The
third New York snapshot involved 9-11. One day in September, the mood in the
hallway felt different to Lopez. Something odd seemed to be going on but he had
no idea what. He overheard a few people talking about a plane crash but Lopez
did not stop to ask questions.
In the
middle of second period, the bell rang. Everyone jumped, startled. It rang
again, stopped, then rang again and again and again. Everyone had the same
confused look as Lopez.
The
principal came over the intercom. “All students proceed as quickly as possible
to the auditorium. Leave your books in the room and leave now.”
His
teacher led them to the auditorium. A group of girls walked by, all of them
crying. Lopez glanced around. Even some guys were crying. Someone mentioned the
words attack and war. Lopez thought: “Why would anyone in America use such
words?” Fear filled the hallway. The
looks on the faces reminded Lopez of his days long ago of running into caves
with his family when the Sudanese jets flew over his village. Lopez had no idea
of what was going on.
The students filed into the auditorium and sat down. Televisions had been placed on the stage where everyone could see them. All the talk died down. Everyone stared at the televisions. Lopez remembered seeing New York when his plane circled the city to land at JFK. This New York looked nothing like that city. People on the streets ran in fear. A few stopped and looked up. Most cried hysterically. Up above them all, smoke poured out of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The television announcers explained that the buildings had been attacked by terrorists. Lopez thought: “How could war follow me here?”
The
principal kept them in the auditorium until one of the towers collapsed. Then
they dismissed the students and told them to go home. No one was home when
Lopez got off the bus. He called Barb and asked her what he should do. “Stay
inside,” she said. “Dad and I will be there soon.”
Lopez
turned on the television and watched the news coverage until the second
building collapsed. Smoke and dust covered New York City. Lopez was scared.
This looked worse than anything he’d heard about in Sudan. He turned off the
TV.
Rob
and Barb arrived a short time later. Both were visibly shaken. Lopez had
experienced war. Watching the start of another did not appeal to him.
Over
the next few days he discovered how different America was from Sudan. Back
home, he had to run and hide. Sudan didn’t have a way to stand up and fight.
Then Lopez saw President Bush on television, standing in the midst of the
carnage in New York, a bullhorn in his hand. Lopez could hardly understand
anything he said, but the image of him standing there was the most powerful
thing Lopez had ever seen. President Bush inspired Lopez more than words can
describe. Watching him there, Lopez knew he was safe.
The
next day, Lopez went to school and bought a T-shirt with the words, “United We
Stand.” with an American flag in the background. Lopez wore the shirt the rest
of the week. This was another change for him. He realized the American people
love their country and were proud of it. He had never been proud to live in
Sudan. He never knew it was possible to be proud of a country. Now he was. He would
not become a citizen of the United States until 2007, but after September 11th,
he was an American!
Management Lesson #14 – Become Part of a
Team
