As I finished my morning routine, I turned on the television to discover that the World Trade Center was on fire. It was only a minute or so later that I watched in astonishment as a second plane struck. While I watched the live coverage, reports came in that another plane had crashed into the Pentagon.
My workday started at 10am. At the time, my commute was a short walk across parking lots. Every step felt surreal. I tried to rush, not wanting to miss any updates, but it felt like walking through molasses. Security at the front door was tight. The call center was nearly silent. On the television screens around the perimeter, the news played. As I found my desk and logged on for my shift, I looked up to see the South tower of the World Trade Center collapsing.
“It Isn’t There Anymore”
My heart still sinks when I hear those words replayed. I didn’t take a single call that day. Security shut us down and everyone was sent home. I walked into my apartment and turned the news on again. Word is coming in of another place crash in Pennsylvania. Then the North tower collapses.
Lives Forever Changed
Earlier, I shared my memories of the Oklahoma City Bombing. One of the amazing and terrifying things about modern technology is that, as I re-watch some of the live video from either of these events, my emotions are still raw. When I look at historic photographs from past events, I now try to look upon them with that same raw emotion. Images of slain soldiers on a Civil War battlefield. Photographs of the poor and down trodden at Ellis Island. One of the last survivors of an animal species on the edge of extinction.
I do not want to live in a world full of painful, historic events. But, what can I do to change this? If I can find raw emotion in old footage and pictures of the World Trade Center, perhaps I can find that same connection with complete strangers. Perhaps I can begin to make connections with those who are hear today and, together, find a path to a better tomorrow.
We should live as if we can make a positive change in the world. Otherwise, what are we doing?
