The events of September 11, 2001 shook the world, but I'd like to share a brief moment of my own, which will be part of me forever.
I worked in a real estate office with about forty agents. A few of us got into the habit of meeting on Fridays at a nearby bar, to blow off some steam, and enjoy being people for awhile, not just Realtors. There was some question as to whether it was proper to meet on September 14th, just three days after the world changed forever. We decided to meet. I heard there was a nationwide vigil planned for that night, so I drove home and grabbed some candles. When I arrived at the bar, there were already about a dozen of us, and I took a seat at the table. I was surprised how jovial the atmosphere was in the bar, and after awhile, I settled in to our usual Friday night routine.
At five minutes before the appointed hour, there was a stir in the bar, and I watched as patrons dug into their purses and pockets and brought out candles. Everyone silently lined up and stepped outside into the parking lot. A big circle was formed, as those with lighters helped light the candles of others. It was so eerie to look at those somber faces, which just moments before were grinning and laughing. As the last candle was lit, someone started singing America the Beautiful. Soon, everyone joined in, including me, though it was hard to sing with a lump in my throat. I have never heard it sung so beautifully as it was that night. People were singing with their hearts, not just their voices. When the song was done, we hung our heads, each deep in our own private thoughts, and one by one the candles were all blown out.
It didn't take long for the bar to return to normal. I started thinking that maybe I had imagined the whole thing. It certainly didn't feel real. One of my friends decided to grab all the candle stubs, stand them up in a plate, and create a candle garden. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, just to make sure he wasn't lighting the whole place on fire. Much to everyone's surprise, the concentrated smoke of the candles set off the fire alarm. Everyone looked around to see if there was any real danger, and then tried to carry on conversations over the screeching alarm. We, of course, looked around, too, acting as if we had nothing to do with it.
Just when I thought my brain would explode if I had to listen to that alarm any longer, a fire truck pulled
up outside. In ran a trio of firefighters. As people in the bar spotted them, they each stood up. Soon the entire place was full of people standing and clapping for the firefighters. The men stopped and stood there, looked at each other, and then looked at the crowd. Surprise, and then understanding, flooded their faces. They stood for a few moments, overcome with emotion, and then moved on to do their job. The alarm was silenced at last, the firefighters returned to their waiting truck, and the world returned to normal. Well, as close to normal as it could.
Many things changed on September 11, 2001. I think we learned that anyone can be a hero, and we are living among heroes every day.
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