How a Cardboard Box Pays Tribute to 9/11

Six days after my 26th birthday, and 14 years ago tomorrow, Mom awoke me at 8:49 a.m. and said to turn on the TV. She said an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center.

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My ears perked. I turned down the prospect of sleeping to watch CNN.

Six days after my 26th birthday, and 14 years ago tomorrow, Mom awoke me at 8:49 a.m. and said to turn on the TV. She said an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center.

My ears perked. I turned down the prospect of sleeping to watch CNN.

Remembering 9/11. I don’t need to tell you my eyes were glued to that TV the rest of the morning. I channel surfed to gain different camera angles and unedited commentaries. I was addicted.

As the FBI investigated leads across the country, I remembered visiting those cities during a 24,000-mile roadtrip that ended a week earlier. Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sacramento, Boston. When the feds thought terrorists boarded a ferry from Nova Scotia to Maine a week before 9/11, I shuddered that they could have been on my ferry!

People bought American flags and patriotism ran amok.

I repeated that experience when I discovered the 9/11 Television News Archive.

The archive contains 3,000 hours of domestic and international news coverage from 20 channels over seven days beginning on September 11, 2001. It launched for the 10-year anniversary. It’s surreal.

I didn’t know if I should write something about 9/11. But, remembering the day is about the dreams we share and the tenderness of life.

Maybe we need videos like this one about a cardboard box to reflect about our mortality.