He was the office hothead. He often took it to laughable lengths. One incident in particular produced a permanent image in my mind.
It was a small, struggling company, and it was hard to start an advancement program. It was a technological company with no formal training and development. So I proposed to management a series of lunchtime training sessions organized by employees. We would bring our lunches to a conference room once a week and take turns teaching each other from books we bought together.
Eventually, management began showing some enthusiasm. They offered to buy our next set of books. They began buying lunch for those participating. That’s where my hotheaded friend came in. “Pizza!” he said in disgust. “Every damn week, Pizza! If they don’t give us something different, I’m not coming anymore.”
It was emblematic of his always-on-edge personality. Glass half shattered.
So when I showed up for work that day and was greeted by an especially sour welcome, it made me laugh. “You watch television this morning?” he asked. Nope. Then, shouting: “What the HELL is wrong with you?”
Then my smile was replaced by horror. Someone had rescued a training television from some training room. A tall building was burning. People were dying as we watched.
Future generations who watch replays of television coverage of September 11 destruction will never know how it really was to experience it for the first time.
Continue reading “9/11: Remembering Victims of Collective Hatred”