September 11, 2001.
Just saying the date stirs up a whole host of emotions. Fear. Anger. Sadness. It used to stir up patriotism, but these days it feels like patriotism (if it means support of our troops, president and what’s taking place in far away places like Iraq and Afghanistan) marks you as ignorant, uninformed or just plain stupid. Politically, we’ve become a country divided into polar opposites and we’re all behaving badly…bashing and trashing each other with glee. In this, I see a small victory for the terrorists. A country divided and fighting amongst itself cannot be as strong and focused as a united country.
All that is why I’m glad to be participating in D.C. Roe’s project to remember, on this the fifth anniversary of 9/11, the 2996 men, women and children who died when this country, that allows us the freedom to disagree, fell under attack. For one day, over 3000 bloggers will lay aside differences in political opinion and honor the lives of the victims. Each participating blogger has been assigned the name of one who gave all that day. I was assigned the name Jon Richard Grabowski.
To begin, let me give you a face to put with the name.
That’s him. That’s Jon. He looks so young, doesn’t he? He was 33 on September 11, 2001.
I had a hard time with this project. The idea is to honor the lives of the victims, not rehash their deaths for the umpteenth time. It’s easier said than done. I have spent hours googling and dogpiling and following link after link. Nearly everything led to lists of the victims and told little or nothing personal. As today approached, I was wondering what I would write. Then some of the other bloggers began posting early and I came across a link or two through them that provided at least a grain of information.
Jon, I wish I could have found more information about you. From what I was able to find, it sounds like you were a really nice guy. You were the husband of Erika, your soul mate, who loved you fiercely and still misses you terribly. You were a son. Were you a father? I didn’t find any mention of children. Maybe you were a brother or an uncle? You were certainly a friend and a co-worker. At 33, it sounds like you were doing pretty well in your career. You were a vice president of technology information with Marsh & McLennan….a job you began only the week before the attacks.
Jon, you were described as enigmatic, devilish (I think I can see that in your picture), selfless and having a wry wit. Erika said that you "could always make sense of the world" for her. I wonder if you could have made sense of that terrible day and all that has come since. Would you have answers for us, Jon?
So you see, it isn’t much to go on, but I do have a picture now, of a handsome, young man with soulful eyes, madly in love with his wife, starting a new phase of his life and probably full of hopes and dreams for the future. That picture will be with me forever. Jon, my tribute to you is simply to remember you, that yours was a life that mattered.
*Please go to D.C. Roe’s blog to find links to other tributes.
That is a lovely tribute. Thank you for participating. My heart goes out to all of the friends and families who lost someone that awful day.
Comment by Marti — September 10, 2006 @ 10:29 am
Very very very nice, Stacy!
I have come across a few others on some of the other blogs that I read. I think what D.C. Roe has done is amazing and so very commendable!
I have been following some of the links others have posted with their memorial…and in doing so I found the most heartwrenching, most horrific 911 call I have ever heard, from that day or any other day. I listened to/watched it on Friday afternoon at work and I sat in my office crying for 10 minutes afterwards. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since and my perspective of that day has been changed forever because of it.
Thank you for writing this, Stacy….God Bless You!
Comment by chesneygirl — September 10, 2006 @ 11:56 am
A great tribute given the information you had.
Comment by Dr. John — September 10, 2006 @ 8:30 pm
What a nice tribute, especially since you were having so much trouble finding information. I found lots of lists also. My tribute to Eric Brian Evans is up on my site.
Comment by Lori — September 10, 2006 @ 9:20 pm
Thank you for yout tribute and for remembering
Comment by bettygram — September 10, 2006 @ 9:57 pm
Thank you for a wonderful tribute. You are right about so many of the links that lead to just lists. The 2,996 Project was about making it about more than ‘lists’. Thank you for putting a handsome face with a name and making this about people.
I have a tribute on my blog too. It was so hard to write about them without much information…but it needed to be done. They all need to be remembered.
Comment by Mrs_Who — September 10, 2006 @ 11:51 pm
I had to also say, Grabowski is a family name…making your tribute a little more special to us!
Comment by Mrs_Who — September 10, 2006 @ 11:52 pm
Stacy what a sensitive, heartfelt tribute. This was a great project, I will fill my prayers tonight with the names of these families.
Comment by kat campbell — September 11, 2006 @ 12:05 am
a lovely tribute.
yes i had the same problem with the lists. but it is in the messages of friends that i finally got to know the man i wrote about, eric.
you have let us know jon a little too. and he will be remembered.
thank you.
Comment by keda — September 11, 2006 @ 5:35 am
I agree, I contributed a post, too. When I finished I felt that I knew her. Nice job
Comment by Mamacita — September 11, 2006 @ 4:13 pm
what a wonderful project. Thank you. The site is down now, but I will check back later.
Comment by Meredith — September 11, 2006 @ 6:35 pm
Thank you for your tribute. I went to high school with Jon but didn’t know him well. We shared a few classes each year, one was Latin! I know he was very smart and usually very quiet. His close friends say he was really funny. When I heard that he had died I realized I could recall his face vividly though I hadn’t seen him since graduation in 1985. I can picture his big eyes peering out from shaggy hair he tried to tame each day. I thought of him as one of the “nice guys”. He had a special quality, very serene and confident, like he knew his time to shine was yet to come and he was patiently waiting. Thank you for reminding me of Jon. I will keep his wife and parents in my prayers.
Comment by Barbara — September 11, 2006 @ 11:28 pm
Wonderful Tribute!
Thank you.
These are heartbreaking stories and difficult to read….
I am honored to be a part of this project.
Mine is posted also…
Bless you…
Comment by Raggedy — September 13, 2006 @ 9:58 pm
I was given Jon’s name on a red paper heart to wear while performing Mozart’s Requiem on Sept. 11 2002. I have not forgotten.
Comment by Diane — September 11, 2009 @ 10:51 am