I stood up to talk and said nothing. I facilitated a small-group session during a senior leadership meeting at work. The group stared at me. What was wrong? A small voice inside me said to talk about something more meaningful. Don’t forget what day it is today. It was September 11th, 2018. I decided to listen to that voice.
Everyone remembers that day – never forget.
I let the group know the topic we were supposed to discuss. First, I asked each of them to share their September 11th, 2001 memories. We went around the room. Everyone shared their story. It was emotional. It was powerful. I don’t recall anything else from that meeting. I do remember the stories. It was one of the best break-out groups I have facilitated. Not because of anything I did. Because we chose to remember, we fulfilled the promise we all made as Americans to “Never Forget” that day.
Why I wrote this billboard
September 11th last year was a busy day for me. I don’t recall the details. In the morning, I reminded myself that it was 9/11. The day seemed to fly by, and I had not done anything to reflect until the break-out session. I wrote this billboard as a reminder that it is easy to forget an essential moment like 9/11 as the years roll on. Something critically important at the time it happened can easily get lost in the daily noise of life.
9/11 was a day like no other – never forget
Both of you were infants when 9/11 happened. Gavin – you were almost four. Riley – you were a baby. You can’t remember what happened on that tragic day. For those of us who are older, it is a day we will never forget. 9/11 was a day like no other. Our country was brutally attacked by savages who ended up killing more than 3,000 people. The events of that day changed our nation and the world forever. We all knew we would never be the same as before.
I remember being in Chicago.
On 9/11, you were at your grandparent’s home with your mother. We lived there waiting for our home to be built. I was at work. I attended a computer training class in a high-rise building in downtown Chicago. Someone in the class mentioned that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. That seemed strange. No one was sure what was going on. Then, the second plane struck the other tower, and it became apparent our country was under attack. A third plane hit the Pentagon, and another plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. You both know the rest of the story of what happened on 9/11. It was a horrible day.
We visited ground zero together, never to forget.
Both of you have been to Ground Zero. I took you there to make sure you witnessed where it happened. You have visited the museum, spent time in Memorial Park, and toured the new tower. I hope that both of you better understand what happened that day by going there. Ground Zero is holy ground to me. It is a moving experience to visit. I always recommend that others go there if they have never been.
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
9/11 is this week. This year, I am more deliberate as I prepare for the day. Oddly enough we have another senior leadership meeting this Wednesday. My boss thinks it is a symbolic day to gather since our work supports the national security mission of keeping Americans safe. This year I donated to the 9/11 Memorial and museum. It is well-spent money and will help ensure we “Never Forget.”
What about you?
What are your plans for 9/11? Will you remember to honor those we lost? Make sure to take time and think about what happened that day. I will call both of you to talk. It is crucial that we “Never Forget”.
Make sure to remember 9/11. The older you become the easier it will be to forget. Never Forget!
Dad