I woke up early on September 11th, 2001, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I had flown from Portland to Boise, rented a car, and drove five hours to get there.
I had just acquired a new business there in Idaho Falls for my company, Western Tool Supply. It was to be the very first day that this location became part of our growing company, and I was going to meet many of them for the first time.
I went for a jog in the morning, as is my custom, and when I came back to the hotel, there was a TV on in the lobby. It was showing that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings in New York City.
Wow, I thought, what a terrible accident. I watched for a moment. The video was something that no one will ever forget. But I had to get showered and ready to meet everyone at the new company. I had to bring my "A" game.
When I got out of the shower and turned on the TV in the room, it was obvious that this was no accident. Another plane had run into the other tower. And another had hit the Pentagon. And yet another went down in Pennsylvania. Our world had suddenly changed.
I called my wife and told her to turn on the TV. It was early in the morning in Oregon. I wanted to hear her voice. This was a serious "Oh My God" moment, back when that meant more than three letters in a text.
----------------------------------------------------
By the time I entered the store, formerly Ideal Industrial, everyone had of course heard about the attack. People were stunned. Nobody knew what to say.
I had to try to balance a jovial, "Welcome to Western Tool!" with a profound personal mix of uncertainty, fear, and a growing sense of anxiety. I would normally have a big smile on my face, shake hands, and buy everyone lunch ... but not this time. Everybody felt awful. It would get worse.
Time would reveal that this was a terrorist attack, inspired by Osama bin Laden, and thousands of people would die in New York. It was incredibly horrible.
This was a day that would deeply rock America to the core. Keep in mind that in the early hours after the attack, no one knew if the whole nation was under siege.
I did my best to introduce myself to these fine employees in Idaho as their new boss. Eventually, that location would thrive and prosper, but the first day was difficult. During that immediate aftermath, people were scared - would be more attacks or ... ?
Suddenly, this country was in a state of emergency, and ALL airplanes were grounded for a week, stranding hundreds of thousands of people far from home, including me. But I did have a rental car.
When I left Idaho Falls, the employees (like everyone else in the US) were in a state of shock. These feelings would last a long time.
I left around midday and drove back to Boise, and when I got there, I stopped by our local branch store. These were long time staff members. The situation was not quite as awkward as meeting the others for the very first time. We shared our feelings and tried to console each other and make sense of it.
I had been listening to the news the whole time in the car. I knew the flights were grounded, and I knew I could not fly home. I was supposed to return the rental car, but I kept it. There was so much uncertainty that I figured, well, I could at least drive home.
I left Boise and drove all night. The news on the radio began to clarify what had happened. It was gruesome, but compelling to listen to.
I distinctly remember when they began to describe the towers coming down. Since I had only voice and no pictures, I could not possibly imagine the Twin Towers collapsing, that just couldn't happen, they were too big (ironically, my wife and I had been to the top of the World Trade Center just a few months before).
I made it home the next morning, physically and emotionally exhausted. I would learn later that this experience of making your way home was repeated many, many times over the next few days for countless travelers.
That day is unforgettable for lots of reasons. It was such a tragedy. It changed the world, and not in a good way.
No comments:
Post a Comment