This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people. Orchestrated by former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, four commercial planes were hijacked in the early hours of the fateful day in 2001 and crashed into the twin World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in D.C., and an empty field in Shanksville, Pa. (reportedly headed to either the White House or Capitol building, also in D.C.) Since then, the approach to security in the U.S. has never been the same. I still remember where I was when the attacks happened. I was woken up by my mother in time to watch the second plane smash into the second Twin Tower live while sitting in the living room of our 15th floor high-rise in Downtown Miami. I didn't personally know anyone who died on that fateful day, but like many, I will forever remember the events of that day and how it changed my life.
There were all kinds of ties between Sept. 11 and the sports world then, as there were in this year's commemoration. Tennis player Serena Williams dedicated her finals match at the 2011 U.S. Open, played on that Sunday, to the victims. New York Jets players donned navy blue T-shirts with the words "Never Forgotten" written on the back for warmups on opening night for the NFL season. But long before all the commemorations took place nationwide, in the wee hours of the morning, there was a different kind of sports tie to 9/11. Tayshana Murphy, a promising basketball star was shot to death at her Harlem apartment in New York City. Reports suggest the 18-year-old was a victim of mistaken identity, shot because she was dressed in similar clothes as a boy who was involved in an altercation with some men at a different housing project. Whatever the truth may be, Murphy's life was cut shot by an unnecessary act of violence on a day when the world mourned the victims of another unnecessary act of violence.
Incidentally, Murphy's death was exactly a week from the stabbing death of another female basketball player at Florida A&M University, where I obtained my master's in broadcast journalism. Shannon Washington died from stab wounds to her neck, allegedly caused by her girlfriend of three years Starquineshia Palmer, who was visiting Washington from Bradenton, Fla. I was a sports reporter for FAMU TV 20 and covered the women's basketball team. I never knew nor interviewed Washington, but felt connected to her somehow because of my involvement with the team. Just as I felt connected to the victims of 9/11, though I knew no one.
Watching one of many 9/11 specials that aired this weekend, I learned about the families of victims. One wife of a firefighter who died trying to save people, talked about how her husband chose Sept. 11 as their wedding date because of the significance behind it. 9/11 makes one think of the most important number to call when in need of rescue. But what was supposed to be the couple's happiest day turned out to be her worst day as well when he was killed. Other stories included several passengers of the United 93 flight, regarded as heroes for attacking the hijackers and preventing them from hitting their original target. One thing many of the stories had in common was future plans, hopes or dreams cut shot as a result of the tragedy in the split of a few seconds. I don't know what Washington's future plan was beyond FAMU, but Murphy's dream was to get her mother out of the projects; a dream she would never get to fulfill.
Why am I sharing this? Because the deaths of these two basketball players, and the 10th anniversary of 9/11, reminded me of something I became fully aware of after the original attacks. Have an idea what you envision your future to be like, but live for today. I've been so caught up in worrying about my future (those close to me know exactly what I've been fretting about) and not living enough for today that I forgot to remember that when lives are lost, their goals, hopes and dreams, for the most part, are gone forever as well.
R.I.P. to the many lives lost on 9/11 and to deceased victims of violence.
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