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September 10, 2002

need a hero?

While we were stretching at practice tonight I was looking up at a cargo jet far above DC. I'm happy to report that after a year I don't look at them with fear anymore. They're mostly just planes to me now.

However, the events that happened a year ago did have a pretty big impact on my life. Security concerns about the flight patterns over the White House from National Airport immediately after the attacks prompted Federal authorities to close the airport for several months. This resulted in a massive loss of revenue for my former employer, the quasi-private Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. All departments faced cuts and freezes, and my contracting company was no different. The following February I was fired. Looking back I see that I was a convenient cut in the budget. I'm sure if it wasn't for the attacks I may not be in the situation I am today. However, it was a good change, as I wasn't too happy there anyway.

We were less than a mile and a half from the Pentagon, and when the smoke began wafting over the airport it smelled sour and acrid. A temmate of mine in the Navy assures me that's what burning jet fuel smells like, and I hope that's true.

I vividly remember seeing the smoke from the burning Pentagon in the rear view mirror of Shane's car as we evacuated the airport. Traffic was going so slow, it almost seemed like I watched the smoke for hours. People were walking calmly on the sidewalk, around our car, all generally walking South. Eve, Shane and I shared disbelief as we listened to reports on the car radio during our exodus.

I consider myself lucky to have had a few circumstances that may have expedited my mental and emotional recovery from the attacks. One was that I had two coworkers from involved countries. One was Arab, the other Afghan. I had known both for some time, both were normal guys, with moods and habits all their own, if not a with a funky accent. It put the attackers in perspective to me: the attackers were fanatics, and my coworkers were people. I was automatically forced to percieve both ethnic groups as people with motives and ideals instead of generalizing Afghans and Arabs as "those attackers".

I'm fortunate not to have lost anyone too close in the attacks, but I was familiar with two of those lost. I shared a ride in a truck to the emergency room with Mark Bingham after a rugby-related accident the spring before. We didn't chat much...I was concerned my chin was going to fall off, and he was painfully concerned with his dislocated shoulder. But learning of his departure from our world made the reality of the situation hit home sooner. I think I was a bit ahead of the curve in dealing with the losses a week or so afterwards.

And thank God Manny offered up his condo in Ocean City for free the weekend after. It was a great blessing to get out of DC to the oceanside refuge.

I remember my neighbor walking his dog across the street with his partner. They weren't too social, and I never knew he was a pilot. But watching his partner pack away his stuff in the U-Haul in early November was a sad thing to see.

Reminiscing about the attacks of last year make me think of my choir director from high school. She shared some of the most valuable and memorable seeds of wisdom that I retained from those years. We lost three classmates from a tragic car accident, followed by two classroom days of mourning. Finally, she got up and started playing on the piano, encouraging us to stand up and start practicing for the upcoming concert. She had lost a child recently to miscarriage, and shared some wisdom with us that day: it's best to get up and and move forward.

Not to belittle the heroic efforts of many a year ago, but here's a fun fantasy/comic hero generator I fooled around with today, should you need a distraction from the dramarrea. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but I created Micah, a caped crusader with a huge broadsword and a chakram, just like Xena. He's furry like Wolverine, with a beard and greying temples like the original Green Lantern. Baggy denim jeans for freedom of movement, and a handy utility belt too. Hope you like him.

Posted by jimbo at September 10, 2002 10:37 PM

Comments

Posted by: mike s. at September 11, 2002 10:31 AM

Posted by: Rob at September 11, 2002 2:58 PM

Posted by: jimbo at September 11, 2002 3:36 PM