Sunday, September 11, 2011

9/11 Stories You May Have Missed


For this post I thought I’d share some of the best stories I’ve heard surrounding 9/11, specifically the stories that may have missed our national attention.  I’m not one for overly patriotic stories but appreciate the narratives of individuals that were directly impacted by the events of 9/11 or the accounts of what might have been on that dramatic day ten years ago if chance didn’t played her hand in a very dramatic manner.  What is impressive about a majority of these accounts is how simple, everyday actions have profound effects on individuals.  The stories we tell, the actions we take, and the people we interact with have a direct impact on the course of an individual’s life. 

We are strangers that impact each other in even stranger ways

  •  The first story that caught my eye was a report about how a Michael Cuddyer minor league home run saved a teammates life.  I never thought about how a large amount of minor league seasons end right around 9/11 and that something as insignificant as a home run can save a life—the butterfly effect in motion. 
  • Today in New York City, Paul Simon sang “The Sound of Silence” during a public gathering to remember 9/11.  There is not a better song to sing for the memories of that day.  A haunting song, a masterful performance—it’s amazing how a song can describe everything we feel and think about something.  Please listen and don’t be ashamed of the tears that will come.
  • Salon has a rememberace from a 22 year old who recounts what she went through at age 12 when the towers fell and the fear that haunted her classmates and her for the subsequent years.   It’s hard to imagine the toll that would take on a 12 year old living in NYC.
  • Last week on CBS Sunday Morning I heard the story of Michael Lomonaco, the  executive chef at Windows on the World, the restaurant that occupied the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.  He was in the building when the first plane hit, but had decided not to go to his office that morning— chance, fate, or luck it’s still on his mind.  It was this story that prompted me to write my thoughts and share them on this blog.



I know there are more stories to hear and I hope that if you read this and have a story that should be heard, please leave a comment. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my contribution to the 9/11 discussion, and again please feel free to comment and share your thoughts, opinions, and stories—I know people are reading, I haven’t visited this site 400+ times, so leave a comment and let me know what you think of The MichiganGoat Rambler.
Enjoy the rest of your day and keep the stories going, stories are what really separate us from animals.

1 comment:

  1. When SNL finally took back to the air a few weeks after 9/11 (complete with Lorne Michaels' classic ask of Rudy Guiliani, "Can we be funny?"), Paul Simon opened the show with a touching rendition of 'The Boxer.' I imagine his 'Sounds of Silence' was equally stirring.

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