5 years ago today at 7:55AM CST, I was running through Love Field Airport in Dallas, TX trying desperately to make it to gate #5 in time to board an 8:10AM Southwest Airlines flight to San Antonio. I had only been with the company for a little over 2 months and this was my first official business trip, tagging along with a colleague down to San Antonio to “learn the ropes” while he installed some computer equipment at several retail stores in the area. As we reached the gate, we noticed a rather odd site on the TV. It was a live shot of what looked like the World Trade Center in New York with a headline across the bottom of the screen that read “Missile strike in New York City.” All the other passengers had already boarded the plane, so we just took a quick glance at the TV, but neither of us thought much of it. In hindsight, the small TV didn’t convey the magnitude or mystery of the damage that first plane caused.

We boarded the plane, took our seats, and for the next 55 minutes we were oblivious to what was going on outside. It was a completely normal flight. There were no unusual announcements from the pilot or flight attendants, and none of the passengers seemed to know what was happening in New York and Washington. As soon as we landed, people began to turn on their cell phones to check voicemails and make calls, and I heard one lady a couple rows in front of me gasp and say “oh my god.” It didn’t take long for word to spread throughout the plane about what had transpired while we were in the air. In the same way that the small TV back at the gate didn’t fully convey the damage to the north tower, hearing about what had happened second hand from a stranger didn’t have all that much of an effect on me at that moment. Before 9/11/2006, I think it was impossible for any of us to imagine that such a terrible thing could happen on American soil, especially places like New York City and the Pentagon. I had no idea how huge it was until we de-boarded the airplane and stepped out into the San Antonio International Airport terminal.

Absolute chaos. All flights had been canceled. Every single TV in the airport had hoards of people gathered around watching in horror. Some were crying while others just starred at the screen in disbelief. Almost everyone was talking on cell phones, and they were all having the same conversation. Up to this point, I had not yet heard the news about a plane hitting the Pentagon. We managed to work our way through the crowds and down to the ground transportation area. It was the first opportunity we had to get a good look at a TV. My stomach dropped to floor when I saw smoke billowing from the Pentagon and I instantly thought of my Aunt’s husband who works at the Pentagon. I will never forget how I felt at that moment. I also don’t think I’ll ever be able to accurately put it into words. It was like someone hit me in the back of the head with a brick. Concussed, I couldn’t hear anything but a loud ringing in my ears, and I couldn’t feel my arms and legs. I knew I was walking, but it felt like I was on one of those moving walkways. I immediately grabbed my cell phone and tried to call my mother, but the cellular network was busy. It would be 2 hours before I get a hold of her to ask about my Aunt’s husband.

Since all flights had been canceled, people were beginning to realize that the only way out of town would be via rental car. A mad dash to the rental cars quickly ensued. The crowds outside trying to catch a bus to the rental car facility were crazy. People were shouting and shoving one another out of the way trying to get on the busses, and we were somehow able to hop on an almost full one. When we arrived at the rental car depot, people were sprinting from the bus and laying claim to the closest vehicle they could find. We did the same and, luckily, found one of the last available cars.

We got into the car about 9:25AM, and turned on the radio just as the second tower collapsed. We didn’t know the first tower had fallen, and I hadn’t even considered the thought that the buildings might actually collapse. As I listened to the events unfolding on the radio, I felt so incredibly small and useless. We didn’t know what else to do, so we drove to the retail store and worked for the rest of the day. They had a small black and white TV at the store and we finally saw some footage of the carnage. It was completely unbelievable. I remember being so angry with the employees at that store because they were kind of laughing about the whole thing. I guess people dealt with it in their own ways…

We were stuck in SA-town for a couple of days and eventually had to drive back to Dallas in a rental car. Not so bad considering one colleague of ours was stranded in Washington State and had to drive all the way back to Dallas by himself.

My Aunt’s husband survived the attack on the Pentagon, although he lost a lot of friends that day. I had a chance to visit my Aunt and her husband in 2002, and he took us to the Pentagon as it was being rebuilt and told us about his incredible experiences that day – A riveting and heart-wrenching story.

It’s hard for me to believe that my son, Asher, will someday think of 9/11 like my generation thinks of Pearl Harbor. I’ve see images and video from Pearl Harbor, and I’ve even visited the memorial in person, but it just seems like the distant past. I wonder how Asher’s generation will view 9/11 and it’s impact on this country. Is American society already trivializing it by making big Hollywood movies about it? I don’t know. I do know that I’ll never forget MY experiences on that day. It serves as a constant reminder of how fragile life is and how the anger of just a few can take the lives of so many.