September 11

On Sept. 11, I read the names of the dead at Hope's 911 Memorial. SL was being awful and logins were closed. Somehow I managed to slip in, but most of the other memorial participants didn't arrive until around 10. (It just occurred to me that perhaps being a premium member paid off here.)

Since nobody was there who knew what I was supposed to do, I improvised. Found a list of the names on the web, sat down on the stage (after some hesitation) and waited to do my thing. It was a really long list -- I had forgotten how many people died that day -- over 3000 names.

This was a commemoration of the police and firefighters. Chipmunk Zhang read several poems in memory of her brother, who died in the World Trade Center. Then I got up and started reading the names. Because sit and stand animations weren't working properly for me that day, I flew up and hovered a few feet above the podium.

Open your notecard. Highlight a name, copy it, paste it into chat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Scroll down to the next set of names.

Long, long list - divided into sections - with people's ages and occupations as well as their names. Names from nearly every ethnic group. All kinds of occupations. Police. Firefighters. Soldiers from the Pentagon. People on vacation. Many people from one financial organization - that company must have had one of the floors the planes hit in the WTC. Retired people. Old people. Several students travelling with their teacher. A mother and her children, aged 8 -- and 3.

I came to the end of the list of Confirmed Dead, and then realized that there was also a list Reported Dead, and it was even longer. Section after section -- think it's finished and then realize there is another one yet to come. It went on and on.

It was an amazingly moving experience to read that list. Turned out I was only supposed to read the names of police and firefighters, but I'm very glad that nobody told me that until after I had finished. I hope they ask me back to do it again next year.

Part 2
Dancing with a friend, mentioned about reading the names. He told me his story of that day. He got up as usual planning to catch the early Metro train and go to a meeting at the Pentagon. His mother-in-law was late picking up his son (the first time in two years that she'd been late) so he missed the early train and caught the next one. At the metro station he caught the shuttle bus to the Pentagon.

The bus was just pulling into the Pentagon parking lot when he heard a huge crash and saw a flash from the explosion. The plane had crashed into the building, right into the meeting room where he was supposed to be. His good friend from work was killed instantly -- if things had gone as planned, he would have been sitting right next to him.

He remembers the smell of jet fuel, bits of ash floating in the air, confusion, police and fire personnel arriving and telling everybody to go home. No buses running, no cabs , phones all out-- he walked from the Pentagon to Alexandria. I'm not sure exactly how far this is, but my memory is that it would be a pretty long walk. He remembers a cop directing traffic at an intersection with an Uzi in his hand, looking like he'd love to have an excuse to use it. Wishing he'd worn walking shoes to work that day instead of his dress shoes.

He finally found a working phone at the Crystal City metro station. Called his wife to ask her to pick him up. She was in hysterics -- he had been out of touch for over 4 hours, and she knew exactly where he was supposed to be that day.

The next day his boss phoned and said, "I've been instructed that all non-essential personnel should stay home today. Son, for just today, consider yourself non-essential." (What a wonderful way to put it -- he must have been a very fine boss!) His wife went off to work, he decided to take the kids to the playground. Sat there watching them, feeling comforted by their innocent play -- and appreciating it very much that the kids never asked why Dad was jumping at loud noises and muttering to himself.