9/11 Where were you? • 09.19.08
For some reason, I was more reflective this year about the events of 9/11. Maybe it’s because the economy has taken such a turn for the worse. The airline industry has perhaps felt the most reverberations over the years. Remember when the doors were open? And getting through security was easy? When there were many airline companies and fuel costs were reasonable?
I remember being in my office in the weeks following the terrorist attacks, listening to pilots being angry that their fellow professional pilots were used as a means of destruction. I was also listening to the fear of flying with such uncertainty. There was an awareness of the impending changes because of the events. I heard over and over, “Life as we know it has changed forever.”
Where were you when the planes were grounded? I was flying back from Zurich on Swiss Air to Boston, due to land around 10:00. We were informed that America had been attacked, had closed it’s borders, and we were being diverted to Gander. Then about 15 minutes later, because Gander was full, we went on to Halifax, Nova Scotia. People in the plane were calling back to Europe to find out what was happening. We sat on the ground until about 6:30 pm when we were then graciously and efficiently “processed” into Canada. For the next 3 days, the people of Halifax opened their homes and hearts to help those of us who were stranded. They provided food, shelter, phone and computer banks, TV screens to keep up with the news, & medical care for anyone in need. It was truly a remarkable situation and I will be forever grateful to our Northern Neighbors.
So again, where were you? How has life changed for you since then?
