Never Forget
My wife and I were both paramedics in our past, and this time of year we pause and remember 9/11. Those people who lost their lives, both innocent civilians, and those brave firefighters, police, and medics who responded to the Twin Towers. We actually had a trip scheduled to New York City 2 months after 9/11. Instead of cancelling, we decided to go anyway. It was one of the best decisions we ever made.
Our trip to ground zero is a memory forever etched in my mind. The buildings still smoking, the walls surrounding the area covered with pictures of the missing, and people standing on the sidewalks clapping as first responders entered ground zero. It was heartbreaking to see family members walking the streets carrying pictures of loved ones. The walls all over the area were covered with pictures, flowers, and expressions of grief and remorse. As we walked, we came upon a store front that someone had rented and started selling pictures of what happened to raise funds for people that suffered that day. Walking through that old store, the walls were covered with pictures that left me mad, hurt, but yet so proud. That little store was a shrine to the events that day and the days that followed. It was a moving time and one I will never forget. So if you get a chance in the next couple of days, if you see a cop, a medic, or a fireman, stop and thank them. Every day they put on the uniform and head out, willing to lay it all on the line for us, and they deserve our thanks.
God Bless America.
