Today marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.
It seems this string of dates and anniversaries keep hitting me.
I had joined Intel as an intern earlier that year — in January 2001. I had completed my Master’s in May 2001, and switched from being an intern to a full time employee that summer.
On 9/11, I was supposed to take the Intel shuttle (our company private jet) from Mather Airbase to Santa Clara for a face-to-face meeting. Of course , due to all planes being grounded, I was not able to fly that day.
Although I knew what happened that morning while I was at home, I still showed up at work.
And you know what I distinctly remember?
That work went on. The meeting that I was supposed to attend in person also went on.
It felt so bizarre that Intel didn’t stop business that day.
I remember catching up on news whenever I could, during breaks. I also remember feeling so sad, a bit fearful, and so conflicted from within. And a little bit angry that I couldn’t just take the day off and go home.
I couldn’t relate to all that grief of families who lost their loved ones that day. But now I can. It is the worst kind of pain - to not even get to say goodbye. I’ve had to experience it, and I can tell you it is deeply traumatic. I wish that kind of pain on no one, and I mean no one.
25 years since that disaster - and I still get goosebumps thinking about it.
Where were you and what were you doing that day?
2 comments:
A sad day, highlighting the horrors of terror and war. Sadly, throughout human history, man (yes, man; women rarely commit such atrocities) has engaged in incomprehensible evil. And often in the name of religion which is the one institution that expressly forbids such heinous acts. And yet here we are.
In the 25 years since that day, we haven't learnt a single lesson. We continue to commit such horrors. Countries, societies, cultures, that have been on the receiving end of unimaginable evil, then go out and commit the same acts. Sometimes, I wonder what we are as a species.
I saw a short video recently on the message “the planet is fine, the people are fucked” - and I SO agree. It said the planet has been spinning for billions of years whereas humans have only been around for a fraction of that. And it can spit us out like fleas anytime it wants.
I too wonder what we are as a species 😢
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