Everyone remembers where they were on that day. Less than two weeks prior to 9/11. I had just met my future to be wife. That evening we watched together as the enormity of the tragedy weighed down on the country. At the time she worked in a facility that was right next to SFO. Complete silence. It was so unreal.
The writers of the New York Times started publishing daily profile stories in the paper of the missing persons. Those that were most likely in the Trade Towers. If you have ever had the opportunity to visit New York City you know the people living there represent the world. It is truly an international city. The profile stories of the missing expressed that fact. All races, class, gender, age, and religion, Everyone!
I read them all. One in particular hit home. The story of Micheal Seamon. We were the same age. He had started, just on his own notion, at our age, to start training and participating in Triathlons. I myself had just completed my third marathon that year. Having started running marathons the year prior.
In 2003 the New York Times published the book, Portraits: 9/11/01: The Collected “Portraits of Grief” from The New York Times. My now wife purchased a copy for me. Over 1800 profile stories of those lost are in the book. So much loss. So much pain. The first story I looked for was that of Micheal Seamon.I had saved (still have) the newspaper clipping with his story.
Next Sunday (9/19/2021) I will be running my 21st consecutive San Francisco marathon. In November my 22nd consecutive Los Angeles Marathon. I’m squeezing in a Boston Virtual Marathon run between them and closing out the year with a 50K run in the Marin Headlands. I am so lucky. We are all so lucky. Life is so precious.
Reading Micheal Seamon story. He showed that we must live life to the fullest. Chase our dreams. Be not deterred by anything.
My wife and I have many “anniversaries’ ‘that we remember where we were. September 11th, 2001 is one of them. We have been together twenty years and I pray for another twenty together. God Bless the families of those lost during the 9/11 attacks. Those families losses are unimaginable.
