10 Years Gone

Ten years ago today. Those four words and you already know what this post is about. I was working in Dallas, TX for JPMorgan Chase and at least 20% of our staff had transferred from NYC. I was at my desk and my Mom called me and told me that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. My first was it was something small like a Cessna, but as we all know it was much worse and horribly calculated. Many people I worked with had family and friends who worked in the WTC, and I knew business contacts who I talked to daily. I also had many friends who worked in the area. So many never came home. Many more survived, but were never able to return, haunted by what they witnessed on that day. Little did I know too, until later, that a man I had met briefly and flirted with a few years prior in New Orleans was going to commit an act of bravery unlike I had ever known.


Today I had the honor to accompany Carl to a remembrance service at the Official Residence of the United States Embassy here in Stockholm. Carl attended as he is the Charges d'Affaires a.i. for Canada until the new Ambassador arrives and was therefore invited and I, as his spouse, accompanied him. The service was lovely, and solem as it should be. Bells were rung for each flight, and for each tower that collapsed in turn. Hymns were sung, poetry read, and speeches delivered. Towards the end though a group of school-aged kids gathered on the balconies above and unfurled four hand-made banners. These kids took part in a 2-day project that involved storytelling and focusing on creating places of peace. Each banner was an island where all were welcome and peace ruled and the feeling of being an outsider, language barriers, fear, scorn, abuse, poverty and a myriad of other issues were replaced with love, understanding, cooperation, acceptance and all the things that are good in the world. 


Ten years on and the world is a much different place, and the US especially has lost quite a bit of it's innocence. The constant state of fear that is maintained, the security screening that we all most go through when travelling, creation of major departments in the US Government that 15 years ago would have sounded ludicrous such as "The Department of Homeland Security" is the result of this day 10 years ago, and it is now our reality. Sometimes I think that the efforts to create security actually makes us all more tense and on edge and actually cause us to lose sight of what we all really want; peace. The presentation that the kids did today made me smile. It gave me some hope that in spite of all that is wrong in the world that there is still hope in youth.  


Today though my thoughts turn to Alice Hoagland the mother of Mark Bingham, the man I referred to in this first paragraph of this post who was one of the people who stormed the cockpit of Flight 93 over Pennsylvania and lost his life to save others. Her son has left quite a legacy that has grown out of his actions, but I think she'd rather have him here with her. If you are unfamiliar with Mark, click on his name and it will take you to Wikipedia and you can read more about him there. 


When we entered the Official Residence there was a flag in the entry hall, a "Flag of Honor" that listed in the stripes of the US Flag all of those lost on that day. It brought a tear to my eye. Below are pictures; in the blue stripe, 3rd row down in the center is Mark's name. I hope that everyone reflects on what happened ten years ago today, but don't stop there, allow it to be a catalyst for change. Make this world a better place. Speak out when you witness something wrong, stand up for what is right. Exercise your right to vote, don't be apathetic, get involved and make a difference. Even the smallest action can have far reaching consequences.