Twenty three years later still remains a very tough day for many. I have written about our experience that day at the USTA, and linked to the story that we played here, with both the positive and the negative.
We lost 39 from Fordham and 26 from my high school Xaverian as well as so many others from our communities. My very personal losses included Carl Flickinger, who sat two seats behind me for 4 yrs. at Xaverian, Gigi Calvi, who lived two houses away from us on Avenue L, Tim Finnerty, a great hoops coach we worked with at Fordham, another Fordham pal Mike Armstrong, and Father Michael Judge who was always around MSG, and so many others. My nephew by marriage Connor Geraghty, lost his dad, Battalion Chief Edward Geraghty and Connor, in addition to being an amazing husband to our nice Katie and father to the adorable Grace and energetic Eddie, emulates his dad every day as a member of the NYFD. So it never really stops.
However I am a believer that it takes rain to make rainbows, and we see it every day in the way we conduct ourselves and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Little acts of kindness go a long way. There was talk for a while in making 9/11 a national day of service, to have it encapsulate all that is good by doing community projects, but that has never come to be and it doesn’t really have to. We can do it on our own.
Sport is a unifying thing, it brings nations together and binds us through its passion. It is why I have always felt, and been surprised, that most teams and colleges, especially those in the New York area, don’t do more of service on 9/11, and it is something, as we reach the 20th anniversary that should be looked at again and then continued. It takes work, but the symbolism and the value would go a long way. I was also lucky enough a few years ago, on the 20th anniversary, to work with Ross Greenburg on a bittersweet catchup on how sports played out on 9/11 Read Ross’ thoughts on why he made the newer look, here.
So as we keep moving forward just a thought. There is a lot of suffering in all of the world, so quietly, do something, however small, that makes a positive difference in the life of someone today. Say an extra please or thank you, pick up some trash, ring a friend, and do it in the positive memory of those we all lost. It will make you feel better, and will make a little difference to move things along.
