Attacks that still Affect the World a Quarter of a Century Later
We Will Always Remember the 11th of September
Alexandra Morar
Cook’s comment of the 9/11 attack is quite common, and from a first glance, one may predict he is depicting a wonderful wedding day or even sunny vacation scene. Little did New York City residents know at the time that this “perfect day” was by no means an accurate foretelling of the events to come.
Three years ago, I visited the Pentagon for its 9/11 Remembrance Day event. As a teacher, I led a class field trip to the monument. Never visiting before, I was impressed by the candles at each name spot. Flowers were laid across as well. Fountains of water also beautifully decorated each name site.
Photos taken at the Pentagon 9-11-2023
Photo creds: Alexandra Morar
Today, this is the first time since then I am back in the United States for Patriot Day. Being abroad during this time for the past two years, it is easy to forget about day’s tragic past and continue living a normal life. Afterall, I was only one-year old when the attack occurred, so I have no recollection of the event.
Despite my young age, I do understand the pain my country felt and the significance of the terrorist attack. Years of school assemblies and guest speakers made it prevalent to how horrific and devastating that day became. Growing up during the War on Terrorism also reinforced its reality.
This morning, as I sip my coffee preparing to teach rowdy middle schoolers, I am reflecting on how our world is today because of that horrific day. I have no idea what the U.S. looked like 25 years ago; I do not know my country before the threat of terrorism.
As I travel in airports, I frequent the pain of long TSA lines; or squeezing my belongings into a bag; chugging my water bottle as I forgot to empty it. Despite these annoying tasks, I am forever grateful for the extended safety protocols worldwide.
In honor of all of the heroes that fought so courageously as they ran into the fires, rushed to save lives, attacked their plane attackers on board to save others, or guided others out of a tower they knew they themselves could not escape, I encourage everyone to take today to reflect on their sacrifices. Any of us could have been in those towers that day, or had a plane crash near us. While 25 years seems like a long time, that is 25 years their families have had to live without them. Today let us remember those that did not have a choice, or chose to lose their lives in exchange to save and protect others.
Here is Randall David Cook’s Retelling of his Experience on Sept. 11th, 2001
“I’ve lived in New York long enough to be entrenched in the city,” Cook explained.
At the time of the 9/11 attacks, Cook had lived in New York City for five years. He served as an Interactive Content Manager with the financial planning website, Thompson Reuters.
“It was a beautiful, beautiful day,” he said. “I woke up really early, like 5:00 in the morning with this terrible feeling … This terrible terrible, awful feeling, this gut feeling I could not shake and I could not get back to sleep. Since I couldn’t sleep, why not just go to work early?”
Cook explained that he normally was never at work that early in the day.
“ Usually I didn't go to work till noon,” he said. “ I actually, I don't think I had ever been to the office that early, ever.”
As Cook reflects on the day, he often wonders if there was some form of divine intervention to ensure he was there to watch.
“I often wonder … was I called to witness this? I think so,” Cook said. “I do believe there is some greater entity, some greater power.”
The Events Unfolding
Randall in NYC with his dog
Cook mentioned in the interview how Thompson Reuters had a branch located in the World Trade Center. Everyone in that company branch was killed that day.
“That could easily have been me,” he said.
Despite the initial shock factor of the event, Cook took time to honor the victims and really reflect on life.
“I remember, once the buildings had been hit,” Cook said. “I knew there were thousands of people having their last moments of life, and out of respect, as the buildings fell, I waited to go home.”
Cook noted that there was a sense of panic even after the event as residents began walking home. As rumors floated around, no one was entirely sure whether or not they could safely return home.
“We all thought it was an accident. It was weird when the first plane hit. It was all in a quizzical sense- it was a clear day so how could this happen?” Cook said. ‘We also started hearing all these rumors. It was absolutely chaotic. I was hearing that bridges into the city were being bombed and destroyed. I was hearing questions like, “Is it safe to leave the building I was in to go home?" Because if we're being attacked, are poisonous gases being left in the street? Some of it sounds crazy now, but we, we just didn't know. There was no information.’
In the aftermath of the towers’ collapse, the entire city mourned. The whole city seemed to be speechless wondering what had just occurred.
“The city was stunned silent,” he said. “There was an absolute numbness to the city.”
As Cook walked home, everything seemed quiet and still. Debris and smoke rose in the air, so much that some individuals were covered in it.
“There was a man in front of me walking home, he was older, had gray hair, gray suit, or so I thought,” Cook said. “And as I passed him, I realized he was actually quite young, that suit wasn’t gray, he was just covered head to foot in dust and debris.”
Throughout the next few days, smoke and chemicals lingered in the air.
“The smell- there was a chemical smell,” Cook said. “You couldn’t escape it.”
How Cook’s Life Changed, and Yours Can, Too
‘There’s a randomness in that- I thought, “okay this could have been you, because there are people from your company who are in there, and I thought, so if this is the last day of your life, as it is for so many people right now, would you be satisfied with your life?” And then I realized I had to make major changes, and I did within months, completely overhauled my life actually.’
Cook was in his early thirties at the time of the attacks, and was not satisfied with his role in corporate America. In the interview, he even admitted to hating his job. When the opportunity rose, he left and pursued his dream.
“I knew I need to leave that company and corporate life,” he said. “There was basically a voluntarily resignation, and I said yes. My last time working for that company was December of 2001.”
Earlier in 2001, Cook already began writing plays. In fact, he had scheduled a play opening later that month.
”Well, crazily enough, I had a play open in New York a week after 9/11. And that was really strange 'cause we weren't sure if we should,” he said. ‘But then, at the time, our esteemed Mayor May- Rudy Giuliani asked all the theaters to reopen. He goes, “People need you to distract them, to survive. So you know, do not let them, do not let them take away all joy from us.”’
The performance revolved around a dark, Southern, Gothic piece. Cook views the tone of his play as meeting the tone of the city at the time.
Today, Cook continues to persevere in living out his dream as a playwright, and has even had one of his own shows be performed in the Falken Islands.
“I do feel a little guilty for having this personal epiphany while all these people were suffering and dying,” Cook said in the interview. “It was a signal, a reminder… and I think a lot of people, at times, we do need to reevaluate our lives and what we’re doing with them.”
Cook can serve as an example to us all- to recognize life’s finite existence. As tomorrow is not a guarantee, one should make the most of today.
“We all hope we make it to a certain age, but there are no guarantees with that,” he said.
Uniting the 50 States, and Would it Happen Today?
“It did bring the city together, and I think it brought a lot of the country together,” Cook said.
Cook expressed the sense of oneness behind New Yorkers as they recovered from the tragedy, a sense of unity that is still seen today in the city.
“I think the city as a whole is less divided than most of the country in many ways, because we’re so diverse,” he said. “The huge range of languages and cultures and races, it requires New Yorkers to get along with people who are not like themselves. So, I think New York city residents are much more equipped to deal with “other-ness” than almost everywhere else in the country, and possibly the world, because we are one of the most diverse places in the world. I think the city would come together, but I’m not sure it would bring the country together.”
However, Cook does not quite apply this hopeful attitude of unity to the rest of the United States.
“I do wonder if that were to happen today, would that bring us together?” he said. “I don’t necessarily think so, believe it or not. I think we’re so divided now. That’s the biggest change, right? Almost 25 years along, and the country’s not quite what it was, which is very sad.”
Between all of the political tensions in the past decade, and even with events such as the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Cook believes politics and misunderstandings have divided the nation so much, it does not encourage nationwide support.
“The question is, why must we criticize everything? Why can’t we take the more humanistic view?” Cook said