Pinellas Realtors Remember 9-11

Pinellas Realtors go out on a limb:  We aren’t supposed to blog about things important to us if they offend some.  We aren’t supposed to have political views, religious beliefs or hate the color orange perhaps.  It’s the 8th anniversary of 9-11, and I don’t care if this blog post offends some.  I love my country and I’m not afraid to say so.

On 9/11/01, I was on a 6:00 AM United Airlines flight from Oakland, California to Denver, Colorado, for a shareholder’s meeting for the Real Estate Investment Trust that I worked for at the time, when the pilot announced that there were 3 simultaneous hijackings taking place, and that one of the World Trade Centers had been “blown up”, but had no further details. 

It was a surreal and scary moment - I tried to tune into the pilot’s station with those cheap head phones they give you.  Instead, I got Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”.  I hadn’t even had my coffee.   

My boss, Anne, and I, ended up hitch hiking back from Las Vegas, where we did an emergency landing with two very unusual characters.  A business man and a hippie.  We traveled through Yosemite, where my husband, Matt, and I, had been camping, hiking and fishing just the month before.  A day I’ll never forget.  It’s a small, inconsequential story for most, yet I have to share that I’m grateful for it, and those that gave their lives that day, to save others. 

We got home 9 hours later, and saw the pictures, and heard the news (they weren’t announcing on the radio about the plane crashes).  Horrific.   As it was for all of us.  

What do I miss from that time?  The unity that the country experienced after the attacks on the world trace center.

The Upside of 9-11 for us?  It was that day, a pivotal moment in our lives, that we decided to live differently.  We gave up the big salary commercial real estate develpment/aquisition/construction jobs that had us traveling the US like maniacs.  We took time off, did hot Bikram yoga, went to Paris, Monaco, Lago Migorre in Italy (we were the only guests on a quaint island with about 100 cats), and about a half dozen other memorable places.   Then, we had our son.  We moved to Palm Harbor Florida and made the commitment to work for ourselves again, as Pinellas Realtors with Keller Williams Realty Clearwater Florida, that love this country, and love helping people.  The upside of tragedy is that it can be much needed kick in the rear. 

Have we forgotten?  I hope not.

What are your stories?  Thoughts?  What have you done, or what would you like to do, differently?   Subscribe to The Pinellas Peach.  Share.  We’d love to hear your story.