Today is September 11th. It's 11 years since the horrific morning that this date was forever changed in all of our hearts & minds, as well as our history books.
Today, as every September 11th the last decade, I heard people asking what were you doing? Do you remember where you were when you first heard?
I do. Vividly. I was making my daily 1 hour & 15 minute drive to work in Northbrook, Illinois, for a company headquartered in the World Trade Center. Our CEO had gone in early and decided to run out for a cup of coffee and bagel from a deli he liked across the street.
My coworker directly behind me had a daughter working in the financial district of Manhattan. Thankfully, she was going in late that day.
I remember every detail of that day.
Sometimes I picture very specific things I watched unfold on television or online, and I'm just completely overcome with sadness and grief and even anger. Things I never want to picture again, let alone have to consider my options in such a nightmarish scenario.
I cannot imagine how the families who actually lost loved ones feel, not just on this day, but every day. It's heartbreaking every time I consider it.
But today someone asked if I remembered the first anniversary of 9/11.
Ah, that I remember as well. And thankfully, I remember every detail of that day, September 11, 2002.
The only way to cope with terrible things is to scrape out whatever joy you can manage.
Where was I that day? Did we do anything to commemorate that first horrible anniversary?
I was standing about a hundred feet outside of Dinosaur, as Disney's Animal Kingdom and all of Walt Disney World, along with the whole country paused to observe a moment of silence and a message from our President.
This was the first time I'd ever visited Animal Kingdom. It was the first time I'd been back to Walt Disney World in a decade. And it was the day I rediscovered how much that whole place meant to me, and how important . . . no, how necessary it is.
As you can imagine, the park was pretty empty. Normally I'd have rejoiced at 5 minute wait times on every attraction. Even after such a long absence, I knew this was not normal at Walt Disney World. And I knew why. I held my wife's hand and looked around at the few guests around us, and the Cast Members who had stopped whatever they were doing as well. There were hugs and tears and lots of hand-holding that day. The wounds were still fresh for all of us. Even in this happy place, we had to acknowledge it.
But there was definitely a healing presence. A spiritual balm. I can't imagine many other places in the world that could be so soothing to the soul on such an occasion. And this is in no way to make light of the events of 9/11/01. I wish I could somehow bottle the feelings I'm describing and give them to the families, the children, the spouses of those lost as some form of comfort. I wish I were rich enough to take each and every one of them there. It wouldn't take away the pain, but it might help.
It's well documented now how much I love Disney's Animal Kingdom. It's home to some of my favorite attractions. I love the atmosphere. I love the sights. I love the sounds and the smells. (I also love the ribs!)
But there's still something more. Something esoteric.
This is now to be a day not only of tribute, but of reflection. I wish we could all look back on that day, not just 11 but 10 years ago. How much we loved our fellow man. How we were a country, a people, united. Bonds we'd long ago forgotten, or perhaps never even had, were forged anew. There were no strangers in the streets of America. We stood in the face of terrorism meant to bring us to our knees stronger, as brothers and sisters, letting them know we will not be torn asunder!
That was the greatest tribute we could pay those we lost. Even greater still if we still felt it.
So on this day of reflection, I am grateful that on the first anniversary of the most inhumane, selfish, blood-thirsty act of savagry ever committed on the planet, I was in a place dedicated to harmony and the understanding and conservation of all life on Earth, including our own.
I want to go back to that place, not just physically, but spiritually.
I want us all to go back there.
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