When Did the Two Towers Fall??

I really don't care for all these 9/11 posts because it didn't really ... hit me... the way it apparently hit most people. Personally, I guess I see so much domestic terrorism coming right from our own freaking government that the rest of this didn't really strike me as much. I also knew NO ONE AT ALL that was directly affected by this ... which is to say that I'm only sharing my story really because it was kinda funny.
It can also double as a memory for today since I'm in a hurry to get out the door.

I had a really annoying history teacher that year. I was taking history from a football coach, Coach Wright, and he was a jerk to me. From the beginning of the year there was nothing wrong with his football players bringing food in for breakfast (we had first period with him) and eating while he started class so that they weren't late or as rushed in the morning. He said as much.
Then I started bringing food in for breakfast too because... hell if they could, so could I.
Then he decided suddenly... no, no one could bring food in for breakfast.
He decided this on a morning when I had brought food with me. He told me to put it away. I glanced at where one of his football players was wadding up his wrapper from a bisquit and throwing it away. I shook my head and said "No. If he got to eat his, I get to eat mine before I put it away. If you don't want me to bring one tomorrow, I won't, but I'm not going to just waste my food."

He disliked me from this point forward. Oh and it was returned in force.

This became a game of him being unfair to me and me giving him a subtle middle finger via actions he couldn't honestly punish. I wouldn't listen to a damned thing he'd say, ace his tests, turn in his homework even when he tried to throw it in at the last minute just after I'd walked out the door... Whatever. We had a battle of wills.

At a point, he told me I couldn't take notes in class. FUCKING right. I was holding a pencil and a notebook taking notes on his lecture and he told me to put it down. I looked at him in disgust and dismay and said "I'm TAKING NOTES." He said "You don't have to take notes for this. Just listen. I don't want anyone writing." I stared at him. "This is how I learn best." He said "Well today, you learn how I tell you to." I stood up and picked up my book bag. He said "Where are you going?" I said "To the school counselor. Obviously I have an issue." He told me to sit down. I walked out.

I went to talk to the school counselor. I said "You remember those tests they made us do in grade school where they determined whether you learned best by listening or by reading or by doing something yourself... etc?" He said he did. I said "I learn best by listening to something while LOOKING at it. If I have it in front of me, reading along, I can understand... but I am really bad at learning just by listening to a lecture. My mind wanders..." My counselor agreed that was typical of many students. I said "So does Coach Wright, REALLY have a right to tell me not to take notes in his class if that's how I need to function in order to learn?" He told me it was Coach Wright's class. I just nodded, a frustrated expression on my face, and walked out. Now... I officially hated school.

So my next move was simple. I walked in each morning, didn't bring food, sat down, put my head down on my desk and went the fuck to sleep.

Coach Wright woke me up once and told me to stay awake in class. I said "What's the point? You're going to FIND a way to make sure I don't learn what I need to and to give me a problem. I'm not going to put up with it anymore." He glowered at me and told me to stay awake. I went the fuck back to sleep.

The rest of the week, I did the same thing, every morning. I came in, sat down, went to sleep. He gave up. In a small way, I won. I knew, in another way... he won... But I was too pissed to care. I was so angry that NONE of the world gave a fucking damn about my side of this...

So one morning, I was asleep in Coach Wright's class and someone near me nudged me and I glanced up. They pointed at the tvs on in front of me. I looked up and started paying attention, assuming since they had awakened me, it was interesting or something. The Tvs showed a pair of towers, an airplane, and then a tower falling... and another tower falling. I started listening carefully. Twin Towers? Attack? What?

Finally, the confusion overwhelmed me. I looked up and commented in a somewhat dazed voice... "Huh. I didn't know the Twin Towers had been destroyed... when did this happen?" (thinking it was an old history tape!!!!)

Coach Wright looked over at me in astonishment and replied, "It's happening right now, dumbass."

Aside from being exceedingly pissed at him... I was then... not really affected. I didn't understand the magnitude of this action. Okay. So some buildings fell down. What? Oh... people died. Okay people die every day. I get that it's a big deal but why is everyone acting like it's the end of the world? No one could explain that to me. Then our names started being called over the intercoms. People's parents were pulling them out of school. Well! Not like we needed an excuse to be happy about that.

So I went home, went about my business... and this never really affected me again aside from getting tired of hearing people talking about it. I was a teenager. It meant nothing to me. I grew up being annoyed to death with people INSISTING this event upon me... And I never knew anyone who was directly involved in any way. So it never really struck me.

And that's all I remember about 9/11.... I was asleep in class and thought the video was from some event long ago that I was confused about not having remembered. :)