Its hard to imagine its been 20 years . Everyone here remembers where you were when you 1st heard the news. Its one of those things in our brain that will never let you forget. I was principal at my HS when I heard the news. We got a call from the superintendents office that one of our guidance councilors sister worked at the World trade center and was to let her go home immediately..by the time we sent someone down to the office she had already left since her mother had called her.
We gathered all our AV equipment and set up TV's in all the rooms ,library and cafeteria etc.
There are so many stories about that day and finally my wife and I went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum last year. I described it here before. But with all collective articles,narratives,artifacts and personal stories one stands out for me and I would like to share it again.
On one of the floors at the museum there is a little side room that you could easily miss called the " Jumpers" It's a small room with narratives and a few pictures of the "jumpers". These were the people trapped on the top floors and the fires were so intense they jumped.
But one narrative was a man in another high rise building watching the world trade center in flames. He describes looking out and watching an unidentified lady at the window contemplating jumping. " she thinks about it,looks down and realizes she cannot go back into the building. She thinks for a minute and then holds her dress down as she jumps." Imagine she had the dignity to think about her dress knowing maybe her underwear might show when she falls. I just sat there and thought about her . She was never identified and no name was ever given.
So of all the memories that we look back on tomorrow I think of this lady.
Our guidance councilor did lose her sister that day. And its so hard to believe its been 20 years.
My other story is about a commuter in my area who drove his car to the train station that morning and never returned. He was missing so for about 6 months his wife refused to move his parked car in the lot On a saturday and sunday the parking lot was empty but in the middle of the lot was a lone car. It became a symbol as people would put flowers and wreaths around and on top of the car. Going to the mall I would glance over to the lot and just see this car parked all by itself. Then a snow came and then one day the car was gone. Imagine his family leaving the car there with just maybe a hope he might come home.
On this day those 2 stories are still in my head . I think of you Peace to all and although I didn't know the jumper or commuter your in my memory .
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