(NOTE: On 9/11, I post my recollection of that terrible day before paying my respects for the lives lost by listening to every name of the victims during the 9/11 service. As years pass, I re-write and add new memories to the annual post, and this year is no different.)

September 11, 2001, is a day that many residents of Danbury—and the nation—will never forget.

I remember that morning as if it were yesterday. I woke up, made my usual cup of coffee, and stepped outside onto my porch at my lake house in Sandy Hook, where I saw the most vivid and beautiful blue sky I had ever seen. As always, I was running behind schedule and scrambling to get ready for work, but thankfully, I lived close to my job at the time.
As I ironed my clothes, I tried to catch up on the news by flipping between ABC and NBC. I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of my colleagues at work laughing when I walked into the office late again, especially since I had told them I would be on time today.

I can clearly remember reaching for the remote control and pressing the power button when it was announced that "something" had struck one of the World Trade Center towers. At the time, I didn't think much of it, as it seemed unfathomable that someone would deliberately fly an airliner into one of the tallest buildings in the country.
While driving to work, I usually listen to The Howard Stern Show in the morning. However, that morning I tuned into 1010 WINS to find out more information about the accident at the World Trade Center. It was then that I first learned something serious had happened, as a reporter announced witnessing a second plane hit the tower. By the time I arrived at my job, the reality of the situation had already sunk in—the country was under attack.

As I walked into the office, where I worked for a book publishing company, I was greeted by complete chaos. The internet had shut down entirely, as the World Trade Center was a major hub for communications. People were frantically using their cell phones to try to reach friends and loved ones who worked in the city. With no way to access information other than the radio—since we didn't have any TVs in the building—many employees resorted to running outside to get news reports from car radios.

I remember when I first learned about the major explosion at the first tower. My heart sank as I realized that a friend of mine sometimes worked at the World Trade Center. My friends were frantically trying to reach him for hours, but there was no response; he had a young son and was expecting a daughter. I remember the horrible feeling of emptiness that comes with the loss of someone close to you. In the office, my colleagues moved about in a state of disbelief, as many of them knew someone who worked in that section of Manhattan.

As the day progressed, we were overwhelmed with countless false reports and rumors. Frustrated, I thought to myself, "To hell with this," and decided to pack up my things and leave work. There was no reason to stay, especially since most of the publishing industry is located in the lower part of New York City—a area now engulfed in a cloud of dust. My mind was occupied with thoughts of my friend, as I still didn't know if he was alive, lost, or dead.

Looking for any information—since we had no televisions and very limited internet access at work—I pulled over to the first bar I could find. A bar had two things I needed: a television and beer. It was there that I witnessed, for the first time, what I had only heard about on the radio, which made the situation even worse. The only bright spot of that day was the phone call I received, informing me that my friend who worked in the towers didn't have to be in the city that day. However, he lost many colleagues who never made it out of the building.

As the days pass, I can't shake the memories of scores of first responders and construction workers in the area who traveled to the site around the clock, sifting through the rubble looking for survivors. The dust on their bodies and the look of despair in their eyes are images I'll never forget.

A few weeks after the event, a group of friends and I decided to take a late-night drive into the city to see the site ourselves. My friend, who knew the city well, managed to get us within a couple of blocks of Ground Zero. The best way to describe what we saw was that the entire area looked like an apocalyptic scene, with shattered glass and papers from missing loved ones scattered everywhere. The sight of the towers and the smell of the smoldering destruction are experiences that are etched in my memory. That was a brief overview of my strongest memories from that day, and to be honest, I'm not sure why I'm writing this.

Perhaps it's because the memory of that day is still vivid in my mind as I watch the memorial service.

Or maybe it’s because that moment was a turning point in my life when I chose to become more politically active.

Or maybe I wanted to share my feelings with someone who is experiencing those same emotions right now. America before the events of 9/11 feels like an alternate reality to me.

I know in my heart that I will never forget the events of that horrific day for the country and the world. My heart will always go out to all those who lost a loved one on that tragic day in our nation's history, as well as to the first responders who are still suffering from the consequences of that tragedy today.