Where were you 10 years ago?

On September 11th, 2001

A day that will forever live in infamy

That day found me about a month into my MBA program at Emory University

In Atlanta, Georgia.

It was a time of great excitement -

as I was enjoying being in school again
After four years working as an I.T. analyst.

(I’m never wearing a pager again for ANYTHING! LOL!)

I’d found my way out of that career path
And started on a new one.

I was studying Marketing in Business School.

Just as in my undergrad experience at Morehouse College,
I came in under the mistaken impression that
I was kind of a big deal.
LOL!

I say that only with hindsight now.

I was never every cocky. That’s not who I am.

But I certainly did have an assurance that
I could hold my own in any arena.

Ha ha!

It was like being thrown into the deep end of the ocean
Surrounded by synchronized swimmers
who looked on sympathetically as I floundered.

That’s the great thing about growth experiences though.

You find out that you’re out of your depth…

But, not having a choice, you step up.
You grow up.
You grow IN, is probably more appropriate.
Into the shoes you need to fill,
Into the person you need to be.

Business school at Emory was that kind of growth experience for me.

A month in, I realized that everyone walking the halls
was as smart as me
and in many cases A WHOLE WHOLE WHOLE LOT SMARTER than me.

But I also realized that

Not giving up,

Not giving in,

Making friends, and actively asking THEM for help,

Making new friends, and actively helping THEM where I could,

(I think I drove 3 different classmates
who didn’t have cars to go mattress shopping…
What a specialty… LOL!)

Yeah.

Doing that stuff…

Allowed me to at least tread water.

Hey – I was happy to manage that.

I knew that eventually,

Eventually,

I would get it together.

I was on campus at Emory University

When the news came streaming in.

Students from all around the world

gathered around the campus TVs in stunned disbelief.

Cell phones came out,

As did fear
Grief
and the kindness of strangers.

We all know the details of what happened on 9/11

We all remember where we were on 9/11

And we all remember

Never to forget.

I’m grateful for all the heroes who looked out for others

On that day,

And in the days, weeks, months afterward.

We pulled together

We helped, and asked for help,

We didn’t know how we would make it

We simply knew that we would.

May God comfort everyone

who lost someone on that day.
Today must be hard for them.

May God bless each and every one of us,

And help us to forgive, but not forget.

May those of us fortunate enough

to be around and kicking
10 years later

Take some quiet time to figure out

How we have made a difference
in the past 10 years

And how we can best make a difference,
if we’re gifted the next 10 years.

Where were you on 9/11?

Please share your thoughts.

In gratitude,

Bolaji.