Kay:
Welcome Questers, once again, to the Mentorship Quest. This is Episode 180, and I don’t think we could go by today without acknowledging what has come to pass, now 19 years ago. Today is September 11th. It is Patriot Day. For our international followers and listeners, if you don’t know, this is the day of remembrance for the attacks that happened in New York City on 9/11. And, today, we have a quote for you from our former president, George W. Bush, and he says, “Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of children.”
Shi:
That is a tough quote to hear, to read, to listen to, to revisit, and to remember, but it is important to remember and to have reverence. It’s one of those things you never forget. It’s a defining moment of a generation. One of our dear mentors, Paul Martinelli, talks about how the impact of the planes on the buildings that day was jarring and emotional for everyone, but the impact of seeing those images over, and over, and over again are etched into so many of our souls, especially those who were coming of age during this time. And so, the real impact and effect of that trauma, both psychologically and emotionally, we still see to this day.
Kay:
Now, for those of you who are in the baby boomer generation and remember where you were as a child, and the reaction of your school teachers and your parents on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated, you most likely remember that SO clearly, and we grew up hearing those tales of that day. And, for the millennial generation, 9/11 is really that deeply impactful moment for this whole group of people.
Kay:
I mean, I remember, crystal clear, at around that 8:30 timing in the morning – (might’ve even been a little bit earlier that Mom had woken me up) – You were already up and downstairs watching what was going on on the TV. And, I’ll never forget how Mom pulled you and I in together and she hugged us together while she sobbed. I think you were tearing up. You know, I was eight, and registering what was going on, so it was more weird for me, as a kid, to see the reaction of the older people. And to then, afterwards, really grasp the gravity of the situation, was defining for sure.
Shi:
Absolutely. I was a junior in high school when this happened, so very coming of age. The tone at school that day was just muted. The TVs were on in every classroom. We watched the news all day. Those images really did play over and over. And, of course, then the resulting Pentagon crash and attack, and then the stories come in. And, I remember I was awake for the first plane, and it seemed like it was maybe an accident. But, by the time the second plane hit, it was like, “Oh my gosh, this is a terrorist attack,” which we didn’t even really know what to call it at that point…
Kay:
We didn’t even know what a terrorist was. We were like, “We are under attack.”
Shi:
Yeah, “What is this?” So, definitely a defining day and a defining moment. But, just like 1968, that dark year for the baby boomer generation, you have MLK and you have JFK. And, just like the Challenger explosion in the early ’80s, that X-er defining tragedy – this being that defining tragedy for the millennial generation…All of those tragedies did something. They united the people of our nation and they united people to come together and to maybe forget some of the pettier things that were holding them in a space of judgment or of limited belief towards their fellow citizens. And so, a big tragedy unites people in a big way. I don’t know if we’ve ever seen the kind of united love and courage and true patriotism that unleashed in America post-9/11. As horrible as it was, it was beautiful to see what grew out of that and to see the whole country come together to agree, to celebrate, to honor, to mourn, and to grieve. It was truly just something that I know we’ll never forget. And certainly, with 19 years having passed, it still continues to be a large piece in the history books. I’m going to try to read it to remind you of what your quote is today. From former president George W. Bush, “Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls and the funerals of the children.”
Kay:
All right, everyone. So, today’s quest for you is an honor quest. We’re asking that you take a moment to honor those who tragically passed on 9/11. Maybe this is 60 seconds of silence or dropping a flower off at a local graveyard. But, whatever you do, take a minute to honor the innocence of the world that we all lost on that day, September 11th. Are you ready?
Kay & Shi:
Let’s quest.
