Nearly a quarter of a century later, the horrific memories of Sept. 11, 2001, remain.
The fear of that day was one I had never felt before. Watching the news and hearing how innocent people went to work in the morning and didn’t make it home that night, because of terrorist attacks, left me shivering. That night, I remember hearing thunder, and I thought, “This is it.”
However, that day wasn’t it. America still stands today, and every 9/11, as well as the days in between, it’s important to remember those we lost. I was one of the fortunate who didn’t lose anyone close to me. However, among the victims were two of my former classmates, John Tipping and Joseph Perroncino. While I may not have known my former classmates well, I keep their names close to my heart.
Both Joseph and John were members of Hauppauge High School’s Class of 1986 on Long Island. As a shy girl, I didn’t talk to many people, especially boys, so unfortunately I don’t have too many stories to share.
Still, I remember seeing Joseph in the halls of Hauppauge’s middle and high schools, even though I don’t think he was in any of my classes. John and I attended Forest Brook Elementary School together, as well as the same middle and high schools. For me, he will always be that boy with a twinkle in his eyes. He always looked like he was full of life.
Since 2001, the Class of ’86 has had our 20th and 30th reunions, and next year we will celebrate our 40th. John and Joseph should have had the opportunity to attend all of them.
John, a firefighter with Manhattan’s Ladder Company 4, and Joseph, who worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, should be here today, posting life updates on Facebook, looking forward to their reunions, and most of all, enjoying life with their friends and families.
As I type this blog post, I am experiencing a whirlwind of feelings. At the same time, I know I will never come close to imagining what the family members of the victims have gone through.
Most of the time when I write or talk about 9/11 and my former classmates, I mention a dream I had, one that brought me comfort. I was standing with someone in the dream, and I saw John Tipping. I mentioned to the other person that John was a New York City firefighter, and I said something to the effect that we had to be respectful of him. John turned to me and said, “Rita, thanks, it’s okay.” I woke up with the dream fresh in my head, and the first thing I thought was that John said, “It’s okay.”
Whenever I have dreams such as this one, I want to believe it with every fiber of my being. I hope they all are more than okay, and I pray that their loved ones have found some comfort and peace in knowing that they will never be forgotten.
Rita's Rambling Road 