Tragedy+10: Thoughts of contribution and embraces

Shortly after the work day started, a company wide email was sent from our training facility alerting us that they were ordered to evacuate and then return to the office due to a plane crash in one of the World Trade Towers. Knowing that a Cessna has hit the tower before, I figured it was a small aircraft that caused the problem.

A few minutes later, the same training facility emailed again noting they were evacuating. This time there was a tone of panic in the email. Alerted, I looked online to see what was happing to learn a second plane crashed. Immediately, my colleagues and I asked what was really happening, i.e. who was trying to attack us. Instead of deadlines, everyone around me was trying to get on msnbc.com and other news sites to soak in as much information as possible.

There was a sense of helplessness in the office as all we could do was watch the day’s events unfold. My thoughts turned to who will be next after the World Trade Center, and I quickly became concerned for a lot of my friends in Chicago.

I used to work for an engineering firm in the Sears Tower in Chicago, so I began calling old co-workers and friends back home to see what precautions they were taking in light of the news. I also had many friends who lived/worked in the DC area, so I stayed close to the news when the Pentagon was hit. Through the chaos of the day, it was hard to concentrate on work as thoughts of concern for those families affected by the events were a big enough distraction for me.

While I felt safe with our military might to protect us after the attacks occurred, my first reaction was to start praying for all the families, responders and so forth directly dealing with the crisis. While it came as no surprise that the economy hiccuped and politics took center stage, I was finally proud to be an American in the days and weeks that followed the events. This event, brought the country back together in the very way that made this nation great. It saddened me that it took such an event to unite such a busy nation.

As September 11, 2001 came to an end, a group of friends came over to talk about their experiences from the day. Many of them had friends and family in New York. We held a small candlelight vigil and began talking about what we could do to help.

Upon entering the American Airlines terminal, the silence in what is usually a very busy hub was very noticeable. All the TV monitors were off except one in a sports bar to the side as I made myself to the train to go to my gate. I strained to make out what appeared to be a large smoke plume coming out of a tall building. Even the ride on the train was different, few people, no talking just staring.

At the gate the American personnel were very somber. I found a phone and called my wife and she immediately said, “where are you” and began to describe what she was hearing at home. It took a minute for me to understand that she wasn’t describing the first plane’s impact but the second one had witnessed live over the tv striking Tower II.

There were two planes?

I went back to the gate and asked if my flight was delayed and was told all flights were on hold at the current time. I mustered the courage to ask if the plane was an American flight and the lady looked up and said “I’m afraid so.” Still not understanding that this was a terrorist attack on America I wondered if someone had it in for American Airlines.

If so, here I was at their largest hub, DFW Airport. I walked over to the large glass windows and remembered seeing airplanes landing from everywhere and one right behind the other. They were tail to tail on the runway. Terrorism finally sunk in and I sat down at the gate trying to decide what I should do next.

The announcement came over the loud speaker that the DFW airport would be closing. The older lady seated next to me seemed very alarmed. I asked her where she was headed and she told me to Baltimore to see her son. I asked her to follow me and I was able to arrange her transportation and a room at a local hotel. I told her she needed to go there and then call her family and let them know where she was and they would help direct her from there. I wonder quite often what happened to her from that point forward.

I made my way to the rental car station and got one of the last compact cars available and drove back to Arkansas.

The sky was blue but noticeably absent of any airplanes. I stopped to purchase fuel and saw people filling up any empty container they could find assuming there would be a shortage. The prices at the pump were being raised several cents per gallon as I awaited my turn. It was a long drive home with only the radio to keep me updated on the events of that day.