When I was a very, very young reporter for The Washington Post, I found myself surrounded by older, wiser colleagues and editors. The smartest thing I did was to listen. And learn. A lot! Example:

One time the boss of the editorial page was talking to some of her staff. She said something that, young as I was, stuck with me. She said something like “after every funeral eventually SOMEBODY has to ask ‘What’s for lunch?'”

Her point was that no matter what happens, death, war or disaster, life goes on. People have to pick up the pieces and move forward despite their shock, grief or anger. The somber, but very real, what’s-for- lunch-moment!

Thursday’s column was a collection of memories from readers. Where they were, what they did, and thought, on 9/11. That prompted this one from a reader, a retired IRS attorney, in California. She said she didn’t respond to your first request for memories because she was so far removed the East Coast action. But if you read her note you can see how she, and millions of feds around the world, were impacted:

“Thanks for your column today. I didn’t think mine was worth preserving with so many others close up.

“But I remember my radio coming on that morning at 05:30 and I got up to start getting ready for work. I got out of the shower and listened as the story came through on NPR that they thought a small passenger plane had hit a tower at the WTC. Then the second tower was hit. By then I was out in the front room watching TV. The Pentagon was hit. It all seemed surreal. The towers imploded. I had called my boss to say I wouldn’t be in as I was waiting for possible recall to active duty with the Navy. Then Pennsylvania. Nobody knew what was happening next as I recall. But like everyone else, I knew the world as we knew it had changed.

“I was supposed to have flown to Seattle the next day on the 12th of September for a two-day CLE (continuing legal education), but due to no air travel (and continuing uncertainty as to whether I would be called up), I had to cancel. Although well past the cancellation date, the sponsors refunded my payment, which I found surprisingly civilized. And strange at the same time.

“I was so grateful to hear from several friends in the D.C. area that they were all OK. And mourned with them for their friends who had been killed as they worked at the Pentagon.

“Later that year in December a group of us flew to D.C. for work and we were amazed to find rooms available at the Willard at the government rate — only time ever that happened for me. A lot of people still weren’t traveling at that point, and certainly not to D.C. if they could avoid it.

“Take care, my friend.” L.C.

And this from George T. about his 9/11 moment:

“Worked at Walter Reed AMC that day, spent the day in the parking lot of the WRAMC emergency room triaging casualties that came from the Pentagon. Remember driving 495 late that day back to Northern Virginia and seeing a man waving an american flag from the overpass in Maryland.”

        Read more: Mike Causey

And this one from Annie:

“I remember sitting in the living room floor, studying while watching the news as I did most every morning while in grad school. I looked up from my book as Katie Couric got a message in her earpiece that a plane flew into the World Trade Center. I sat, confused on what could have possibly happened and then watched as the second plane flew into the other building. Shock and disbelief came over me. I stepped outside to a beautiful, still, quiet day in Charlotte, N.C. I quickly drove to the college campus and joined my colleagues to watch the news as we got word that a plane flew into the Pentagon and another one had crashed. It was surreal. I was more shocked than frightened and we were all unsure of what it all meant. Downtown Charlotte was evacuating and no one could reach loved ones in the D.C./NYC areas.

“Several months later, I walked into an Army recruiting office. I felt like I needed to do something. I wanted to give back, to serve my country, to help protect everyone and everything that I loved. Exactly one year after 9/11, I arrived at basic training. Today, I work in D.C. and continue to contribute toward maintaining our national security and the men and women in uniform. I never regret my decision to join the Army. I will never forget that day.” Annie

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID:

By Michael O’Connell

The question of “Who is the reuben sandwich named for?” is a tricky one. Wikipedia offers several possibilities, but suggests it could be either Reuben Kulakofsky of Omaha, Nebraska, or Reuben’s Delicatessen in New York City. Jim Rader of the Reuben Realm website concludes that it’s probably Kulakofsky — but maybe not.

Whatever it’s called, we can at least agree that it’s delicious.

Source: Wikipedia and Reuben Realm.

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