9/11 BRIEFLY REMEMBERED

Those Who Died on 9/11

A few memories from that day ten years ago.  I was teaching a class, in the basement of Ellsworth Hall, when I noticed one of my colleagues was rolling a TV into the hall outside my classroom, turning it on, and people were gathering around it watching.  I opened my classroom door, a bit piqued at the interruption, when I was told a plane had hit one of the twin towers.

I remember rushing home after class, turning on the TV, as what was happening began to sink in to my hard skull.  At first, I thought it was a small plane but clearly, it was either or terrorist attack or we were at war.  I couldn't believe it when one of the towers collapsed; then, the other.

I finally got in touch with Evie, who was in Colorado with Jill, as Hayden had just born.  They were as frightened as I, especially Jill, so at least Evie was there to give comfort, with not only the new baby but also fear of what this might mean for the Army and especially Drew.  Evie flew home a few days later, on an almost empty plane.

I remember the school day continuing on as normal, with an assembly about 11:00, to discuss with the students what had happened, as far as we could tell, and our greatest worry were the students who could not get in touch with their parents.  Fortunately, none were lost.

After this, the day was a blur, as we went to practices, taught our classes, and not much seemed to have changed in our lives though everything changed, unbeknowest to us.

An appropriate poem from The Writer's Almanac today, by Stephen Dunn, one of my favorite poets:

"Grudges"
Easy for almost anything to occur.
Even if we've scraped the sky, we can be rubble.
For years those men felt one way, acted another.

Ground Zero, is it possible to get lower?
Now we had a new definition of the personal,
knew almost anything could occur.

It just takes a little training, to blur
A motive, lie low while planning the terrible,
Get good at acting one way, feeling another.

Yet who among us doesn't harbor
A grudge or secret? So much isn't erasable;
It follows that almost anything can occur,

Like men ascending into the democracy of air
Without intending to land, the useful veil
Of having said one thing, meaning another.

Before you know it something's over.
Suddenly someone's missing at the table.
It's easy (I know it) for anything to occur
When men feel one way, act another.

Names on 9/11 Memorial Pool at Ground Zero