Osama bin Laden’s Death Conjures Up Memories of 9/11

September 11, 2001 started like any other day for me. I worked for Ford Motor Company as a Legal Analyst and I was anticipating my case load for the day. I turned to Good Morning America to watch my favorite anchor Diane Sawyer deliver the news in her calm and soothing way. I heard her mention that she is waiting on more news of the plane that just collided into one of the World Trade Center Towers. My back was to the television as I was ironing. As I got dressed, I watched Diane gasp as she witnessed the second plane fly into the towers.  Ok that is weird, I thought, but I had to rush out of the house to get to work on time.

As I drove in to work I wondered if my sister, who lived in Bergenfield, NJ  but worked in the Bronx, had heard about the plane crash. We routinely called each other to discuss the latest media speculations about our perspective cities, we laugh at how the media usually gets it wrong.  I was hoping this was the case this time too. My Brother-in-Law worked on Wall Street, his subway stop was underneath one of the towers.  I wondered if he heard about the crash , he should have been on his way to the city by then.

I finally got to work and got a frantic call from my sister. There was mass hysteria in NY, the towers had fallen and she hadn’t heard from my Brother-in-Law. I began to sob as I ran to the conference room and turned back to Good Morning America, I needed to hear Diane’s calming voice reassuring me that everyone was ok, that it can’t be as bad as my sister thinks. Diane sat somber as she tried to relay what was happening, trying to hold it together for the nation. My sister and I sat silent as we watched for some news. All of a sudden the line went dead. I called back several times and couldn’t get through.

Ford decided to close the office so we could contact our loved ones and process what happened. We all hugged each other and left. I was still trying to call my sister as I raced to the car. I had no idea why I ran to the car or where I was going. I felt so helpless, my family was hundreds of miles away and I couldn’t do anything to help them. All of a sudden the phone rang, my sister was on the other end saying she heard from my Brother-in-Law and he was ok, shaken but ok. He walked from NY to NJ basically. I later learned he didn’t get home until well into the night. If it had been September 10, my sister and niece would have been in the Towers for a doctors appointment, the idea of that is too much to take.

September 15, I was on a plane to NY. I needed to see them, as my mother would say, I have to “lay my eyes on you” so I know you are ok for sure.  As I rode from the airport on the way to the house I saw across the water the ruins of the towers still smoldering. I wanted to go to ground zero to see for myself, my sister told me that they weren’t letting people that close. My Brother-in-Law didn’t seem the same when I saw him. He never really spoke about it. I knew it was too much to speak about, I wasn’t even sure I was ready to hear it.

I managed to get to Times Square during my visit. I didn’t know what to expect but what I saw I was not prepared for: Hundreds and hundreds of photos and posters of loved ones that were missing plastered on every surface possible. I stood there reading and studying them, moved by the passionate pleas, hoping that I could recognize someone in the crowd from one of the posters I saw.

As I walked the streets there was a connection that I never felt before to the people in the city. Usually when I visited, you really felt like your own island, everyone around you had their own agenda, their own space. This time there was random acts of kindness everywhere I looked, people acknowledged you with a smile or slight pat on the arm. You just felt that recovery was on the way. But how long would it take?  How long would they have the posters affixed to the light pole in Times Square? When would they ceremoniously take the pictures down knowing their loved one wasn’t coming home?

We soon had a name and a face responsible for our pain, Osama bin Laden. 10 long years later he was finally taken down by Navy Seals, the attack authorized by President Barack Obama.  His death means that he himself will no longer order the murder of innocent people. Unfortunately, his ideology did not die with him.  A former facebook friend posted a picture of a headshot of a murder victim with Obama’s face super imposed. His description was just “HAHAHAHA”, I looked for him again to report it but it looked like someone beat me to it. That image shocked me to the core.

Although the majority of the world rejoices in his death, I can’t. I wanted some other form of justice, a gunshot or 2 to the head seems swift and what I am sure he preferred rather than be in the hands of the enemy. Nothing really would ever be enough I guess.

I am actually more afraid now than before, not knowing who will seek vengeance on bin Laden’s behalf. For so long he was the face of evil, now that face is not so clear.

Features Editor, Cassandra Jones-McBryde -- Daily Venus Diva.

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Cassandra Jones-McBryde serves as Features Editor for Daily Venus Diva. She is US Director of the Fuller Women Expo, responsible for bringing together a number of outstanding local and international speakers and celebrities, seminars and workshops that attract attendees, sponsors, vendors and exhibitors from throughout North America. She also the Founder of The Fuller Woman Network which is a network of women from across the world who share our mission of self-love. Cassandra is also the co-founder and C.E.O. Pretty Girl Project, a non profit organization that helps girls realize their inner and outer beauty during critical stages of development. This is achieved by various initiatives and programs developed throughout the year. Where Are You From: I was born and raised proudly in Detroit. What were you doing before writing for DailyVenusDiva.com: I had written for a few independent online magazines until being blessed with being on the Daily Venus Diva team. What do you do for DailyVenusDiva.com: As Features Editor, I will bring news and information that resonates with our readers that effects various aspects of our lives. What does it mean to Thrive In Your Curves: It means to live unashamed of how we look, to learn not let our curves limit or dictate our destiny What is your favorite hobby: My favorite hobbies are creating initiatives that are geared to serving my community and volunteering for the same. That takes up most of my time. What is in your future: I don’t try to predict the future. I try to let God order my steps. What’s so special about DailyVenusDiva.com: A better question is what isn’t special about it! You will be hard pressed to find a site that caters to every aspect of women, that just happens to have more to love. I feel privileged to be a part of such an impactful group of women.