09/11/2024
23 years ago today, I was in San Francisco, CA preparing to turn in our rental vehicle at the airport. Myself and 3 other co-workers were there the previous week for training. I remember receiving a phone call from one of my co-workers asking me if I'd seen the news. When he told me what was happening I had a hard time believing him (given his usual dark sense of humor) so I immediately turned on the TV. I watched in disbelief what was going on. I then watched live as the 2nd plane hit. I cannot describe what was going on in my head. I was temporarily paralyzed in front of that TV, only brought back to reality by a phone call from my other co-workers. We shortly found out that all flights were cancelled so we wouldn't be able to fly back to Iowa. One of my co-workers somehow managed to convince the car rental place to allow us to drive it back to Iowa, which we did...approx. 24 hr drive. I remember how clear the roads and the skies were. Very little road traffic with the occasional sighting of fighter jets. I clearly remember looking for other signs of other possible attacks on our nation. I drove most of the way with the occasional relief from another co-worker. Having to listen and observe the pain one of the other co-workers endured from a medical condition she was suffering from but not able to do anything about it...the car wasn't very big, which made things worse for her. I remember the relief we all felt once we got home and the anger that kept building up when I heard the details of what happened and who was responsible. Seeing and hearing the stories of the First Responders who sacrificed their all to try to help save lives. The common citizens doing their part to help their fellow human beings, some who also lost their lives in their heroic efforts. It was tough watching all this unfold. Several years ago I got the opportunity to go to the 911 Memorial (Ground Zero) with my wife and 2 of my family members. It was an unforgettable experience. I could not hold back the tears (as much as I tried to hide them). I felt like I could actually see/hear/feel all the victim's souls from that day. I've never felt like this ever before. Hard to believe it was 23 years ago. I will take a portion of today to remember and pay tribute to those who died on that day, especially for my First Responder Brothers and Sisters (and their families). May we never forget!!!
