9/11 10 Years Later: Where Were You When The Towers Fell?

Yesterday, I spent a good portion of my day watching football and reflecting on the 9/11 tragedy.  I still remember vividly where I was and what I was doing on 9/11/01.  I was a sophomore at UNC-Greensboro and the school year had just begun.  As such, I was still very much in summer vacation mode and had not begun to buckle down in the classroom.  I remember waking up that morning and being excited because Jay-Z’s Blueprint album was set to be released that day.  At that time, which was before mass bootlegging, people actually bought albums in the store, so the thought of an album selling out was always a possibility.  I knew I had class until around 2pm and that I would not be able to make my way to Best Buy to purchase the album until that time.  I arrived on campus around 8:30 am, so I would be able to find a parking space.  I think the lack of available parking, despite owning a parking pass, is a problem experienced by every college student on every college campus in America.  Either way, I arrived early and I found a good parking spot.  Other than my excitement about purchasing new music, my day was typical.  However, I was in for an unfortunate surprise which turned my day upside down.

Because I arrived at school so early, I went to the Atrium, which was an area of the University which housed the school’s convenience store (C-Store), Chick-Fil-A and a coffee shop.  There were a number of tables and chairs in the lobby area of the Atrium.  I walked to the C-store to purchase a snack and as I walked out of the store, I noticed a crowd of people gathered around a television.  Normally, I never noticed the televisions because they were always set to CNN and at the time, I was not interested in watching the news.  I looked at the television and noticed a clip being played of air planes crashing into tall buildings.  At first, I thought CNN was showing a clip from a movie or something.  However, as I continued to watch and listen to the commentary, I realized that our Country was under attack.  Immediately, my instincts urged me to call my parents to see if they were aware of the attack.  Then, I called one of my good friends who haled from New York.  I wanted to know if his family was okay and he said he was not sure because he could not get through to speak with them.  I cannot imagine how he and so many other people must have felt at that moment. 

9/11 is the worst terrorist event in the history of our Country.  Many innocent people lost their lives on that faithful day.  The thing that stands out in my mind are the heroes that lost their lives and those people who did not make it to the Twin Towers that day for whatever reason.  I was talking to one of my friends yesterday and I expressed my appreciation and respect for the firefighters who ventured into burning buildings to rescue complete strangers.  I think being willing to give your life for another, and especially a person you do not know is one of the most selfless acts imaginable.  It is easy to say that you would run into a burning building to rescue a loved one, but to do so for a complete stranger would be a different story.  I am a firm believer in the fight or flight theory that provides that under certain circumstances, people will either fight or flee.  Who knows how you might react under these circumstances.  As I watched some of the specials on CNN yesterday, they showed pictures of firefighters climbing up the stairs of burning buildings, while employees were fleeing the building and heading to safety.  I just cannot imagine how I would have handled myself in that situation.  Nonetheless, I am thankful for the many heroes of the day who saved lives.

I am also amazed at the stories I have heard about those individuals who would have been at the Twin Towers but for some unforeseen event.  I received an email a few months after 9/11/01 that told stories of survivors of the horrible day.  I remember hearing a story of one guy who worked at the Twin Towers.  For whatever reason, he was running a little behind schedule on that faithful morning.  As any working adult knows, some days, you just cannot quite seem to get it together.  On that morning, as he was walking to the subway, he spilled some coffee on his shirt.  As a result, he had to turn around, go back home and change his shirt.  Because he missed the subway, he had to catch the rail at a later time.  Consequently, he was spared from being at work in the towers when they were attacked.  As much as we believe we can protect ourselves, we are really not in control.  He was saved by an otherwise annoying happening and he had no idea that his minor annoyance would be his saving grace. 

I could honestly go on and on about the stories I have heard, but I won’t.  Instead, I wanted to share my 9/11 story and remind us to never forget the tragedy and to take the time to be thankful for each day we have on this earth.  Do you remember what you were doing on that day?

Peace