September 11, 2011
Remembering George Merkouris
Originally posted 9/11/2006.
I remember where I was the day of September 11, 2001. I was at work. I was complaining about an elderly man I had to screen for glaucoma and that he kept blinking. Dr. Rollins came into the room and said that a plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. We laughed at the idiot pilot who made such a grave mistake. This was before we realized America was being attacked by terrorists. We turned on the television in the office only to see the second plane hitting the second tower. It was then that we knew something was very, very wrong. I can’t even imagine not coming home from work that day.
I can’t image that George Merkouris or his family ever thought the same thing. It brings tears to my eyes even to this very day that so many innocent people lost their lives to terrorism in our country.
How do you calculate the worth of one’s life? There’s no amount of money in the world that would compensate for the pain and suffering and grief that George’s family, friends and co-workers went through. Even more haunting is the knowledge that there’s no amount of money in the world that can bring George back. He was taken from this earth too soon. Because of the acts of terrorists.
All across the world today, millions upon millions of people are mourning the loss that happened five years ago today. There are memorials in New York City, Washington, D.C and Pennsylvania. Moments of silence. Mourners wearing red, white and blue. Bearing our flags. Showing their grief and patriotism on this five year anniversary.
It will never be enough. Yes, the memorials and prayer vigils and services are an amazing chain of people coming together to remember those who died. The civilians, the firefighters, the police officers. The people who risked their lives to help wherever they could. America is grateful. But we are also sad, angry and we still don’t understand how this could happen. We can’t even begin to contemplate this tragedy. Even five years later.
Remember George. George had family who loved him. He had a job and a home and friends. He went to work today, five years ago, and he never made it home. God had a special place in Heaven for George.
I found this poem in an e-mail. I don’t know the author, it was not listed. But I felt the poem was fitting and I encourage you all to pray for the souls we lost this day in 2001.
TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN (2001-911)
Two thousand one, nine eleven
Three thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, “Lets sit, lets chat”
They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud “I have a dream!”
and once he did The Newcomer said, “Your dream still lives.”
Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
“We’re from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine”
The Newcomer said, “You died not in vain.”
From a man on sticks one could hear
“The only thing we have to fear…”
The Newcomer said,
“We know the rest, trust us sir, we’ve passed that test.”
“Courage doesn’t hide in caves
You can’t bury freedom, in a grave,”
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannis Port shores
A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day
“Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we’re not”
The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, “Don’t talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me”
Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubble streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just ’cause they must
Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
“Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownian, Yellow man
Side by side helping their fellow man!”
So said Martin, as he watched the scene
“Even from nightmares, can be born a dream.”
Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iowa Jim back in ’54
The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
“I see pain, I see tears, I see sorrow — but I don’t see fear.”
“You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives are
suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You’re not really gone.
All of those people, even those who’ve never met you
All of their lives, they’ll never forget you
Don’t you see what has happened?
Don’t you see what you’ve done?
You’ve brought them together, together as one.
With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
“Take my hand,” and from there he led three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven
–Author Unknown
There are nearly 714 links about George Merkouris and this is not nearly enough in my eyes. Here are a just a few of those links. I encourage you to take the time and read them and remember George and all the people who died on September 11, 2001. All the people who worked in the WTC and those who were passengers on the 4 flights.
George’s family and friends post wonderful things about him.
CNN’s September 11 Memorial lists George’s name.
The following website will allow you to submit a message in memory of George Merkouris. It also has a scroll of every person who lost his life on that inconceivably tragic day.
You must read this. And this. This one, too. About the Quilt. Then click here. And then here.
This one makes me cry. Every time I read it. Every Time. The message states, “DOES ANYONE HAVE INFO ON MY COUSIN-GEORGE MERKOURIS-1WTC??????? “
