I'll never forget what I was doing eight years ago this day. I remember driving to work and thinking what a beautiful day it was. The sun was out, the sky was blue. In one instant everything was perfect. In the next, everything was far from it. I worked for an ad agency in Stamford, CT. Many of my peers commuted from NYC. When news of the terrorist attacks spread, disbelief and worry spread as well. We closed the office, found safe havens for our NYC friends and started looking for loved ones to make sure everyone was accounted for.
At some point that morning, I left work and drove to a beach in Greenwich, CT. From there, you could see the tip of Manhattan. I walked towards the water and stood silently with scores of other people watching the Twin Towers burn. Words cannot capture the emotions that day brought forth, but the horrible image is forever etched in my memory. And, reminders are ever present -- in the strangest ways. Every time the digital clock reads 9:11, I remember. Every time a cashier rings up a purchase and it totals $9.11, I remember. Such innocuous things now have such incredible meaning.
This year, 9/11 has been declared a National Day of Service. Some worry that this declaration will result in the reduction of remembrance. Perhaps it will for some people. But, for most of us, we will never forget the tragedy, the victims, the heroes.
