9-11

Never Forget the Brave;

Those First Responders who ran toward danger, not away, in order to help save lives.

Those who risked their lives to help co-workers escape.

Those on Flight-93 that gave their lives to prevent further loss of life.

Those who must go on living after loosing loved ones.

Never Forget the Lost Innocents;

All those airline passengers killed by the Terrorist pilots.

All those killed when the planes struck, and those whose last minutes of life were filled with fear and panic.

All the First Responders who lost their lives trying to save others.

All the survivors who must cope with nightmares and disability.

All the dear loved ones of the lost who struggle to understand why.

Never Forget. Never Forget.

 

………………..

The photo is of my son’s memento when he visited the top of the World Trade Center on a school field trip. Thankfully that trip was not on a certain bright September day.  Living near New York City, my family and neighbors all knew someone personally touched by 9-11. Some were grateful loved ones were delayed going into the city, and thankful again when they returned home safe. Others lost loved ones and live each day with a broken heart. Fifteen years later it is still difficult to think about that day.

One snapshot in time I will not forget was when I was waiting to get my oil changed at a small shop several days after 9-11. A man walked in. His clothes were covered in light grey ash and his eyes were full of sadness. The Owner asked him if he was okay. He told us he had been volunteering at the site of the collapsed towers:Ground Zero. My heart instantly went out to him for I knew a Fireman who volunteered to look for survivors and he was devastated by what he saw. We asked if there was something we could do for him. He said he was driving home and saw the shop and for some reason needed to do something normal. He was numb and needed to see and do “normal” again.

My son not long ago bought me a portable record player. On Friday I pulled out my old records and happened to play the album “The Monkees Headquarters” released 1967. I had the anniversary of 9-11 on my mind at the time. When the song “Shades of Gray” played, I immediately thought of the tone of America after that fateful September day and that man in the mechanic’s shop . How we went from feeling secure and safe, to suddenly everything was uncertain.

For so many, “normal” was forever changed that day and in the days after.

If you get a chance, pull up the song and listen to it. To be honest, I haven’t been able to get the song out of my head. Below are the lyrics.

Stay safe out there! And Never Forget!

Atwood

….

Shades of Gray: Songwriters were Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

“When the world and I were young,

Just yesterday.

Life was such a simple game,

A child could play.

It was easy then to tell right from wrong.

Easy then to tell weak from strong.

When a man should stand and fight,

Or just go along.

 

But today there is no day or night

Today there is no dark or light.

Today there is no black or white,

Only shades of gray.

 

I remember when the answers seemed so clear

We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear.

It was easy then to tell truth from lies

Selling out from compromise

Who to love and who to hate,

The foolish from the wise.

 

But today there is no day or night

Today there is no dark or light.

Tiday there is no black or white,

Only shades of gray.

 

It was easy then to know what was fair

When to keep and when to share.

How much to protect your heart

And how much to care.

 

But today there is no day or night

Today there is no dark or light.

Tiday there is no black or white,

Only shades of gray.

Only shades of gray.”