Where Were You on 9/11/2001?

Some of you already lived in The Summit on 9/11/2001. What were you doing that morning?

That was one of the days etched in our memories forever.

Me? I remember exactly where I was. I was flying from Austin, Texas to Chicago O'Hare.

My flight was close enough to ORD that it was not diverted. As we landed, the woman sitting next to me (a work colleague at Sears, Roebuck and Co.) turned on her cell phone before the nosewheel ever touched down. I heard the tones on her phone and was just about to tell her to turn it off when she said loudly, "WHAT? New York? How many planes?" Her boyfriend had called her to tell her what was happening in New York.

Other passengers heard her and turned on their phones, placing calls. The plane was directed to a holding area and, after about 20 minutes, the pilot announced that, since many passengers already knew what was happening, he would tell us what he knew.

Eventually, the plane continued to a gate. By that time, the terminal was empty! Driving from ORD to Woodstock, I had never seen the roads so empty of traffic. It was mid-morning by then. I skipped going to the office and headed straight home.

I hope you'll pause today in a moment of silence for those who lost their lives that day.

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