9/11 : The People

Disclosure:
THERE MAY BE IMAGES HERE THAT YOU DON'T CARE TO SEE. MY INTEREST IS NOT TO OFFEND, BUT TO PAY HOMAGE TO OUR PEOPLE FROM THAT DAY
.. ALL OF THEM.

It's been 12 years.
It goes without saying for most of us that we do remember exactly where we were when this happened. I know I do.

Here's a video, made by my cousin Jeremy. He is a veteran of our US Military, and with all the respect I have, I salute him and ALL of our service men and women [& their families]. Thank you, Jeremy, for putting this together.

*sorry there's no sound... there was an error getting the soundtrack on, but frankly, I think seeing this in silence is just as well.

I'll probably ask this question every year when this day comes around and we are faced with the task of remembering a day when we lost thousands of friends, family members, colleagues and members of rescue and aid forces. Forces barged in on us, costing us the lives of our people and throwing our country into a state of panic and war.

This will not be a political post.

In the past years, I've dwelled on the political side of the 9/11 aftermath, but today... my mind wanders to the people whose stories we might never hear.

My best friend's uncle works for the airlines. He lost one of his best friends that day, after he helped her get onto the flight that ended in Pennsylvania. The ripple of those directly affected that day started with every person aboard one of those four planes [coined P4]: American Airlines' Flights 11 & 77, United Flight 175 and United Airlines' Flight 93. Combined on those four flights, 232 people lost their lives on impact when the planes followed their forced courses.

images we'll never forget ..

On more than one occasion, I've worked with employees in the service industry. That's one facet of my job. Today I think of some of them - men and women who at times were my favorite employees due to their work ethic, attitudes and overall outlook on life. Their daily duties required many of them to maintain a distance from the hustle and bustle, or serve after business hours when the halls and conference rooms were quiet. I think of these people and of those like the who lost their lives in the attack and never had their stories shared. On that day, I have no doubt that many of them became a fleeing person, no different than the CEO at the opposite end of the company's ladder.

Then I think of the children. Over the past couple of years especially, I've noticed more coverage on the children left without one or both parents from that day. Many of the stories are focused on the children who are nearing their pre-teens now - boys and girls whose fathers were killed before they were born. Of course, not to discredit mothers, there are also the stories of children who as babies lost theirs that day. I've read articles on the bonds struck between many of those families, solely based off of that day. I'm saddened by the void in their lives that has become more 'manageable' over time, but certainly not any less obvious or painful. I'm encouraged though, by the stories of encouragement, community support and love that these families have given to each other over the past 12 years.

the "babies" of 9/11

For very obvious reasons, I gravitated too, towards the people who lost their lives that day.
If you're the average human, like me, the closest you've come to losing your life was probably a car accident, or perhaps something a little more serious or freakish. In those seconds, there is nothing to consider except our actions in the split seconds and moments to follow. For me, the nearest brush I had with losing my life was a serious car accident; I can assure you that I had no time then to consider what the rest of my life would or wouldn't hold, and who I would or wouldn't see ever again to tell about it.

That day was a different story. Of all the pictures I've ever seen from that day, this is among the top five that I hate the most. The people look so small against the landscape of that building, and I cannot see their faces, but my heart was crushed when I saw this. [photo from NatGeo; see others HERE]. These were people caught above the point of impact in one of the towers.

fleeing the fire...

I, along with the rest of the country, watched with gaping mouths and horrified eyes as this happened in 2001. I wasn't there. I wasn't clinging to the outside of a building, looking down at a street eclipsed by fire and flames. I wasn't facing my death like these people were. Twelve years later, my heart still aches for them; the humanity in me hopes they left this world quickly, with minimal suffering and pain. My eyes still tear up a little thinking of family members or friends who received their last phone calls from these people [& of course those at the Pentagon, as well]. I... can't... imagine.

Then, I selfishly think of my friends, my family members, acquaintenances I have.. who serve our country and her citizens... whether on military forces, local law enforcement, emergency responders, etc. I cringe to think of losing a single one of them. I share my country's brokenness at remembering every one of them that we lost from this: from that day, the days that followed, and over the course of time between then and now, here at home and overseas. My gratitude alone pales to what they and their families have endured, given and lost. To say I am thankful for them isn't a fraction of what I really mean.

mike kehoe, running up stairs while others fled down them.
[another from NatGeo]

As of today, I don't know the type of terror that thousands of people stared down facing their deaths or narrowly escaping them. I can believe that for them, for the families and for us as a still-grieving nation, that time does what it can to ease the immediate shock, that that it stops there and the rest is still relatively fresh for us all, in our own ways.

It's not over either. We lost four of our own one year ago today in the Benghazi embassy attack in Libya. Sure, the casualties in 2001 were a striking number, but lives are lives and this is not a movie. These people are not coming back, and for that, I am so.. so sad.

My goosebumps really start when I remember that not only did we fight back, but we rallied together on all fronts: locally, nationally and globally. YES, I am aware.. of the delicate line of crossing over into arguing about the war, about our government's decisions, etc.. but like I said, I'm leaving politics on the sideline for now and paying what respect I can to the PEOPLE who deserve them today.

The first flag that was raised on the site of the Twin Towers after the attack on 9-11-2001:

 And today, our memorials for those sites:

twin towers, new york city

pentagon, washington d.c.



And of course.. the rebuilding of a single World Trade building.. as captured by an earth cam on a time lapse compilation. We RE-BUILD!


For the men and women of this country who have stepped up to serve it in the most dangerous ways as members of military operations: thank you. To your families, who are the primary support system for our troops: thank you. For our emergency reponders, law enforcement and volunteer aids: thank you.

.. And I'm praying. I'm praying for us as a nation. I'm praying for the knowledge and just decision from our country's leaders; regardless of my political beliefs, the leadership in place is who they are and for them.. I pray for wisdom, sound judgment, practicality and honesty. I'm praying for leadership on local levels, and for all of us from there on: for our military forces, their families, those responsible for educating and protecting our children in their classrooms.. and for.. for me: parents, children, siblings, friends, family and colleagues. I often fantacize of a world in which we proactively work to help each other... even if by no other means than not proactively hurting each other.. if that makes any sense.

It's a dream I have, but I found it put best by Gandhi:

.. and it starts with one.

My mission today: start small.. start with me. Start by showing compassion to someone else. Start by  adding those small, daily deposits to my daughter's life in teaching her the values of action. Start by remembering 9/11.

And to finish it up, I'll celebrate. I'll celebrate because I live in free country, protected by its members and supported by its citizens [again, politics aside, but do not confuse it with naiivity..].  I appreciate their service; I have many friends who serve our country and I know how hard they work.

One specifically, happens to have his birthday today... my amazing friend from my all the way to middle school in Mt. Vernon.. haha.. Ferg!

I hate that his birthday is shadowed by such a somber event, but there is absolutely nothing sad about how great this guy is.. and he deserves the best birthday ever!

Happy Birthday, Ferg!

ferg being the least attractive among his gorgeous wife & adorable dog.. :p

*Sigh.. The good news here: it's Hump Day! That means only two more days til the weekend and that is something I'm more than ready to see. Oh, and volleyball tonight. Winning (:

Thanks for tuning in, blogbots (:
Have an amazing week!

xo | cmd