Some one please call 911
Remembering 911
Larry king immortalized the question
Where were you on 9/11
What a morning
Yes …………even for us jersey folk
Were traumatized on that day
I had two kids my daughter and my adopted
Son James
Who had just started college in New York
and had left for school not that long ago
going through the world trade center
not too long before it happened
So here were are
The plane hit the trade center
I was asleep
My father Deacon Sampson called
And asked me
Where is Lauren
What dad
Where is Lauren
Right now
I said on her way to school
He lost it
I sat up in the bed
Dad then said Kevin cut on the news
Cut on the television
I saw what we all saw
My heart dropped to my knees
I thought I was going to faint
Anyway the phone calls started
None of my kids had cell phones
My daughters best friend's mother
Lorraine called
Her daughter was in New York
In school too.
She was in a total panic
What did I do next?
I went to my closet and dug out my old police uniforms
I tried to put on the pants
But they would no longer bend
To the new ways of my body
But the jacket did fit
Like a bib……….but I could get it on
Then I went and found all of my guns
Two pistols, a rifle and two shot guns
I laid them on my bed and loaded them up for bear
I figured we were under attack
I ran downstairs and found my Italian brother Ron
And together we stood out side and watched war planes fly over head
Angry crying stunned
But patriots who were ready for war
We were convinced
No we were set
If we were under attack
Then when these bastards
Who ever they were
Came into Newark
It was war
I picked out my sniper position
I am serious
No one came
Then I spent the rest of the day finding my kids
Drinking coffee and gravitating between crying
And anger
My anger at 911 lasted more than a year
It took me a year to see the sight itself
Because I was still so angry
I still get angry and sad when I go to the site
It still takes my breath away
Anyway
My kids were found and they went to my gallery
Saw Shari and she got them home
And the anger stayed
As it did with many of us for so long
And one day
It left mostly
And like every one else
I tried to concentrate on the beauty of those people
Who stood with signs on Westside highway
Applauding the volunteers and fireman
Then I remember the pride I felt in being a police man
How proud I was of my brothers
How proud I was of America and the way we could be
We saw the best of America in those days
And then after we saw the worst
It funny I was in my dollar store today
And I was speaking with a Muslim friend
From Pakistan A young lady
Beautiful refined lovely person
I mentioned that my daughter had just moved
To South Orange and of how nice every one was there
She looked at me and said I don’t like South Orange
And I was shocked I said why
She said they don’t like people like me there
They stare and mumble things
She went on to talk about the guys that call her
Names like whore and terrorist
With tears in her eyes
And of the problems she faces every day as a Muslim
And then it all can full circle
And in my remembrance of 911
I had to link some of it
To the effects of it
Don’t get me wrong
I am still a bit angry about 911
But I am also angry
About any one
Any where that attacks another for no reason
So how far have we come
I went on to tell this young girl
About the white only signs that I saw in my youth
About how it is still real funny being a black man
In America
About Even in the neighborhood that I love
I am still often viewed as the other
And I think I made her feel better
To know she was not alone
And then I mentioned Obama
And her eyes lit up
And she said
Yes there is hope
And I said
Yes we can
And we both laughed
and I walked on home
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