Remembering a September Morning

(The following is an updated repost  of an entry from Sept. 11th, 2011)

Today the media, and the blogposphere will undoubtedly be full of all sorts of remembrances and commentary around what is the 15th  anniversary of the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001.

To be honest I really don't like to dwell on the topic. Not out of any sense of personal pain, but more out of respect, for those people I know who were far closer to the events of that day than I was. My experience that day was a somewhat surreal one.

I had gotten up very early and caught a flight from Chicago Midway to Houston. I was heading there for work. It was about 20 minutes into the flight, the seat belt sign had just turned off, and people where shifting about, getting comfortable. I had just pulled out my laptop to work on the presentation I was going to be giving later that day. Suddenly the seat belt sign came back on, and the crew announced that everyone was to return to their seats and prepare for landing, the flight would be returning to Chicago.

The Pilot then came on the speaker system to say that there was nothing wrong with the plane, and we were returning to Chicago because the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) had ordered the flight to return to "clear air traffic". He said that was all the information they had, and he apologized for the inconvenience.

Everyone on the plane thought the same thing. (Not terrorism.) Chicago Midway had upgraded to a new Air Traffic Control System earlier in the Summer and a few weeks prior, there had been a series of glitches that had delayed several flights.  Everyone groaned, made comments about "Government Efficiency" assuming it was yet another problem with Midway's system that was going to mess up  our day.

This  assumption that was bolstered when the captain came back on the loudspeaker  and announced  that we were not returning to Midway but rather we were diverted to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

The woman sitting next to me was happy about this thinking at least it might be easier to get on the next flight out to Houston. I nodded, and said "I hope so", thinking of how I might salvage the rest of my schedule that day and make my afternoon meetings on time.

It took us about 30 minutes of circling over O'Hare before we could land. Sitting in a window seat I watched as the line of planes waiting to land stretched to the far horizon and oddly enough, no planes were taking off. I commented on this to the woman next to me, and she said "wow Midway's systems must be really screwed up!" I laughed and said that what we get for Ronald Reagan having fired all the good Air Traffic Controllers. She laughed and said she had forgotten about that.

We landed and had to wait an additional 20 minutes to get a gate. but finally pulled up to a jetway , and we all lumbered off the plane into the gate area I was getting annoyed because people were not clearing the area in front of the door but were all standing around the televisions that were tuned to the CNN Airport Network. I was about to say a loud "excuse me!" when I happened to look up at the TV and saw CNN  replay footage from ABC of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center.

CNN then cut to live shot of a column of smoke and ash where the World Trade Center Towers were supposed to be, but weren't. I called my office and my boss told me not to come in, The area in downtown Chicago around the Sears Tower was being evacuated. I called my parents and let them know I was not in Houston, got on the CTA Blue Line and went home.   The rest of that day I did what most Americans did, watched the news, and when the images became overwhelming, I put on my roller blades and went blading along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

It was brilliant sunny day. One of those late Summer, early Fall days that you get in Chicago that make you appreciate what a beautiful city it is. As I stopped at Oak Street Beach and admired the downtown Chicago skyline, I didn't think that somehow the "world had changed". But rather I found myself thinking how the United States had  sadly, finally  joined the rest of the world.

Before that that morning, Terrorism was something that happened in other places, Israel, Lebanon London, Belfast , places far away. Even the first World Trade Center bombing for many people, didn't seem like international terrorism. After all, the people responsible were caught when they tried to get the deposit back on the rental van they had used. (How sinister could people that dumb be?)    That is what changed I think, it was the moment America lost the illusion that somehow our two oceans would keep us safe from global terrorism.

For friends of mine who lived in New York on that day,  I understand  that  today  is a much different  experience for them.   A good friend of mine is  a New York City Police Officer  who  lost an arm in the attack that day.   Another friend of mine worked  for an investment bank housed in the  North Tower,  she had a doctors appointment so she didn't go into work  that morning.   For her, today  is a reminder of  the  friends and co-workers  she lost  that day.

For the numerous friends of mine who have served, and currently serve in both Afghanistan and Iraq with the American and British Armed Forces, they deal with the effects September 11, 2001 on a far different level than most people ever will.

So this evening, as many Londoners and ex-pats attend the 9-11 memorial service at Westminster Abbey , people all over the world will remember the events of that day, pray for those who were lost, and show solidarity and support for friends and family for whom this anniversary is far more personal than political.

God Bless America, God bless us all.

Remembering a September Morning...

The  media, and  the blogposphere   has  been  full of  all sorts of  remembrances and  commentary  around  today's ten year  anniversary of the attacks on  September 11, 2001.

To be honest  I  was trying to  avoid the  topic.  Not  out of  any  sense  of personal pain,  but  more out of respect,  for  those people I know who were far closer to  the events of that day than I was.

My experience  that day was a surreal one.    I had  gotten up  very early and  caught a flight  from  Chicago Midway to  Houston.  I was heading there for work.   It was about  20 minutes into the flight,  the  seat belt sign had just turned off,  and  people where  shifting about, getting  comfortable.   I had just  pulled out my laptop to work on  the presentation I was going to be giving  later that day.  Suddenly the  seat belt sign came back on,  and the  crew announced  that  everyone  was to return to their seats and  prepare for landing,  the flight would be returning  to Chicago.

The  Pilot then came on the  speaker system to say that there was nothing wrong with the plane,  and  we were returning  to Chicago because the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)  had ordered  the flight to return to "clear air traffic".  He said that was all the information they had, and he apologized for the inconvenience. 

Everyone on the plane  thought the same thing.  (Not terrorism.)   Chicago Midway had upgraded to a new  Air Traffic Control System  earlier in the Summer and  a few weeks prior,   there had been a series of  glitches  that had delayed several flights.  Everyone  groaned,  made  comments about  "Government  Efficiency"  assuming   it was yet another  problem with  Midway's system that  was going to  mess up our day.

A assumption that  was  bolstered  by the fact that  we were not  returning to   Midway but rather  we were diverted to  Chicago's  O'Hare  International Airport.

The  woman  sitting next to me was happy about this  thinking  at least  it might be easier to get on the next flight out to Houston.   I nodded,  and said  "I hope so",  thinking of how I might salvage  the rest of my schedule  that day  and  make my afternoon meetings on time.

It took us  about  30 minutes  of circling over  O'Hare  before  we could land. Sitting in a window seat  I  watched as  the line of planes  waiting to land  stretched  to the far  horizon  and  oddly enough, no planes were  taking off.   I commented on this  to the  woman  next to me, and  she  said "wow Midway's  systems  must be really  screwed up!"  I laughed  and  said  that  what we get  for Ronald Reagan having fired all the  good Air Traffic Controllers.  She laughed and said she had forgotten about that.

We landed and had to wait  an additional  20 minutes  to get a gate.  but  finally  pulled up to  a jetway , and we all  lumbered off the plane into the gate area   I was getting annoyed because people were not  clearing the area  in front of the door  but were  all standing  around the  televisions  that were  tuned to CNN Airport.   I was  about to say a loud  "excuse me!"  when I happened to look up at the  TV  and saw CNN replay  footage from ABC  of  the  second plane  hitting  the  World Trade Center.

 CNN then cut to  live shot  of  a column  of  smoke and ash where  the World Trade Center Towers were supposed to be, but weren't.    I called my office and my boss told me not to come in,  The area in downtown Chicago  around the Sears Tower was being  evacuated.   I called my parents and  let them know I was not  in Houston,  got on the  CTA  Blue Line and  went home.

The rest of that day  I did what most Americans did,  watched  the news,  and when the images became  overwhelming,   I put on my roller blades and went blading  along the  Lake Michigan shoreline.

It was  brilliant  sunny day.   One of those  late Summer,  early  Fall days  that  you get  in Chicago that  make you appreciate what  a beautiful city it is.   As  I stopped at  Oak Street Beach and  admired  the  downtown Chicago skyline,  I didn't  think that  somehow the  "world had changed".  But rather  I found myself  thinking how  the United States now had finally,  sadly,  had joined  the rest of the world.

Before that that morning, Terrorism was  something that happened  in other places,   Israel, Lebanon  London, Belfast , places far away.  Even the first  World Trade Center bombing  for many people, didn't seem like international terrorism.   After all, the  people responsible were caught when they  tried to get the deposit back on the  rental van they had used.   (How sinister could people that  dumb be?)  

That is  what changed I think,  it  was the moment  America lost the  illusion that  somehow our  two oceans  would keep us safe  from global  terrorism.

For friends of mine who lived in  New York on that day,  I understand  that  this week is  a much different  experience for them.   A good friend of mine is  a New York City Police Officer  who  lost an arm in the attack that day.   Another friend of mine worked  for an investment bank housed in the  North Tower,  she had a doctors appointment so she didn't go into work  that morning.   For her, today  is a reminder of  the  15 friends and co-workers  who she lost  that day.  

For the numerous  friends of mine who have served,   and currently serve in both  Afghanistan  and  Iraq with the American and British Armed Forces, they deal with the effects September 11, 2001  on a far different level  than  most people ever will.

So this evening, I will attend  the 9-11 memorial  service here in London,  at  Westminster Abbey.   Where people will remember the events of that day,  pray  for  those  who were lost, and  show solidarity and support for friends  for whom this  anniversary is far more  personal than political.

God Bless America,   God bless us all.