Another September 11 is upon us. I publish posts on Wednesdays and with September 11 on a Wednesday this year I looked back to see what I had written in the past on this subject.
I started this blog in late 2011 and found two posts: 2012 and 2013. The second was essentially a repeat of the first.
This post has some from those and some new thoughts…
As another anniversary of 9/11 comes, I realize the events of September 11 are never something that requires any effort for me to remember. The words “September 11” always bring a flood of memories.
Like most people, I’ll never forget where I was when I heard, as well as many details from that day and the days, weeks, and months that followed.
I was in New York City when the planes struck. I was at a breakfast meeting in midtown, a few miles north of the towers. I was eating with a gentleman whose daughter worked in (and thank goodness escaped from) the towers. I won’t forget his panic as we heard the news and he told me about his daughter.
I’ve got my own story from that day. It’s a story of fear, confusion, and mostly sadness, but as my good fortune would have it, it’s not one that includes the loss of a loved one.
Every September 11, I attend the memorial service in my town. I’ll do that again today. One young man from our town perished in the towers. I didn’t know Chris, but 18 years later—18 memorial services later—I feel like I did know him.
In the summer of 2017, I went to the 9/11 Museum. It’s an incredible place. I believe it’s very important for tourists, and for people too young to remember September 11, 2001.
I don’t particularly recommend it to anyone who was as close as I was to the events of September 11—and I wasn’t that close! I went there fully expecting to be deeply impacted by the experience. Instead, I found myself not interested in reading, watching videos, and looking at firetrucks, ambulances, and other paraphernalia from that day, nearly all of which I had already seen many times in and on the news in the days, weeks, and months after September 11, 2001. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
To be clear, I strongly recommend that everyone pay a visit to the national 9/11 Memorial, where the museum is located. It’s an incredibly powerful, poignant structure, which I have been to several times.
If you lost a loved one on September 11, I wish you personal peace. And I hope we can all experience peace in our time.
My warmest regards,
David