Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

Early on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was previewing a potential industrial site in Berryville, Ark. for a prospective project with my friend Steve Jones, who works at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. It was a beautiful morning on the outskirts of a quaint town tucked into the Ozark hills of northwest Arkansas. After meeting with a chamber representative on the site and conducting some due diligence, we proceeded to get in our car to leave. As we were leaving, our friend from Berryville flagged us down and encouraged us to tune into the radio - he thought there was some type of explosion in New York City.

As Steve and I traveled east on Highway 82, we listened intently to Peter Jennings as he attempted to gather all the horrifying reports of two planes crashing into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Interviews, police reports, casualties, sirens, fear, securing the president … then the news of the crash at the Pentagon, and again in Somerset County, Penn. The reports were saddening, splintered, corrected, and clarified as the day went on. 

Though especially preoccupied, Steve and I proceeded to preview other potential sites before heading south on Highway 65 to Little Rock later that afternoon. We listened to the car radio all day. We barely spoke to one another. We tried not to cry. And we could not wait to get home to hug our wives.

For my parents’ generation, “Where were you?” is related to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. For those a little younger, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. For my generation, the world stopped turning on Sept. 11, 2001.

In the days, weeks, and months that ensued, we learned of some of the most terrifying last moments of the lives of airplane crews and passengers, their “Let’s roll!” acts of bravery, and the unquestionable courage of military, police, fire, and EMT personnel who risked their lives or gave their lives for strangers.  Just 27 souls short of 3,000 persons were killed that September day, including 343 firefighters and 71 police officers. More than 3,000 children lost one parent or both, and more than 6,000 people suffered injuries.

Just like every other nation on the face of the earth since the dawning of creation, America is listed among the imperfect … and it always will be. But what brought us together 19 years ago was an immeasurable compassion for the hurting, a great appreciation for our first responders, support of our country’s leaders, more frequent bedside prayers, and a common inward pursuit of “looking at ourselves and what really matters.”  Where were you?