The Unknown Man

It is still an image I can't put out of my mind. The man was looking out of the building for help. The fire was above him. The panic below him. Who knows if he knew he was going to die soon... It was that day we all remember-- our day of infamy-- 9/11. In the next few months , we will  see the stories detailing the event because we are coming upon the 10th anniversary of that day. Everyone has their moments that are seared into your mind. Mine is that man. I suppose it is natural to wonder what it must have been like for the victims. We do that with all tragedies. He seemed young, maybe, in his twenties, starting a career. Beyond that I do not know anything else about him. But, what made him so poignant for me was the sense of waiting for help that never arrived. There were more people like him in those buildings that day, but, he is the one who stood out for me. Because that could have been me... And, it could have been you. He was, and is, nameless. Who knows if his body was ever identified? Who knows if he was a hero at the end? His story will never be told in the retrospectives, but, it is the story of all of them. Innocent victims trying to live their lives like the rest of us. He was somebody's son, lover, best friend, brother, etc... He knew love and good times. He planned for a future that was not to be. And, if he knew who had attacked them in the buildings, he wondered what we all do, ''How can human beings do this to each other?'' It is the unanswerable question... A year later, there was an article in the Chicago Tribune with a Mother and Father who had lost a son in the buildings. His body was never found, but, there was a picture of a man hanging out of the building. The parents seemed to think it was their son, but, they weren't sure. It was the man I saw that day, I believe. I wish I could remember the family name, but, in a way, its best I don't. The victims are everybody's son... Now, with the death of Bin Laden there was a lot of celebrating. People jumped and whooped in the streets like the Bulls had won a championship. I didn't find that sort of thought process appealing to me. Yes, I am glad that the son of a bitch got his comeuppance.  But, the revenge factor long ago went away. That night I shut the t.v. and said a prayer for all of his victims. Then, I turned off my light and tried to sleep. There was no immediate drop off, I was thinking about the man in the building. I hope he and the other victims that day have a little more peace now.