Just two days ago, we observed the 25th anniversary of the day two airlines crashed into the World Trade Center in Manhattan New York. Thousands of Americans died when both towers collapsed to the ground as the occupants ran toward some sort of protective cover and police, firefighters and other brave souls ran toward the destruction in an attempt to save lives. Some of those heroes lived, but, many did not. Some are dying slowly from the debris they encountered digging through the rubble. Along with the search dogs and clergy there to give comfort to those grieving and in distress.
I was in my last few weeks as a active firefighter in the Phoenix Fire Department at my office at our oldest retired fire station, Station 8. I had just turned on the old TV there to hear what the latest news. I walked into the kitchen to get a refreshed cup of coffee before returning to my desk to catalog some old pictures. A news flash came on with a demanding voice stating a plane just flew into the Trade Center tower in New York. I rushed back into the TV day room with my coffee to get the whole story and there I sat for the next few hours glued to the TV screen in disbrief of what I saw and heard evolving. Watching airplanes over and over again crashing into the towers like replays of a football game. That day changed not only the United States, but the entire world. And it is still effecting us to this day.
Not only did November 11, 2001 change our lives, but so did September 7th, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. November 22, 1963, the day President Kennedy was assassinated and so many other days in our lives and our parents lives, and will live on with our children's' lives.
Someone, smarter than me, once said, " History dictates what our future will present to us again and again if we don't change our ways." Maybe he was talking about global warming and trying to be the law enforcer of the world. We did not win in Korea or in Viet Nam or Afghanistan.
History should never be forgotten. We should ask ourselves what can I do to NOT repeat this disaster, but always remember, somethings you have no control of, so you can not blame yourself for the end result. Just whatever you can do to prevent it from happening again. Never beat yourself up saying, "What if I did ..." Maybe I should have done..." We can NOT see into the future.
There are plenty of things I wished I had done differently, and I try hard not the repeat my mistakes. Lessons learned is how we grow into a better and smarter person. Take care and stay safe.
