A Decade

MSNBC is currently airing all their footage from the morning of 9/11/01. It is still unbelievable that it happened at all, let alone that it has already been a whole decade. 

Like many, I can tell you where I was - I was a senior in highschool in homeroom and my douchebag home room teacher (he really was. Serious neapolitan complex) wouldn't let us turn on the news to see what was going on. So, I quickly rushed off to my next class - something in the chorus room. Maybe theater appreciation? I don't know. I was in that room quite a lot. We watched it the whole time there. We watched the second plane hit and went through the motions of "This isn't some awful accident. This is being done on purpose." Serita was in that class/room with me and she was so upset over family she had never the trade centers. I think I was mostly in shock. I still am just re-watching the video from 10 years ago today and still am. As news continued that day in 2001, we all became concerned for more bad things ... was Philly going to be hit? What about nuclear plants? There's one right in Salem! And I guess I didn't really know I was holding my breath either until it all rushed out of me when the towers actually began to collapse. Ugh!

In the days to come, more sad news... when I was a super young swimmer, we had a great program on our team where some of the older swimmers helped the younger ones. My "helper" had been Nicole and she was just about the sweetest girl you can imagine! She's super nice, friendly, had a great smile and just a wonderful personality. Her brother was a lot like her. I had only met him a handful of times (he wasn't a swimmer), but there was something special about him, like Nicole. You just couldn't meet them and not be totally overwhelmed with their goodness. 

Unfortunately, as it turned out, Nick had been in the second tower that day and that just made it so much more real - the loss of such an amazingly wonderful person (all those people) that I had met and all the things they must have gone through that terrifying morning. To this day, an annual event is held in his memory. There's information on the Nicky Brandemarti Golf Tournament here.

On a last note, I'll add this - I was at one of Bruce Springsteen's opening shows in Jersey (right outside of NYC) in 2002 after releasing his most recent CD. The parking lot had been filled with flags on cars and posters referencing 9/11. This song and the audience that day ... To this day, it is absolutely one of the most spiritual events I have ever experienced. Here's Bruce Springsteen singing "The Rising":


There's a deep sadness and loss that even a decade hasn't completely healed and will not be forgotten. So sad...