my classroom, too dumbfounded and shellshocked -- as I was -- to know whether to go home or open their books or cry or move. I walked out of the room, drove home, and turned on the TV. Replay after replay of the buildings being attacked, of the towers collapsing, and of the masses upon masses of people fleeing for their lives -- it was then that I realized what had happened to the country -- to the world.
At that moment, I knew that this was going to be a morning of mornings when it was the lucky ones who slept through it.
To make a long -- and oft repeated -- story short, I spent the rest of the day (and weeks to follow) still rubbing my eyes, waiting to awaken from the nightmare of that morning.
9/11/01
9:00 p.m.
Awake.
9:00 a.m.
9/11/01
I was sleeping in, as I had afternoon classes that day. My dad called me, waking me up from my snooze, insisting I turn on the television -- something had happened in New York City. I said, "Nah, I'm going back to sleep." He said, "Sleep some other time. Go turn it on. I must go. Bye." I rubbed my eyes, drowsy, and shuffled down the hall.
Turning the TV on, I could make out a building on fire, with a blurb at the bottom of the screen, in all CAPITALS: "WORLD TRADE CENTER, PENTAGON UNDER ATTACK."
Then through my tired eyes, I saw the buildings fall. For some reason it conjured no emotion in me, due to the shocking chain of events unfolding all around me. I was so "dazed and confused" that I didn't know if I should go to class or not.
I decided to go. The campus was deserted. About 10 people were in my classroom, too dumbfounded and shellshocked -- as I was -- to know whether to go home or open their books or cry or move. I walked out of the room, drove home, and turned on the TV. Replay after replay of the buildings being attacked, of the towers collapsing, and of the masses upon masses of people fleeing for their lives -- it was then that I realized what had happened to the country -- to the world.
At that moment, I knew that this was going to be a morning of mornings when it was the lucky ones who slept through it.
To make a long -- and oft repeated -- story short, I spent the rest of the day (and weeks to follow) still rubbing my eyes, waiting to awaken from the nightmare of that morning.
9/11/01
9:00 p.m.
Awake.
Collection
Citation
“story957.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed April 16, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/9236.