Like so many others, I remember where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001.

I was working at another radio station at the time and that day felt like the whole world was ending.  Our newsman came in to the studio and said, "You know that they've also hit the Pentagon."  No, Roger.  I didn't know that.

I remember calling my son's elementary school in Dover and telling the administration office that I would keep them updated on everything that I knew before it hit the air.  They had my son after all and I was, like everyone, in a panic.

One of the women in the studio broke down in tears because she was very worried about her husband who had been travelling that day.  We managed to track him down and she felt better after talking to him on the phone.  (There were no cell phones yet)  The other woman in the studio has become my friend and mentor for the past 19 years and I work with her to this day.  It was the first day that we ever met.

I remember other unfamiliar faces in the building that day which was not the norm really ever before this day.  Although we may talk to a lot of people every day, we see the same people in the studio day after day.  I have to say, I wasn't exactly comfortable with having them there.  Why today?  What was this all about?  Who are all these people?

The thing that I remember the most, however, didn't happen that day.  It was several days after that when we, along with every other radio station in the country, were doing a Red Cross drive to help the victims families and survivors of the attacks.

The woman at the front desk told us that we had a girl in the lobby with her Mom who wanted to bring me a donation that she herself had collected.  We brought her in to the studio and there was this white envelope with some money in it and a note that said, "In Memory of Michael and Kathleen Shearer of Dover, NH."  From what I understood from the envelope, the little girl was related to Michael and Kathleen somehow.  Maybe neighbors of theirs?  When I looked up from reading the envelope, the little girl's Mother was crying.  I just remember hugging her and telling her how sorry I was.

Everyone was longing to do something.  Even a little girl.

How I long to go back to those days when we were all truly living in the United States of America.  Everyone, no matter what your political affiliation was, no matter what the color your skin was, no matter what religion, no matter what gender or sexual orientation, we were all United against a common enemy.  Sad that we needed such a thing to bring us together, but I sure do wish we felt like those short few days after 9/11/2001.

May all the people who died on September 11, 2001 be remembered today somehow.  The little girl, her Mother and I will remember Michael and Kathleen Shearer of Dover.

You can read more about Michael and Kathleen in this tribute to them.  

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