I can remember September 11, 2001 as if it were yesterday. I was at work and from all appearances it was going to be a very busy day. At 8:50 am someone heard on their headphone radio that one of the Twin Towers had been hit by a plane. We all tuned our radios to the news station. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My first thought was it must have been hit by a small plane. Here in NYC there is sometimes just as much traffic in the air as there is on the ground. I can remember many times flying in from Cleveland, Ohio. The flight path would always take us up the west side of Manhattan and turn toward Queens to land in LaGuardia Airport.
At around 9:10 am we heard that the second tower had been hit and that it was not a small plane but an American Airlines’ plane. We all agreed that this was some sort of terrorist act and we were all in shock. We could not believe that this was happening in the United States. There were the memories when these people (criminals who happen to be Muslim) tried to destroy the towers in the 1990’s. By 10:30 both towers were gone.
My mind went back to when I was a kid when we have air raid drills and talk about the cold war with Russia. The feeling I had then as a kid and on September 11, 2001 was one of complete helplessness.
Since I work at a federal facility in Manhattan, NY, I was afraid. Would this be the next place to be attacked? I tried to call home to let my kids know that I was alright. The cell phone towers must have been shut down because I could not reach them for about an hour. At 11:30 am a plane hit the Pentagon. We didn’t hear about until much later, but a third hijacked plane crashed in Pennsylvania.
Throughout all I couldn’t help but think about all those sons and daughters and moms and dads that would never go home again. I thank God that none of the people in my family or any friends were near that area.
These acts were despicable carried out by some of the most heartless people on the face of the earth. I cannot let me anger toward these people (criminals who happen to be Muslim) over run me. Instead I focus my time on telling my loved how much I love them and spending as much quality time with them as I can.
As a positive parent I know that we live in a free society where these kinds of things can happen. I feel that it is my job to make sure that no bridges are burnt between my family and friends. These relationships are too important to be destroyed. I don’t want to be in that position where I wished I had told them how I felt about them. I want them to know NOW how much I love them.
I would like to say to all those reading this post, STOP what you are doing. Pick up the phone, run into the next room, get your butt across town. Don’t let another moment pass without telling the people that are close to you how much you care about them.
I LOVE BEING A DAD!!!