Reflecting On Those Who Inspired Me on 9-11
How does one find inspiration in a tragedy such as 9/11?
I found it in the hearts of my fellow Salvation Army volunteers, many who traveled across the country, as we served food to rescue workers at a temporary morgue. I found it in the generosity of the police officers who drove me home after working those 12 hour shifts. I found it in the gentle spirit of Buddhist Monks during a work encounter. And I found it in the tears of the many rescue workers who just finished shifts at Ground Zero, as I bought beers for them at my favorite pub.
I’m reminded of those people as I look through my journal. And I’m thankful that I did keep a journal during that time, as I never want the memories and emotions of that period to fade as they usually do with time. Here are some excerpts from my journal:
Right now I should be in Hong Kong at the beginning of my three-month trip through SE Asia and Nepal. Instead, I am sitting in Union Square at the site of a shrine for the victims of one of the most unspeakable acts in history.
I was awakened on the morning of the 11th – my departure day – by the phone ringing off the hook. It was my mom to say that all area airports had been closed and two planes had just crashed into the Twin Towers. In disbelief and shock, we ran down to the water to see the tops blazing with smoke. It was only a matter of minutes before both towers collapsed.
The crowd just stood stunned in complete and utter disbelief. It was surreal – it was a movie of the week – it didn’t really happen. The rest of the day was spent glued to the TV set. A similar attack was made on the Pentagon and another plane went down in Pennsylvania – apparently heading to the White House. That plane, eerily, was hijacked out of Newark heading to San Francisco – the route I was to take later that day. For the most part of the day I was trying to reassure my friends and family that I was safe. No easy task considering phone service was poor.
I’ve now been at a loss the past few days, trying to figure out what I should do and where I should go. I’m currently homeless and jobless and my trip is up in the air. I was planning on carrying on with it, but even though the airports are closed, I know that I need to be here.
