Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. If you were old enough to remember, you probably know where you were and what you were doing that day.
My day started out like any other workday. I booted up my computer and browsed a couple of news sites. I saw a report on the Philadelphia Inquirer’s website that a plane had hit the World Trade Center in New York City.
I assumed it was a small aircraft. Never would I have guessed that someone would hijack an airliner (never mind several of them) and deliberately crash them into buildings. No, that startling reality came a little later.
I turned on the TV right after the second plane hit. I don’t need to go into the descriptions of what I saw – it’s all out there. But just then a troubling email arrived in my inbox.
A friend told me that one of our old classmates, Thomas, worked in the second tower. The hope was that somehow, some way, he managed to get out. Or perhaps he had the day off or was running late that morning. But there was a sinking feeling that he wasn’t so lucky.
Hours passed in silent worry. I remember spending the whole day on the phone with my mom as we watched it happen. Here in central Pennsylvania, it was as if we were in the center of a deadly triangle. New York was to the northeast, Washington, DC was to the south, and Shanksville, PA was to the west. Rumors that nearby Three Mile Island nuclear facility could be a target were frightening. But still, I wondered about Thomas.
That evening, my friend reported that Thomas was indeed at work that day, but had escaped the second tower before the plane hit. He spent the next several hours waiting for the ferry to reopen so that he could go home to New Jersey.
An Unlikely Decision
Thomas was the kind of kid that always followed the rules. I used to poke fun at his discipline back in high school (I was also a bit jealous).
He wanted to work in finance and live in New York City. He was willing to do the work to get there. After graduation, he attended a top university and made his way to an investment firm. That was no surprise to anyone that knew him.
The big surprise was his decision to follow his instincts on that fateful day. When the first plane hit, he was at work in the next building. An announcement told everyone to stay where they were. Sadly, history would prove that advice to be tragic.
Amazingly, the kid who never met a rule he didn’t like turned into a rebel. Something told him to run – and keep running. Years later, he told me got a few blocks away from the World Trade Center when the second plane hit. He kept going.
That unlikely decision saved his life. And it was the start of a completely new chapter.
Living Life to the Fullest
It’s no secret that life-altering events can change a person’s outlook. Thomas was proof that your life can take a 180° turn after an unspeakable moment such as 9/11.
He stayed with the investment firm for a short time in a makeshift office. But he soon left and started exploring. He worked at a call center. Then he came home and worked at a local department store. We ran into each other quite a bit during this time. He seemed restless and was looking for something different.
Once again, he threw us all a curveball by moving to the Middle East. He took a job with Emirates Airline and lived near (or in) Dubai. He also began traveling the world and seeking adventure.
Eventually, he ended up working at a travel company that scratched his itch. He led tours of remote places on multiple continents. These were not your typical tourist spots. His Facebook feed was full of photos in small African villages and sacred sites in Asia. The look on his face told us he was home – wherever that happened to be on a given day.
He also got married in a highly unusual ceremony. He and his bride-to-be tied the knot over an online video conference – a nod to the pandemic. They were in separate locations. How about that?
Although I hadn’t seen him in years, it felt like he was taking everyone along for his wild ride. It was easy to be happy for him, given all that he endured.
A Quiet Ending
Thomas survived, and even thrived, after an experience I can’t fathom. I know there was pain inside, and that he faced difficult moments. But I think he broke free from what had been holding him back.
I should also mention that his dad passed away while we were still in high school. I often wonder if that heightened his urgency to do something different. Life is too short to be bored, after all.
It turns out that he had one more surprise in store. He passed away last summer while still living in the Middle East. There was no obituary, just a brief Facebook post. No cause of death was given.
That same friend reported the news, bringing us full circle. It was devastating news.
The bright side is that Thomas spent the final two-plus decades of his life doing things his way. He saw the world, found a girl, and maybe found purpose.
Thankfully, 9/11 wasn’t the end for him. It was only the start of a great adventure.
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