Sept 11, 2021

My phone rang, it was my girlfriend. What could she want? Did I forget something at home? It was 11:15, I just got back to my office and it was just another Tuesday like any other workday. 

When I heard her voice on the line I knew it would not be another day at work.

“Do you have a TV? I can’t believe it! Someone flew a plane into the World Trade Center! I, uh… I can’t believe it, where are you?!” Panic climbed as Bonny spoke on the other end of our connection. 

“Slow down honey, what are you talking about? A plane into the World Trade Center? How could that be?” I tried to wrap my head around what she was saying. 

“Yes it’s real, I can’t fucking believe it. Oh my god, the tower is falling!” She sobbed in disbelief.

I put the phone away from my ear and turned to Melody my assistant and asked her to find a radio station. We had no TV in my office. I was in Calgary and the world as I knew it had just changed forever in that moment of infamy.

“Honey do you need me to come home? I have a crew of workers downtown… I’m not sure what to do…” I found myself lost, searching for answers.

“The World Trade Center has been struck by a terrorist attack. Two planes have flown into the buildings. Also, reports have come out that the Pentagon has been hit as well.” The voice on the radio seemed in shock. Stunned, Mel and I looked a each other. 

“Cal! Are you there?” Bonny’s voice came from the phone that hung from my hand.

“Yes, babe I’m here. Just heard the news on the radio. Both towers…” I searched for words to say. “I have ten guys hanging on high-rises in downtown Calgary working right now. I think I should make sure they are alright, I think… Um, I don’t know what to think.”

“Yes you better make sure they are safe then come home, this is crazy. Talk soon.” And with that phone call, everything changed. 

I paced in the office with Mel, I turned to her and said, “Where is everyone? Who is on a high-rise right now? Should we shut them down? Is this an attack?” 

I paced across the room not sure what to do. It felt surreal. I wanted to find a TV and see the reality of it with my own eyes. How could such a thing happen? Two of the tallest buildings in the world flown into by airplanes? How, and mostly why?

Mel’s voice interrupted my stream of thoughts. “There are guys on Nova Tower and on Esso Plaza, Also Dave is doing 333, um I think Paul is just getting to Life plaza. Maybe you should tell them and see if they want to keep working…”

I walked toward my truck in the parking lot, turned around, and went back into the office. “Can you call the guys at Esso Plaza and Nova? I’m going to go to Life Plaza, Paul never has his phone on him. I think we should shut down today”

“Ok, be careful Cal.”

Be careful? What could happen? At that point, after what I had just heard, anything felt possible.

I drove toward the downtown core of Calgary. High-rises jutted toward the sky. I half expected to see planes circling the buildings. It was a dream state I entered driving toward the buildings. I decided the guys should go home, hanging on the side of buildings seemed like a bad idea that day.

Twenty years have passed by in a flash since that crazy September morning in 2001. The day terrorists hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A day that heroes and murderers were created. A day that changed the way people in the western world thought about security. The aftermath of those moments still reverberates across the world. 

It was less than two weeks ago that America and its allies left Afghanistan in defeat, billions of dollars poorer and many lives lost. And for what? Eventually, they got Osama bin Laden but was he the only criminal in this whole affair? 

Or was it the Bush’s? 

Or the entire American military-industrial complex?

There is so much tragedy and blame to go around.  It will never bring back the 2,996 lives lost that terrible day twenty years ago. 

I will never forget the panicked call that morning or the sickening feeling I had as I drove toward the downtown core of the city by the Bow River.

I hope those families and the souls lost that day have found peace with the passage of time.