Greetings YC Friends and family-
Tomorrow will mark the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It is hard to process the time passed, lives lost, and how much life has changed in that time.
The news of that day twenty years unfolded in such an odd way. Listening to the news radio in as I went to get a van to bring a crew out to clear the Morris Canal towpath trail - I heard initial reports of an ‘event’ at the World Trade Center - and without too much detail, I dismissed it and went about assembling tools and gathering the crew.
We left for the worksite, listening still to the news. As we sat waiting for our van to be fueled, the realities of what was happening in New York and Washington began to bombard our senses. Still, we pressed on - committing to the work of the day.
By the time we arrived at the worksite, all our attention was held captive to the sounds of reports on the radio. There we sat in our van, transfixed and unable to tear ourselves away from the news, each person processing the events in their own way. Some CM’s were visibly upset, others silent and somber. The images burned in my memory from that day are seen through the rearview mirror of the van, as I watched the reactions of my CM’s faces as their world changed in an instant - mine too. Some CM were crying, others had their faces pressed to the glass of the windows, looking to the sky for planes. I could never let them know how terrified I was at the time.
Recognizing the threat we were facing, we made the decision to return to the office and send students home. Some stayed around the office, lingering - and because the nature of the internet at the time (we still had dial-up), and that we had no television to watch - we still listened to the radio - offering our own theories and speculation as to what was happening, what was to happen. We kept the office open until directed by the state office to close - and by 3:00 pm - I locked up and went home. It had been some 7 hours or so since the events unfolded - and I had not yet seen any imagery from the day’s events - while most of America had been watching since the beginning - and there I sat stunned and horrified staring at the TV throughout the night - wondering how we could ever resume some semblance of normalcy ever again.
“Service to a higher cause can do that for you. It feels like a duty to maintain this place for everyone - and in doing so, feels like healing.”
”
Over the next few days and weeks, I began to clip articles, save newspapers and assemble stories in what I can only imagine as some sort of traumatic response - clearly, I was having a hard time processing things - the lives lost, the first responders sacrificing themselves in service, the seemingly endless mosaics of pictures taped to chainlink fences of the missing, families seeking any word on their loved ones - it was all so desperate and tragic. However, there was a grace and comfort I felt by seeing the sense of community and closeness we all felt in those weeks and months after. Getting back to work gave us some sense of normal, a return to routine. It was in that return that conversations we held as to what we could do to help - and aside from the donations to first responders and publicly expressing our support for the families of victims, we were at a loss to how to cathartically work through our grief.
In the ensuing months, one of our worksite partners, the NJ Tree Foundation had put forth a concept of planting a tree for every NJ victim of the attacks in a living memorial called the Grove of Remembrance at Liberty State Park. Through the vision and leadership of Lisa Simms, NJTF Director - the grove could provide a public space for reflection. Situated directly west of the southern tip of Manhattan, Liberty State Park was uniquely situated to take in survivors and the injured and served as a staging area in the rescue and recovery mission. It is a place of great significance relative to 9/11.
The crew 18 years ago above, yesterdays crew below.
As part of an army of volunteers, NJYC of Phillipsburg was just one of many to participate in the planting and subsequent maintenance of the Grove - and we’ve been back many times over the years. Being on the eve of such a significant milestone, we felt compelled to revisit and serve for the day there. The work was confined to spreading mulch in the beds around the planting. Most, if not all of our CM’s were not even born at the time of the events, so while they do not have the emotional connection of having lived through the events we did, they can understand the meaning and significance of the memorials.
We marveled at the growth of the trees, reflected on the passing of time - and because of the lack of people around, felt a feeling of solemnity as we walked around and in the Empty Sky memorial - a first time for most CM’s - I even found myself getting choked up while talking to them - finding it hard to tamper down the emotions I was feeling talking about the events of that day.
What I did expressly feel was a sense of peace and comfort revisiting and working in this place - service to a higher cause can do that for you. It feels like a duty to maintain this place for everyone - and in doing so, serving feels like healing.
Since I served in AmeriCorps in 1998, I have been in the service of others. It is by far the most rewarding work I have done. Being in service to others is the mechanism that changed the course of my life, and filled me with gratitude - as service to others is its own reward. Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. Truer words for me, have never been spoken.
““The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”.”
So - as you take your moments to pause and reflect tomorrow - consider also taking time to serve others. I can personally attest to the powers of service to others- it is a humbling, emotionally fulfilling, and healing process. You won’t regret it - in fact, our community, country, and the world need it from you.
Yours in Service-
Michael
#9/11 #ServiceToOthers #AlwaysRemember
a video from our day of reflection and service at the Grove.