Where were you?

Where we were seemed to be the topic of almost all conversations yesterday. Especially in the industry I am in, the attacks of 9/11 are still very fresh in our minds. We think about it every time we go through security, and as we greet people on board our plane, seeing if there is anyone that is acting a little suspicious, and every time we have an Air Marshal on board, as seven years ago, there were none. There are many, many pilots and flight attendants who have various 9/11 stickers on flight backs, and I have talked to quite a few pilots who knew, flew with, or were even good friends with some of the pilots who were killed that day.

It was mostly business as usual for us yesterday, which is good. We do need to move on, as long as we don't forget our past. Security seemed heightened, but I guess that is never a bad thing. That morning is still very vivid in my mind, as I am sure that it is is most. My mom and I share that moment as we were in the car together as the news came down of the first tower falling. There is a lot of talk, especially with the Presidential Election right around the corner, about our continued presence in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East. I have great respect for all of our armed forces over there, and no matter what your view is on the war, I hope you all at least have the same respect for the men and women who are over there.

I am going to leave you today with an email from our CEO's daughter. Apparently she is a class president in high school and this is what she had written to say at her school's memorial and moment of silence:

"On the seemingly normal Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001, “our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack.” as President George Bush described it .Regardless of your politics, the attacks of September 11th were a defining moment in all of our lives. Our lives were forever changed by this defining moment in history. Today we are blessed to be able to look back on that day and have continued our lives safely and without another cowardly terrorist attack on our homeland. For this blessing, we have 1,000’s of American and international troops to thank as well as the ongoing vigilance of thousands of people here working to keep our country safe. We are incredibly fortunate to have such brave men and women fighting for and protecting our freedom. This day, seven years ago, an attempt to take away that freedom failed, but not without the heartbreaking cost of thousands of lives. Hundreds of widows live with the memories of their husbands, but an empty place around their dinner tables, hundreds of children live without a parent or without even knowing their mother or father. A hole was not only left in the ground in New York City’s financial district, many holes were left in the hearts of our fellow Americans, holes that even with time can never be filled. Regardless of your beliefs politically, it cannot be denied that to be an American is truly a privilege. The life we live and freedom we enjoy every single day is enviable. I ask you to take a moment of silence to honor the innocent men and women who sat behind their desks, or in their airplane seats just like on any other Tuesday morning and found themselves victims to an atrocious act of hate towards our country. Please honor those who were left behind on that Tuesday, and those who are left behind today as their loved ones display the ultimate act of patriotism as they fight for our freedom. And lastly, I ask you to take a moment of silence to pray for and to honor those who truly risk their every day to ensure our safety, the safety of those we love, and the safety of the ideals and freedoms that are America."