Photo © D. Paul Graham, “2,983”, the Memorial Pools, NYC 2018

“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Twenty-Two …..

Twenty-two years ago. I took the ramp from the 427 onto the QEW into downtown Toronto. Puzzled at the radio report of a plane hitting the towers and thinking to myself, that’s no accident. The city seemed to have stopped. I parked and headed into the building.  Twenty-two years ago. I stopped, watching, and hearing the frantic man yelling into his cell phone – “She’s not answering her phone. She always answers my call!!” Twenty-two years ago. People crammed into the food court of the office building where I had my office. A wall of televisions revealed the grotesque horror before us as footage of the second plane slamming into the other tower. Twenty-two years ago. The man slumped to the floor, sobbing. Twenty-two years ago. Gasps, screams, and wide-eyed disbelieve as the tower collapsed. Twenty-two years ago. A day that should never be forgotten.  This morning’s M5T shares the words of others about that day twenty-two years ago.

1. Twenty-two years ago

“On September 10th, 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning. 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol. 8 paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift. None of them saw past 10:00 am Sept 11, 2001. In one single moment life may never be the same. As you live and enjoy the breaths you take today and tonight before you go to sleep in preparation for your life tomorrow, kiss the ones you love, snuggle a little tighter, and never take one second of your life for granted.” ~ Unknown

2. A question

“Where were you when the world stopped turning, on that September day?” ~ Alan Jackson

3. A way forward

“When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible. We’re not about what happened on 9/11. We’re about what happened on 9/12.” ~ Jeff Parness, founder of New York Says Thank You

4. A separation

“What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.” ~ author David Levithan

5. A fear, a community, and a healing

“September 11… I will never forget feeling scared and vulnerable… I will never forget feeling the deep sad loss of so many lives… I will never forget the smell of the smoke that reached across the water and delivered a deep feeling of doom into my gut… I will never forget feeling the boosted sense of unity and pride… I will never forget seeing the courageous actions of so many men and women… I will never forget seeing people of all backgrounds working together in community… I will never forget seeing what hate can destroy… I will never forget seeing what love can heal…”~ Steve Maraboli

Here’s to never forgetting.

© 2023 D. Paul Graham, all rights reserved

For over 11 years, D. Paul Graham has published “Monday 5 Things” ™, also known to readers as M5T.

You can reach Paul by email at dpg@imagegraham.com