I promise never to do pointless meme’s. Only socially significant ones like: Monday Mission 2.36!
1. Where were you and what was happening in your life the moment when you first became aware of what was happening at the World Trade Center in New York City last September 11th? What was the first thing you did when you heard the news?
I was teaching a class in our office in Maitland, FL. We had representatives of a company from Mass who had just flown down from Boston. Just after the second plane hit, we took a break, and our secretary told me that two planes had just hit the World Trade Center and one had hit the Pentagon. First thought: What a bad joke! Second thought: Our antiquated air traffic control system has finally gone nuts. Planes must be dropping out of the sky left and right.
The rest of the gang had gotten a TV set up with makeshift rabbit ears. I got there just in time to watch both towers fall. We spent the rest of that day bouncing back-and-forth between the TV and the classroom (not much was learned after that, though).
The guys from Mass were stuck without a flight home. They kept their rental car and drove back.
2. When those truly responsible for the attack are apprehended, what do you think would be the most fitting form of justice?
Nothing we can do to them will be horrific enough to them so that they will feel the impact. Anything we do will be (and should be) for our own benefit–to make us feel better and/or safer.
3. This will probably be much like when our parents respond to “Where were you when JFK was shot?”- an event never forgotten by those who were there. But how do you think the history books should present the 9-11 attacks? Should it be included for all future generations? How can we truly convey the shock, the outrage, the emotions and pain of that day to the children of our children?
In spite of what we say now, time will rub the edges off the tragedy. Do you feel the shock, outrage, emotions and pain of December 7? Granted, this was different. It was not a military target. That might make the pain linger a bit longer and go a bit deeper, but each passing year will take away some of the sting. Our children’s children won’t have firsthand knowledge. You can understand it without being there, but you can’t remember how it feels.
4. No one in that building, in the Pentagon, or on the planes (other than the terrorists) knew that 9-11 would be their last day to be alive. For me, it brought home the reality that I could be gone at anytime, without any warning. Now, I really want each day to have some value. Did the events of 9-11 bring about a change in the way you live your life?
Honestly? I doubt it. Maybe a little. I’m a little more forgiving of overt patriotism (though flag waving to cover up reasoned thought still gets under my skin). I’m a little quicker to say “Thank you” and to let my kids be kids. But overall, not much has changed, I’m sorry to say.
5. Several who loved to fly in planes will not step foot in one anymore. Many parents are more protective of their children. A year later, do you find yourself feeling more secure than back then? Or is it just a matter of time before something else happens?
If I change the way I live, then the cliche “the terrorists win” is true. Sure, it may be just a matter of time before it happens, but what am I supposed to do? Crawl under a rock? Build a bomb shelter? I can’t live that way.
6. The best way for me to honor the those impacted by the attack will be to refrain from any media that day. No papers, no radio and especially no television. Others will light candles, and others will attend special services. What, if anything, will you do to personally reflect on the tragedy?
We had a special community service on Saturday, September 7. It combined remembrance of those lost with joyous hope for the future. That’s it. On September 11, I will be flying to a client site. Business as usual.
7. One of the visuals that touched me the most were the walls and walls full of hand made “Missing” posters. What image will you always have in your mind when you recall the events of 9-11?
The billowing clouds of smoke and ash…the destroyed, ash-covered rescue vehicles…those will always be there. But the strongest picture I have in my mind is this: In October, we went back to Maine for a memorial service to bury my father’s ashes. On trips home, we always fly into Boston. For some reason, this trip we flew into LaGuardia. As we left New York, the plane flew right over Ground Zero….it was still smoldering…an ugly scar…
BONUS: Who’s gonna come around when you break?
You can’t go on, thinking nothing’s wrong. Who’s gonna drive you home? (You can’t rely on strangers to pick up your hitchhiking butt every time, ya know.)
1. Where were you and what was happening in your life the moment when you first became aware of what was happening at the World Trade Center in New York City last September 11th? What was the first thing you did when you heard the news?
Our TV comes on every morning (it has a built in clock and alarm function – it is in effect our alarm clock). It turned on and there was Matt Lauer of the Today Show showing the tape of the second plane, which had just hit the second tower (we are on west coast time here in the Pacific Northwest). At that time it was clear that it was a deliberate act. We where kinda foggy from waking up and to say the least it was very surreal. We just laid in bed for a while and watched in silence. I got up and started to get ready for work, about that time the Pentagon was hit. I remember turning to my wife and saying something to the effect of “when the f*** is this going to stop?” I wasn’t’ sure what to do because during that time no one knew just how many of these planes where gonna keep falling out of the sky and where they would be hitting. Eventually I got ready, kissed my wife and kid and drove to work. It was very, very strange driving to work, people were all stunned, you could see it on people’s faces, even in their cars. Nobody cut anyone off, nor was there any rude obnoxious driving, road rage was at zero. I listened to the radio all the way to work and every station had national coverage playing, which also was weird. Got to work and we all stood around and talked about what we had heard and saw. Very little got done that day.
2. When those truly responsible for the attack are apprehended, what do you think would be the most fitting form of justice?
Probably most of them are dead (either died in the planes or during the attacks in Afghanistan). When they met God, I think the justice they received was exactly what they deserved, but I’m not sure what it was. As to the people remaining, I don’t know, this was an act of war and different rules apply. This question is beyond my feeble mind to answer.
3. This will probably be much like when our parents respond to “Where were you when JFK was shot?”- an event never forgotten by those who were there. But how do you think the history books should present the 9-11 attacks? Should it be included for all future generations? How can we truly convey the shock, the outrage, the emotions and pain of that day to the children of our children?
I think the pictures and videos will pretty well convey the shock, the outrage, etc. As to the rest of the questions, I dunno,I think time will tell.
3. No one in that building, in the Pentagon, or on the planes (other than the terrorists) knew that 9-11 would be their last day to be alive. For me, it brought home the reality that I could be gone at anytime, without any warning. Now, I really want each day to have some value. Did the events of 9-11 bring about a change in the way you live your life?
Ya, I think about the end of the world a lot more. I’m also less afraid to take risks. Come to think of it there have been a couple things we’ve done this year that were the “gee, if we only had time” sort of things, and we did make the time.
4. Several who loved to fly in planes will not step foot in one anymore. Many parents are more protective of their children. A year later, do you find yourself feeling more secure than back then? Or is it just a matter of time before something else happens?
It’s only a matter of time before something else happens. Too many people on the planet competing for too few resources and too powerful weapons too easy to get. I don’t worry that anything will happen directly to me or my family in the near future, but I think a couple more large events like 9/11 (nukes or biological weapons) could throw the economy into chaos and throw civilization into a tailspin.
6. The best way for me to honor the those impacted by the attack will be to refrain from any media that day. No papers, no radio and especially no television. Others will light candles, and others will attend special services. What, if anything, will you do to personally reflect on the tragedy?
I’m going to go to work and try to live a normal day. At work we’re having a moment of silence to remember. That’s about all I can do. It’s still too fresh and my emotions are too raw to think about it too much about it without getting really, really angry.
7. One of the visuals that touched me the most were the walls and walls full of hand made “Missing” posters. What image will you always have in your mind when you recall the events of 9-11?
People jumping out of the towers and the friggin towers falling. I can never get THAT out of my head. I actually went to the top of one the towers in 1983. I was in New York with my college roommate and we toured New York City for two days. I love tall building and have been to the tops of several, so it was a real treat to go to the top of the (then) tallest buildings in the world. I don’t think that pictures can convey just how freaking huge those towers were. To put them into perspective, most every building in lower Manhattan is taller than any building in almost any given city in the world. Every block is populated with huge, tall structures, and the World Trade Center Towers rose above them all. Looking down from the top the two towers, they seemed to converge and curve into each other because they were just so tall. So to see those huge buildings crumble like a house of cards and knowing how many people where inside was very shocking.