9/11/2006 Memorial Above NYC (5 year anniversary)

Today, on Saturday, September 10th, The Ohio State Buckeye Football team will take the field vs. Toledo with “9/11″ stickers on the backs of their helmets to honor the thousands of lives lost on that day, 10 years ago.

Where were you on 9/11/2001? You have to take a step back when looking at a Buckeye football program on Saturday morning when noticing the birth dates of most players. The incoming freshmen, for instance, were a mere 8 yrs of age when the two towers collapsed on that somber day in September, 10 years ago. Maybe they can remember how they felt, where they were, what they were doing when their school all-but-shut-down while everyone – teachers and students – stood, plastered to their television sets.

I remember just being hired out of college (at Ohio State, of course) for my first job. Being a financial advisor, I was told by those hiring me that this was “the best time to get into the business.” The market had been plunging for over a year & a half at the time and most analysts figured the bottom was any day around the corner. My employer at the time thought, “You guys coming into the field now – everyone you work with will be buying in, low…you’ll make everyone money and you’ll look like a hero.”

It wasn’t 2 months after being hired that Sept 11th came. I was up already and after the first plane hit, I was glued to the TV. The second hit as I watched and something in my gut told me that “this had to be a terrorist attack.” The next thing on my mind was the fact that, with such large planes (and fuel capacity) that hot fuel could potentially melt the support beams holding the buildings up. My wife (then girlfriend) were glued to the TV, watching all those brave men and women rush into the towers to help all they could reach safety on the ground….and we all know what happened next.

I’ve heard some folks complaining about all the 9/11 coverage this week on TV and it bothers me. I think you can skip a week of Modern Family or Jersey Shore. We need reminders like we’re seeing on primetime this next few days. We all forget too soon, the things that hurt us most, and I think we need a reality check from time to time – just to remind us of how mortal we are, who our friends are, and of course, knowing who our enemies are and what they still think of us today, even after killing so many people.

So, while we watch tomorrows shalacking of Toledo, let us not forget the men, women, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, and friends that were lost 10 years ago, Sunday.

GO BUCKS…