I will never forget
The story of my 9/11 memorial sneakers
I cannot believe it's 23 years.
It was the most beautiful day.
Crisp, clear, and marred with the plume of smoke we can never unsee.
Every year, I wear these sneakers in remembrance—the sneakers I bought to walk home—and share the story below that I wrote on September 11, 2013.
The years are showing. They are falling apart, and the glued parts are coming undone. My feet have grown, and they're tight. But every year, I will go through my personal ritual of honoring that day, the precious people who lost their lives, the first responders, the people who worked the pile who continue to feel the effects, and all of the families and loved ones who feel the loss every day.
This is the first year I will do something visible online other than share this story. I'm hosting two interviews today, but I will include a moment of silence in remembrance.
Every year, I share my story. Share yours too. It's important that we #neverforget - that we grieve and remember together. I'd love to read it.
Here is mine.
It is September 11th, 2013. It has been 12 years since the unthinkable happened, and our world was changed forever.
There are so many who lost so much more than I did that day.
I was born and raised in NY and grew up in the shadow of the World Trade Center, those buildings were part of the fabric of our lives, so many events happened in and around them. My older sister worked across the street at Merrill Lynch, and I remember going to work with her as a young child and watching them go up. My brother-in-law works for the Port Authority, and he took us up on the roof. I rode in many bike tours that ended victoriously in the plaza between the buildings. I even worked there for two weeks on a temp assignment on the 102nd floor. They were just there, every time I saw the skyline of the city I love they took my breath away.
September 11, 2001, was magnificent; the sky could not be bluer, and it was the perfect NY late summer/early fall day. I was on my way to work and listening to Howard Stern on my walkman – I honestly thought he was joking as he reported that a plane hit the World Trade Center…. then I looked up and saw that plume of smoke that is etched in the memories of all who saw it. I got off the bus, and the next thing I remembered, I was sitting at my desk and trying to sign on to my computer.
I remember the day so clearly, but chunks of time are just gone. We all watched the events of the day unfold in a conference room, and one thing I will never forget is the expressions on the faces of my friends and colleagues. Eventually, we realized that we needed to do something, make sure everyone was OK, and get home to our loved ones.
At the time, I lived in Riverdale, which is in the Bronx, and I realized I was going to need to walk home in my pretty but impractical shoes. I ran out to Sports Authority. It was mayhem. I would have bought a bike or a scooter, but they were gone. So I grabbed a pair of sneakers and as many socks as I could buy. As I walked back to my office, I handed out socks to people in the street.
These are my September 11th sneakers, and my remembrance ritual every year is to wear these sneakers and wish all good and positive things for the many, many people who lost their lives that day, their families, and loved ones. The kids that lost their parents. I am wearing them right now.
There was a group of us all walking in the same direction, we waited for a colleague’s wife who was walking uptown, she worked in Tower 1, but fortunately, she was late, it was election day and she voted that morning. It was incredibly eerie, we walked through Central Park and it was packed but so quiet, no one was talking, there was no traffic, no buses, no helicopters. The hustle and bustle was gone. Every person had the same shocked and haunted look in their eyes. I was very grateful that I was not alone.
For the next few weeks, New York was a strange place. Everyone was polite. I love my New Yorkers, and they are kind and good people, but they are not necessarily polite, and that was off-putting. I was secretly relieved when everyone got their attitude back…..
About a month later my son was conceived, over the next few months I learned that nine people I worked with were pregnant and we were all due mid-month between April and October. Coincidence, maybe… I did not really think about it, I was happy, my pregnant friends were happy, all the babies were healthy and well. But as each year goes by, I think about this, and I know these kids, they are special… A few years ago I started to think this was not an accident, we are repopulating, replacing special people that were taken violently and too soon. Who knows for sure, but it makes me smile and restores hope. I know I am keeping an eye on those born in the year 2002.
Today and every day, hug your kids, tell your friends and family that you love them, and if you happen to be in NYC, look up and remember…..
Thanks for allowing me to share. Please be mindful of your social media posts today. Let’s wait until tomorrow to market our businesses and sell our stuff. I would love it if you shared your stories of remembrance, too.
#iwillneverforget