Lest we forget…

I know that this blog is about hot stuff but today is the eighth anniversary of the September 11th World Trade Center disaster in New York City. On that date, about 3,000 people civilians, rescue workers and firemen lost their lives in one of the most shocking occurences in the World’s history.

On that date, I was still in my previous career as a financial advisor. I had gotten up to get my children off to school but felt ill, so rather than turning on my computer, as usual, I simply went back to bed. I finally got back up, at about 10:30 and turned on the computer while I poured my coffee. The headline on my Yahoo! Newsfeed read “Mayor Giuliani closes Manhattan”.

Unlike many that morning, I was in the untenable position of having no idea what had occured in the previous hour and 45 minutes and was stunned by the headline. I walked over to the tv and turned it on to see the newsfeed of the two towers ablaze. Within a minute, I heard about the attack on the pentagon. I cannot suggest that it might have been easier to hear the news of each attack one by one, but I can tell you that nothing in my life was more shocking than getting all of that news at one time, that morning.

I am writing this note, today, because I lost about 200 acquaintances and business colleagues during that attack on the World Trade Center and because I am not alone. Our hot Zone friends, hot pepper purveyor Jim Campbell and Hot Sauce maker John ‘CaJohn’ Hard as firemen both lost many colleagues or brothers-in-arms on that fateful day. Were those firemen here, today, they would tell you that they were simply doing their job; that they were not heroes. But to me, they are. Many people survived that day solely because of the actions of the rescue workers and firemen.

A website has been set up to memorialize the victims and gives the opportunity for anyone and everyone to post their thoughts and memorial of their loved one. It is titled, 9-11heroes.us If you knew anyone who perished in that incident, you can leave a memorial for them by clicking their name in the list. If you didn’t know anyone, it is a heart-wrenching exercise to read who they were and what they meant to those of us left behind.

So, in full Hot Zone Online fashion. I’ll ask you all to remember the loss of lives and think positive healing thoughts for the friends and families of those victims. And when next you see a fireman, say a special thank you to him or her. Firemen, I believe don’t get near enough credit for what they do and on this day, they deserve it more than any other.

So today, I salute Jim Campbell and John ‘CaJohn’ Hard for their efforts, both past and present as firemen and raise a toast to firemen everywhere.

Thank you all.