Though I don't read newspapers regularly like I once did, I still get "the news" every day. I curate my "feeds" and lately a good deal of that is on Twitter/𝕏.

So, this being the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I saw a lot of the posts I was expecting to see. Towers burning, George W. Bush throwing a dart of a ceremonial first pitch at old Yankee Stadium (in the World Series), and the requisite conspiracy theories surrounding the attacks.

I kinda just moved on.

But then I sat down at my desk and opened my notebook preparing for one of our group calls in the Tom Woods School of Life. I wrote down "9/11/23" at the top of the page.

A huge wave of emotion immediately came over me as I wrote these numbers. I can't even describe it, but I almost cried. Maybe not, I don't know. Like I said, I can't really put it into words.

I couldn't figure it out. It was 22 years ago, and I thought I had gotten over it all.

Apparently not.

I told the group this morning about what happened, and they were supportive. I told them if I can't make it through the call for whatever reason, I hope they'd understand. They were all quite supportive.

We made it through just fine.

I knew at least two people who perished that day in the towers. Not good friends, but acquaintances in college. I also knew at least four people who escaped the towers that morning.

One of my classmates who died, Welles Crowther, ended his life as a hero that day. Saved at least 10 people from sure death. Probably more.

Perhaps what gets me most emotional on this day was—when I look back on it—one of the best examples of simple friendship I've experienced. I was living in Portland and had just spent the weekend down in the Bay Area. Two of us drove down in my new rig (which I still have and is running great) to spend some time with our buddies and for me to get to see my Boston College football team take on the Stanford squad.

There's a whole other story about that game that perhaps I'll write about one day. A lot of hilarity ensued after the first half ended.

But I had also spent a few days back at my job after spending the previous weekend in Boston. Another BC football game and spending time with a few of my college buddies over Labor Day weekend.

I took Tuesday the 11th off, since we got back from our trip down to California late the previous evening. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up to a phone call from one of my co-workers.

"Just checking to see if I could get a hold of you. Thank God!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I knew that you were coming home from Boston on Tuesday. Are you still there?"

"No. I'm at home. Dude, I came back last Tuesday and saw you at work last week! But I did just get back from the Bay last night. What's up?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry. But turn on the TV. One of the twin towers in New York just had a plane fly into it. The plane flew out of Boston. American Airlines."

"Holy [bleep]. Yeah, I flew American last week out of Logan. But no, I'm here, in Portland."

"Yeah. Sorry. It's a little early I guess. I was confused. Haven't had my coffee yet. But I'm glad you're okay. I was really worried."

"Thanks, pal. I appreciate you looking out for me. See you tomorrow."

After I processed all of this, I didn't go back to work the next day as scheduled. Instead, I spent most of the next two days on the couch. "Mental health" days off work.

Maybe some other folks called me. I don't remember. It was a foggy time, brainwise. I don't even remember eating, frankly, but I probably did.

As the days and weeks and months passed, I found out I knew some folks who escaped and some who died. Many who saw the things happen in real-time. I still can't imagine.

One of my close friends was a firefighter in Manhattan that day. He doesn't really talk about it. I don't blame him.

Gavin, that friend who called me on the morning of 9/11, I could never thank him enough. I reminded him of that call nearly every time I spoke with him. Unfortunately, he passed away several years ago, having battled a rare form of cancer valiantly several times in his adult life.

At one point in his promising career—soon after that call, he quit working with me as a salesclerk & fly-fishing professional and turned to real estate—he left most of that behind. Gavin used what time he knew was probably limited to craft great meaning for himself, his family, and fellow battlers of cancer (especially the young ones).

His life had great purpose. He had tremendous passion for the people in his life. Gavin "won" at life.

I think about Gavin and his friendship every year on this day. I couldn't even articulate it this morning until I started typing out this epistle.

I miss my friend.

Passion like Gavin's is also something I see within our small groups in Tom's School of Life. I don't know the personal health struggles of many (or any) of our people. But I do see our people show up for people who have now become their friends.

"Accountability" is a word we use a lot in the School.

But it's more than that.

A lot of camaraderie, to say the least, has developed. There are also some wonderful working relationships being fostered. Notably, great friendships have also formed.

Tom Woods put together something great, thus attracting a lot of great people. I've seen it first-hand as I've been part of the School since Tom opened the doors.

My life has markedly changed for the better.

Sure, the content Tom provides in the form of speakers and the hundreds of "smackers"-worth of bonuses is next-level, but it is really about the people.

The people, their passions, and their purpose. I want to show up for them.

Hopefully I can "show up" like Gavin did for me—looking out for someone he knew may be in danger (or thought so because he hadn't had his morning cuppa coffee and we were in the midst of the world's biggest tragedy in our lifetime).

If you haven't joined Tom's School of Life yet, at least give it a gander. We're looking for more great folks to join our ranks. Give it a "look-see" to find out what we're up to over there.

As I like to say, "the more you think about my ideas, the more you will agree." This is a great idea.

Follow my link:

As always,

Brian

P.S. -- My classmate, the late Welles Crowther, became more widely known in the decades after his passing as the Man in the Red Bandana. There have been several features on him. It is a great story and there is a feature-length documentary that you need to watch (if you can muster it emotionally).

Here's the IMDB page which gives you a preview and the choices on what platforms to watch it on: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4687392/

God bless.