A Day to Remember: Reflecting and Uniting
PRSA NCC Community,
Today is not an easy day.
I was 17 years old on September 11, 2001. I was living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It was early in the morning at school; people were talking about it, but I still wasn’t quite sure the epic proportion. We happened to have a cross-country meet, it was not cancelled, so our team bus took the 45-minute drive. I ran 3.2 miles, took first place, but instead of taking the school bus home, I decided to go home with my mom, my aunt and cousins. I remember the long lines at gas stations, and the feeling that something was very wrong, even though so much was still unknown.
On the 45-minute drive home, we stopped at McDonald’s. Still trying to make sense of the day in the only way a 17-year-old knows how, I jokingly told the person taking my order that I wanted the biggest, fattest ice cream cone they had because I had just run 3.1 miles in 19 minutes (and I kind of thought the world was coming to an end).
I was scared. I just didn’t yet know how to process uncertainty.
Fast forward to graduate school, September 11 eventually shaped my doctoral research, and years later, when I started my first tenure-track faculty position at 27, one of the first-day introduction prompts was: Where were you on 9/11? In hindsight, probably a terrible question! But it was something that resonated with everyone in different ways. I have long ago stopped asking that question, because my students don’t remember, and now they were not born, and I still think it was probably a bad idea. I’d like to add, I also asked them who they think the greatest basketball player of all time is, Michael Jordan or Lebron James! Another dated question, that I still ask only the sports fanatics.
Another memory that I have, is that there were no sports, ESPN was almost still, yet the first game played after the pause never had the Star – Bangle banner brought more people to tears and unity.
We all carry our own memories of 9/11. Some are vivid. Some are painful. Some are complicated. And for far too many people, those memories include profound loss and trauma.
What I remember most, though, is how our country came together. In my lifetime, I don’t remember another moment when there was such a strong sense of connection, country, and pride. People stepped up. Heroes emerged. Organizations mobilized. And everyday people helped one another.
I’ve visited the 9/11 Memorial, and the experience was heavy. Heavy is hard. Sometimes you have to sit in the suck. But there are resources to help.
I know this day isn’t easy. For those who were directly impacted, it can be unbearable. It’s okay not to be okay. As we mark 25 years since September 11, I want our PRSA NCC community to know: we see you, we support you, and you don’t have to navigate difficult memories alone. There are resources available, and there are ways to talk with children about this day and its history.
- Voices Center for Resilience (VOICES): https://voicescenter.org/support/911-victims-families
- World Trade Center Health Program: https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/
- HAVEN of Northern Virginia: https://havenofnova.org/
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or use online chat, https://988lifeline.org/
- SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: Call or text 1-800-985-5990, https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/disaster-distress-helpline
- VA National Center for PTSD: Trauma Reminders — Anniversaries: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/what/anniversary_reactions.asp
And here in Washington, D.C., the Pentagon, and the heart of our nation’s capital, remind us that September 11 isn’t simply something we remember, it’s personal. It is something that shaped all of us in different ways. Here are ways to get involved in DC today:
Today, we remember the lives lost, the people who served, the families who carried on, and the remarkable way people came together when we needed one another most.
Take care of yourselves and each other.
Patricia
President, PRSA National Capital Chapter