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In this powerful episode, we sit down with Ken Greene, a survivor of the 9/11 attacks and former Chief Operating Officer of Denver International Airport. Ken shares his harrowing experience of being in the North Tower during the attacks, the chaos that ensued, and the incredible bravery of first responders who saved his life. As he recounts the moments leading up to the tragedy, Ken reflects on the emotional and psychological challenges he faced, both during and after the events of that fateful day. He discusses the importance of faith, leadership, and human connection in times of crisis, offering valuable insights that resonate with anyone navigating their own struggles. Join us as Ken shares his journey from survivor to leader, the lessons learned, and how he continues to honor the memory of those lost on 9/11. This episode is a testament to resilience, hope, and the enduring human spirit. Key Highlights: -Ken's experience in the North Tower on 9/11 -The role of first responders and the impact of their bravery -Navigating faith and emotional challenges in the aftermath -Leadership lessons in times of crisis -The importance of human connection and emotional availability --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are an alternative to church as usual. Our Sunday worship service is approximately a 75-minute experience designed to introduce people to the message of Jesus and equip believers to live their lives in response to the Gospel while their kids enjoy one of our safe children's environments. Centerpoint is designed to meet you wherever you are on the journey whether you are just checking out the "church thing" or you are a committed Christ follower. Centerpoint is a casual environment that combines today's music with creative media and relevant teaching. We hope you will visit us at Centerpoint Church regardless of what your past church experience has looked like.
In this Dateline Special, New Yorkers whose experiences were captured in real time on September 11, 2001, reflect on what they saw, what they survived and how the attacks indelibly shaped their lives and the country. Former WNBC New York cameraman Ralph Patterson, World Trade Center Port Authority Police commanding officer Tim Norris, North Tower 82nd-floor Port Authority employees Daphne Carlisle and Muyiwa Onigbogi, NYPD detective and helicopter pilot Greg Semendinger, Newark Airport Port Authority Police officer John McDevitt, and FDNY paramedic Trinh K. Dinh share their stories of that day. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of The 10 Ninety Podcast Mason sits down with David Ferrugio, host of the Dead Talks podcast. David was just twelve when his father was killed on 9/11 in the North Tower at Cantor Fitzgerald. They discuss the last memory shared with his dad—a Yankees game two days before—the unique weight of grieving a loss constantly replayed globally, and how watching 9/11 footage became an accidental form of exposure therapy. The conversation also covers David's journey into podcasting, his book, and his philosophy that grief and living aren't mutually exclusive.
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear how a French curator uncovered lost documents showing that the Nazis researched the Bayeux Tapestry during World War Two. Our guest, Professor Catherine Clarke, takes us through the finer details of the famous medieval tapestry. Plus, communist fighters struggling to survive while following Mao Zedong during the Chinese Civil War in 1935. The firefighter who survived the collapse of the North Tower with his crew during the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The Irish woman whose report changed the date of D-Day, and the winner of the first Rubik's Cube World Championship. We also learn how reports of a moving statue in rural Ireland drew thousands of visitors in 1985. Contributors: Sylvette Lemagnen - former curator of the Bayeux Tapestry Catherine Clarke - Professor at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London Zhong Ming - soldier in Mao Zedong's army Jay Jonas - former New York firefighter Edward Sweeney - son of Maureen Flavin Minh Thai - Rubik's Cube World Champion 1982 Ita Dungan - pilgrim to the site of the reported moving statue in Ballinspittle(Photo: The Bayeux Tapestry. Credit: Reuters/Charles Platiau)
For the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, we go into our archive for voices of those who were there. Deputy Fire Chief John “Jay” Jonas spoke with Terry Gross about being inside the North Tower when it collapsed. Firefighter Ken Haskell talks about losing his two brothers and his search at Ground Zero. Author (and former firefighter) Dennis Smith talks about the structure of the WTC itself, and how it contributed to deaths. In the second half of the show, we hear from artists who processed the tragedy in poetry and music: Poets Sekou Sundiata and Robert Pinsky, saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube channel Check out the Fresh Air ArchivesSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
- The 25th anniversary of 9/11 brings renewed focus to the passengers of Flight 93, including Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham and Jeremy Glick, who fight back against the hijackers before the plane crashes in Pennsylvania. - Flight attendant Madeline Amy Sweeney is remembered for calmly relaying critical information about the hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 11 before it strikes the North Tower. - 9/11 widow Terry Strada publicly presses U.S. leaders for greater transparency and accountability over allegations surrounding Saudi Arabia's role in the attacks. - The Lindsay Clancy mistrial returns to the spotlight after a CBS interview reveals the lone holdout juror is a Black man, triggering fresh debate over reactions to the deadlocked jury. - Ayanna Pressley faces criticism over a post describing recent hangings of Black Americans as “modern-day lynchings,” while the segment points to official findings cited in a community note that several cases are ruled suicides. Today's podcast is sponsored by : PARAMOUNT PLUS - Don't Miss “MobLand.” All episodes streaming September 18th on Paramount Plus. You can now WATCH and chat with The Gerry Callahan Show LIVE on Newsmax's social media channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Rumble) Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at http://Newsmax.com/Listen Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at http://NewsmaxPlus.com Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : http://nws.mx/shop Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media: • Facebook: http://nws.mx/FB • X/Twitter: http://nws.mx/twitter • Instagram: http://nws.mx/IG • YouTube: https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV • Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV • TRUTH Social: https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX • GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/newsmax • Threads: http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX • Telegram: http://t.me/newsmax • BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com • Parler: http://app.parler.com/newsmax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today, on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, let us be full of love.-- Chief Joseph Pfeifer was the first FDNY chief to arrive at the World Trade Center on 9/11. He watched the first plane hit the North Tower, took command of the initial response, and that morning, he also lost his younger brother, Lieutenant Kevin Pfeifer.
#749: Michael Hingson was on the 78th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center when the first plane hit on Sept. 11. He felt the impact, but couldn't see it. Michael has been blind since shortly after birth. Alongside his guide dog, Roselle, they descended 1,463 steps – escaping just before the South Tower, 100 yards away, collapsed. They then helped a woman who was temporarily blinded by the dust. Michael's story answers the question – What do you do when something terrifying is happening, you don't have enough information, you cannot control the outcome, and everyone around you is beginning to panic? Michael's answer is surprisingly practical. 1. Prepare before you need the preparation. 2. Know what you know, know what you don't know. 3. Stop mentally rehearsing outcomes you cannot control 4. Keep acting on the part that remains within your control. He had deliberately learned the World Trade Center's exits, emergency procedures, physical layout, and systems long before Sept 11 because he believed that was part of being responsible for his office. When the building was struck, he describes that preparation as a “mindset” that simply kicked in. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS Note: Timestamps may vary slightly depending on dynamic ad placements. (00:00) Life before September 11 (24:34) The plane hits the North Tower (34:03) Fear takes over in the stairwell (1:04:01) Turning tragedy into a new career (1:28:02) Challenging attitudes about blindness (1:38:01) Supporting guide dog organizations
2,753 people died at the World Trade Center site on September 11th, 2001, including members of the FDNY and NYPD, and hundreds who were working in the towers or visiting that day, plus the crew and passengers of the two hijacked planes that struck the buildings.We wanted to remember the real people behind those numbers. And for that, Jill spoke to Erin Jackman, whose sister Brooke Jackman had just turned 23 when she was killed on September 11th. She was working on the 104th floor of the North Tower at Cantor Fitzgerald, a job she had only started two months earlier.Erin recalls the frantic search for Brooke in the hours and weeks after the attacks, including her family's visits to hospitals and putting up missing-person posters near Ground Zero. She also shares who Brooke was beyond the attack: a devoted sister and friend, an avid reader, and an aspiring social worker whose memory inspired her family to create the Brooke Jackman Foundation, a children's literacy nonprofit providing books, school supplies, and family literacy programs.For more information: Brooke Jackman Foundation.
-Mary Walter joins Rob for an intensely personal remembrance of 9/11, recounting how her relative survives inside the North Tower and insists he sees angels accompanying people falling from the building — a story so powerful even Rob temporarily retires the punchlines. -National Fallen Firefighters Foundation CEO Victor Stagnaro joins Rob and recalls serving as an assistant fire chief near Washington on 9/11, preparing for additional attacks and helping support FDNY families afterward; he also explains how the foundation honors fallen firefighters and supports their families — while Rob volunteers to attend the memorial and possibly arrive armed with donuts. -Rob closes with the astonishing story of 26-year-old Air Force Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney, who scrambles over Washington in an unarmed F-16 knowing that stopping another hijacked airliner could require deliberately ramming it — putting her alongside the 343 fallen firefighters in Rob's tribute to Americans willing to sacrifice everything for strangers. Today's podcast is sponsored by : PARAMOUNT PLUS - Don't Miss “MobLand.” All episodes streaming September 18th on Paramount Plus. CALOTREN - Just take Calotren as directed at bedtime and let its collagen-based formula burn fat and maintain muscle while you sleep. Visit http://TopLoss.com/Rob To call in and speak with Rob Carson live on the show, dial 1-800-922-6680 between the hours of 12 Noon and 3:00 pm Eastern Time Monday through Friday… Musical parodies provided by Jim Gossett (http://patreon.com/JimGossettComedy) You can now WATCH and chat with The Rob Carson Show LIVE on Newsmax's social media channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Rumble) Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at http://Newsmax.com/Podcasts Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at http://NewsmaxPlus.com Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : http://nws.mx/shop Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media: -Facebook: http://nws.mx/FB -X/Twitter: http://nws.mx/twitter -Instagram: http://nws.mx/IG -YouTube: https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV -Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV -TRUTH Social: https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX -GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/newsmax -Threads: http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX -Telegram: http://t.me/newsmax -BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com -Parler: http://app.parler.com/newsmax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On 11 September, 2001, Paul Carris was working on the 71st floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. When the building was struck, he joined the evacuation and came across a colleague, Judith Toppin, who was struggling to descend the stairs. Paul stayed with her, supporting her through the long journey down as thousands fled and firefighters climbed towards the danger. They emerged only minutes before the tower collapsed. Paul believed he had saved Judith, but in the years that followed he came to understand that she had also saved him. Colm Flynn meets deacon Paul Carris to hear how the events of 9/11 transformed his life and faith. Paul recalls the extraordinary calm inside the stairwell, Judith praying Psalm 23, and the silence he later recognised as the presence of God. Twenty-five years after the attacks, he reflects on the terror of that day, and how a split-second decision to help a stranger changed his life forever.
On 11 September 2001, suicide attackers hijacked two passenger planes flying over the eastern United States and crashed them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing both buildings to collapse. The attack killed 2,753 people. As smoke billowed from the burning towers, firefighters, police officers and paramedics from across New York City raced to the scene, climbing stairwells packed with fleeing civilians in an effort to reach those trapped. When the towers fell, hundreds of first responders were still inside, and in the years since, even more have died from illnesses linked to their time working in the toxic dust of Ground Zero. Twenty-five years on, Kirsty Wark travels to New York to bring together the first responders and survivors who lived through that morning. New York Fire Department Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer was the first commander on the scene, and later became planning chief for the rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero. Office worker Richard Eichen, who escaped from the 90th floor of the North Tower. Jill Pila, whose husband Jim Gartenberg worked on the 86th floor. Former NYPD officer Judy Castro, who rushed to the North Tower to help evacuate the building. St John's Hospital paramedic Jimmy Dobson, who spent the day bringing the injured to safety from the streets surrounding Ground Zero. Rear Admiral Michael Day, who coordinated the evacuation of an estimated 500,000 people off the island of Manhattan later that day. And the novelist A.M. Homes, a longtime resident of New York, who witnessed the events of the day unfold from her apartment in Lower Manhattan.
On 11 September 2001, firefighter Jay Jonas and his crew were sent into New York's North Tower after a hijacked plane crashed into the World Trade Center.As they climbed the stairs searching for people who needed help, the South Tower collapsed.Realising their rescue mission could no longer continue, the firefighters turned around and began making their way down.On their descent they came across a woman, Josephine Harris."She was crying. She was in distress. And I said, 'Alright, bring her with us.'"The firefighters took her with them, but she could not move at their pace."We made it to the fourth floor and Josephine Harris falls to the floor. And she starts yelling at us, leave me, get away from me, don't touch me, leave me alone."Moments later, the North Tower collapsed.Buried beneath the rubble, Jay, his crew and Josephine somehow survived. He tells Rowan Bridge how stopping to help Josephine slowed their escape from the tower. But the place where they were forced to stop turned out to be exactly where they needed to be when the building collapsed."By her making a stand on the fourth floor, that put us in the exact right spot. And we lived."Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories.When you subscribe to Witness History, you'll be taken inside turning points in world affairs from West Africa's fight back against Boko Haram in 2015 to the behind-closed-doors talks that led to the US-Cuba “thaw” and the surprise announcement of restored relations. You'll discover what it was like to experience disasters and how people recovered from them, including the Tabasco floods in Mexico, Portugal's worst train disaster, and the huge clean-up after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. You'll explore culture and ideas too: Sweden's Expedition Robinson, often credited as the first modern reality TV game show; the friendship between The Beatles' George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; and the night a tiger attack brought Las Vegas superstars Siegfried and Roy's show to a sudden end. And if you're curious about inventions, we'll tell you how air fryers, BlackBerry, YouTube, Alexa, GPS, superglue, the shopping cart (shopping trolley) and bubble tea were created.If you're new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history – all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of BBC World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.(Photo: Jay Jonas. Credit: Getty Images)
Zibby was one of the countless people who lost a loved one on 9/11. Stacey Sanders, Zibby's college roommate, worked in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. To process the loss, Zibby wrote an essay for her business school newspaper, The Harbus, two weeks after it happened. She reads it here to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The morning of September 11, 2001, was just like any other workday for Genelle Guzman. She took the elevator to her office on the 64th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower. But nobody expected the horrifying terrorist attacks that would change our lives forever—especially Genelle, who was still inside the building when it collapsed.Trapped beneath the rubble for 27 hours, Genelle cried out to God. This is her miraculous story.Connect with us through email at gps@billygraham.org or on Facebook at Billy Graham Radio.If you'd like to know more about beginning a relationship with Jesus Christ, or deepening the faith you already have, visit FindPeacewithGod.net.If you'd like to pray with someone, call our Billy Graham 24/7 Prayer Line at 855-255-7729.
Today marks the 25th Anniversary of 9/11, the day in which 19 individuals, each following the ideology of Islam, brought terrorism to the United States of America. 2,977 lives were taken. People were going about their day--getting up, going to work, involved in meetings--when terror struck. First it was American Airlines Flight 11 that hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. 17 minutes later American Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. These were airliners fully fueled. Then American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. We aired the testimony on Crosstalk of Lieutenant Colonel Brian Birdwell who spoke at a VCY Rally. He was the only survivor of the Pentagon's E-Ring between corridors 4 and 5 which was directly in the path of Flight 77. Another airliner, United Airlines Flight 93, was also overpowered by Islamic terrorists. It was believed that the intended target was the White House. Aboard that flight was a man by the name of Todd Beamer. Todd used the Airfone to make a call. The person taking that call was Lisa Jefferson. 20 years ago on Crosstalk, nearing the 5th anniversary of 9/11, Jim interviewed Lisa, who went from being GTE Airfone supervisor, suburban wife and mother to being the listening ear to a nation shattered by tragedy. She tells the gripping account of 9/11 from her vantage point, recalling the moment when she took the call from Todd Beamer aboard United Airlines Flight 93 and when she heard the immortal words, "Let's Roll." We've gone back into the archives and have pulled out excerpts from that Crosstalk program, which was originally broadcast on August 14, 2006.
When we wake up in the morning, we are supposed to say modeh ani lefanecha and thank Hashem for giving us another day of life. We are to recognize what an opportunity we have to spend another day living life and perform mitvot . From the moment we get up, we have so many golden opportunities for mitvot , washing our hands properly, putting on tzitzit , saying birkot hashachar , and so on. We have endless opportunities to amass spiritual fortunes every single day. And it is with that attitude that we are supposed to get up excited to serve our Creator. A man I know, who we'll call Joe, told me he has a picture hanging on his wall that he looks at every morning when he gets up before he says modeh ani , and that picture gives him an extra special feeling of hakarat hatov to Hashem for the life that Hashem gives him. That appreciation extends to every moment of his day, and he lives life with enthusiasm and joy, happy to be alive and serving Hashem. His story begins on February 26, 1993. Joe worked for the Port Authority and his office was on the 88 floor on the North Tower in the World Trade Center. He was called down to a cafeteria on the lower level to deliver an envelope to his boss that day. Moments after he left, a bomb exploded on the B2 level of that building, killing 6 people and injuring over 1000. His boss, who he just delivered the letter to, was one of the casualties. Joe's entire body was filled with soot and he inhaled a lot of smoke, but baruch Hashem he was eventually evacuated, being led to an exit on the B1 level of the building. About 8 years later on September 11, 2001, Joe was in his office on the 88 floor of the North Tower when the first plane hit just five floors above him. After the initial shock, people began evacuating using the staircase as the elevators were out of commission. Joe was with another man there who was in his 90's. He told the man not to worry, he was going to stay with him. They went to the stairwell and saw that it was mobbed with people. Joe told the older man they would go back to his office and wait until the crowd dissipated and then make their way down. About 15 minutes later, they went back there and this time the stairs were clear. It took Joe and this older man about an hour and fifteen minutes to make their way down all those 88 flights. When they got to floor #20, a loud noise was heard and the lights went out. That must have been when the South Tower fell. When they finally got down to the bottom, firemen were telling them they couldn't exit from there. They went back up a few flights and they couldn't exit there either. They went back down again, finally, they made their way to the B1 level. The last time Joe was there was when he was evacuated in 1993. From that experience, he knew exactly where to go this time. They found an exit which led them out to a place which protected them from falling debris. Just a few minutes after they exited the building and took cover behind a larger building, the North Tower collapsed. Joe couldn't believe his eyes, watching as the horror unfolded. His life was spared a second time. He couldn't contact his wife and family but when he finally arrived home that evening to his house in New Jersey, there was a sigh of relief and celebration surrounding him. Unfortunately, he found out afterward that 16 of his coworkers did not make it out in time. He looked back at the tragedy in 1993 and said, Hashem was showing me the exit then that I needed to save my life now . A few days later, he hung up a picture of him and those 16 coworkers on his bedroom wall. When he wakes up in the morning, he looks at the picture and thanks Hashem for giving him another day of life. He has a reminder of how precious life is, but if we put a little thought into it, we could also have those same feelings of gratitude to Hashem every day and be excited and enthusiastic about getting another opportunity to live and do mitzvot and learn Torah and be the best we're capable of being.
After Charles Wolf’s wife, Katherine, was killed in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, he found himself taking on an unlikely new role: activist. Wolf became a tireless advocate for victims’ families, challenging the federal compensation system and successfully pushing for reform. His efforts later became part of the movie Worth, with Stanley Tucci playing him. Twenty-five years later, Wolf looks back at what grief made him do, what justice can and cannot accomplish, and the life he built without the woman he still loves. Suggested episode: Life after Parkland: A victim’s dad turns to art and activism GUEST: Charles G. Wolf: After his wife, Katherine, was killed in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, he became a prominent advocate for victims’ families, pushing for changes to the federal compensation system and working to preserve the legacy of those lost Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Flight attendant Jeff Collman was aboard American Airlines Flight 11 when it crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower on September 11, 2001.
Today marks the 25th Anniversary of 9/11, the day in which 19 individuals, each following the ideology of Islam, brought terrorism to the United States of America. 2,977 lives were taken. People were going about their day--getting up, going to work, involved in meetings--when terror struck. First it was American Airlines Flight 11 that hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. 17 minutes later American Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. These were airliners fully fueled. Then American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. We aired the testimony on Crosstalk of Lieutenant Colonel Brian Birdwell who spoke at a VCY Rally. He was the only survivor of the Pentagon's E-Ring between corridors 4 and 5 which was directly in the path of Flight 77. Another airliner, United Airlines Flight 93, was also overpowered by Islamic terrorists. It was believed that the intended target was the White House. Aboard that flight was a man by the name of Todd Beamer. Todd used the Airfone to make a call. The person taking that call was Lisa Jefferson. 20 years ago on Crosstalk, nearing the 5th anniversary of 9/11, Jim interviewed Lisa, who went from being GTE Airfone supervisor, suburban wife and mother to being the listening ear to a nation shattered by tragedy. She tells the gripping account of 9/11 from her vantage point, recalling the moment when she took the call from Todd Beamer aboard United Airlines Flight 93 and when she heard the immortal words, "Let's Roll." We've gone back into the archives and have pulled out excerpts from that Crosstalk program, which was originally broadcast on August 14, 2006.
Clarendon Hills resident Stu Breslow joins the Lisa Dent Show to share his story of September 11, 2001 where he was on the 40th floor of the North Tower as the attack on the World Trade Center happened. He addresses every moment from meeting the first responders headed up the tower, to finding shelter away […]
A quarter of a century ago, we lost the lives of nearly 3,000 people in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia on September 11, 2001. Nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked and crashed four commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center (WTC), the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, PA. Since that day, several thousand have tragically died from 9/11-related illnesses, with tens of thousands today still battling those illnesses.One of those survivors and firefighters is here today to share his 9/11 story.Joe Torrillo, a retired 25-year FDNY lieutenant from Brooklyn, spent the first fifteen years of his firefighting career at Engine Company #10 directly across the South Tower of the WTC. By the Grace of God, he survived the collapse of the South Tower and then the North Tower, resulting in life-long injuries. Hear how Joe reflects on 9/11 as we remember those we lost 25 years ago.Please visit Joe's website to learn more about his work: joetorrillo.comSupport the showVisit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute!JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level!IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.
Today marks the 25th Anniversary of 9/11, the day in which 19 individuals, each following the ideology of Islam, brought terrorism to the United States of America. 2,977 lives were taken. People were going about their day--getting up, going to work, involved in meetings--when terror struck. First it was American Airlines Flight 11 that hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. 17 minutes later American Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. These were airliners fully fueled. Then American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. We aired the testimony on Crosstalk of Lieutenant Colonel Brian Birdwell who spoke at a VCY Rally. He was the only survivor of the Pentagon's E-Ring between corridors 4 and 5 which was directly in the path of Flight 77. Another airliner, United Airlines Flight 93, was also overpowered by Islamic terrorists. It was believed that the intended target was the White House. Aboard that flight was a man by the name of Todd Beamer. Todd used the Airfone to make a call. The person taking that call was Lisa Jefferson. 20 years ago on Crosstalk, nearing the 5th anniversary of 9/11, Jim interviewed Lisa, who went from being GTE Airfone supervisor, suburban wife and mother to being the listening ear to a nation shattered by tragedy. She tells the gripping account of 9/11 from her vantage point, recalling the moment when she took the call from Todd Beamer aboard United Airlines Flight 93 and when she heard the immortal words, "Let's Roll." We've gone back into the archives and have pulled out excerpts from that Crosstalk program, which was originally broadcast on August 14, 2006.
Today marks the 25th Anniversary of 9/11, the day in which 19 individuals, each following the ideology of Islam, brought terrorism to the United States of America. 2,977 lives were taken. People were going about their day--getting up, going to work, involved in meetings--when terror struck. First it was American Airlines Flight 11 that hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. 17 minutes later American Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. These were airliners fully fueled. Then American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. We aired the testimony on Crosstalk of Lieutenant Colonel Brian Birdwell who spoke at a VCY Rally. He was the only survivor of the Pentagon's E-Ring between corridors 4 and 5 which was directly in the path of Flight 77. Another airliner, United Airlines Flight 93, was also overpowered by Islamic terrorists. It was believed that the intended target was the White House. Aboard that flight was a man by the name of Todd Beamer. Todd used the Airfone to make a call. The person taking that call was Lisa Jefferson. 20 years ago on Crosstalk, nearing the 5th anniversary of 9/11, Jim interviewed Lisa, who went from being GTE Airfone supervisor, suburban wife and mother to being the listening ear to a nation shattered by tragedy. She tells the gripping account of 9/11 from her vantage point, recalling the moment when she took the call from Todd Beamer aboard United Airlines Flight 93 and when she heard the immortal words, "Let's Roll." We've gone back into the archives and have pulled out excerpts from that Crosstalk program, which was originally broadcast on August 14, 2006.
Two strangers on the same floor of the North Tower, ninety flights between them and the street below. What happened between the moment they found each other and the moment the building came down. Part of the 9/11 Stories series from The Conspiracy Podcast, marking 25 years since the attacks.
Sujo John and his wife Mary emigrated from India to the U.S. in February, 2001. Both found work at the World Trade Center – one in the North Tower, one in the South Tower. Life was good for the young couple; they had jobs, and they were expecting their first child. Then, they went to work on September 11th. Today, On this episode, Sujo John shares his story of how he survived the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, and how it changed his life forever. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, two women who lost their fathers at the World Trade Center are opening up about grief, memory, and justice that still hasn't arrived. Jessica Trant was 19 when her father Dan Trant, a Cantor Fitzgerald bond trader and former NBA draft pick, called from the 104th floor of the North Tower to say goodbye. Elizabeth Miller was six when her father Doug Miller, an FDNY Rescue 5 firefighter, ran into the towers and never came home. In this episode, Jessica and Elizabeth, the subjects of the new CBS documentary Daughters of 9/11 — join me to talk about growing up around an empty chair, how differently they each grieve, their trips to Guantánamo Bay, and their sharply different views on what should happen to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the confessed architect of 9/11 whose trial still hasn't begun, 25 years later. Reality Life with Kate Casey Vanity Fair Article: https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/martha-moxleys-diary What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecaseySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
As we mark 25 years since September 11, we're revisiting Ari Schonbrun's extraordinary story of survival. Ari worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower. A series of seemingly ordinary delays left him running late that morning, placing him on the 78th floor when the first plane struck. Thrown to the ground by the impact and surrounded by smoke, fire, and chaos, Ari began searching for a way out. That search brought him to Virginia, a severely burned coworker who begged him not to leave her. Ari made her a promise and helped her down dozens of flights of stairs, refusing to abandon her even as they fought to escape with their lives. In this deeply moving conversation, Ari recounts the decisions, strangers, and extraordinary moments of Divine Providence that led them out of the tower, and how surviving September 11 forever changed his faith, his priorities, and the way he understands why he was spared. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:04 Not Taught in School 4:50 A Beautiful Tuesday Morning 11:25 First Plane Hits 14:08 A Woman Screaming for Help 17:03 Finding a Way Out 19:04 A Phone Call in the Stairwell 21:36 Is There a Paramedic in the Building? 25:32 Finds Out it's a Terrorist Attack 29:20 Breaking Down in His Brother's Arms 32:38 Go Hug the People You Love 34:40 Twenty People, A Hundred Messages 35:45 Daddy's Got to Work 38:00 One Mitzvah at a Time 43:33 Only Four Survived 47:20 The Smoky Taste the Next Morning 50:44 Find Your Mission 57:33 Can You Come In at 11? 59:30 Cantor Fitzgerald's Promise 1:01:19 Whispers and Bricks
An interview I did a few years ago with my friend William Cannon on his Police Off the Cuff podcast. Tells my story of being on the United flight out of Newark that morning, one behind United 93 in the flight path, hear about how the four armed FBI Agents on that flight saw the first plane impact the North Tower and how we were briefed by the pilots, who were desperately trying to raise Flight 93 on their radio and how we secured the aircraft until our emergency landing. The we raced back to Manhattan and were working at Ground Zero before the day ended. We also cover my Audible Original Series, After the Fall, which I co-wrote and produced for the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and which tells the story of the investigation into the 9/11attacks told directly by the people on the ground working the case. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the midst of the terror at ground zero on September 11, 2011, some heroic servant leaders ran into the chaos to serve something greater than themself. This episode is in honor of those lost and those who inspire us to serve. Jason is joined by former U.S. Marine and 9/11 first responder Jason Thomas for a gripping firsthand account of servant leadership under extreme crisis. For Full Show Notes visit https://www.jasonvbarger.com/podcast/honoring-9-11-jason-thomas/ Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, how do we honor the sacrifices made and carry those lessons into how we lead our teams today? In this powerful episode of The Thermostat, Jason V. Barger sits down with former U.S. Marine Jason Thomas, whose heroic actions at Ground Zero served as the real-life inspiration for the film World Trade Center. Thomas shares his harrowing story of driving into Manhattan on September 11, 2001, and navigating the scorching debris to rescue two trapped Port Authority officers. This conversation moves beyond typical business anecdotes to explore the ultimate test of servant leadership. Jason and Jason discuss how deeply ingrained family values—specifically the mandate to "be your brother's keeper"—dictate our actions in times of chaos. They explore what it means to keep your word under immense pressure, the selflessness required to put your team first, and why authentic leaders never go backwards. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, HR directors, and anyone committed to shaping compelling cultures, this episode offers profound insights on resilience, honoring commitments, and building an organizational temperature grounded in unwavering support. Episode Notes & Timestamps: Intro: Jason sets the stage for an unforgettable conversation honoring the events of 9/11 and defining what servant leadership truly looks like. Meet Jason Thomas: Introduction to Jason's background, his transition from the Marine Corps to Air Force medic, and how the trauma of 9/11 shifted his career path. The Morning of 9/11: Jason recounts the surreal moments of dropping his newborn off, seeing the North Tower hit on television, and immediately throwing on his uniform. The Foundation of Culture: Exploring how Jason's mother established a powerful family temperature of "never leave your brother behind" that guided his actions that day. Into the Rubble: The daunting physical challenge of crawling over hot I-beams, shouting into the darkness, and refusing to retreat when warned by other responders. "Are You An Angel?": The chilling moment of falling 12 feet into a dark hole and discovering the trapped Port Authority officers, Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin. The Ultimate Sacrifice: Will Jimeno's selfless request to have his leg amputated with a K-bar knife to save his sergeant, highlighting true team devotion. Keeping Your Word: The emotional weight of learning that an earlier responder had promised to return but didn't, and Jason's unwavering commitment to stay. The Aftermath: The psychological toll of the rescue, driving home covered in ash, and returning to Ground Zero for 20 straight days to search for more survivors. Questions to Ponder: Jason V. Barger challenges listeners to evaluate the temperature they are setting in their own lives and organizations. Key Takeaways for Leaders: Be Your Brother's Keeper: Establish a culture where team members instinctively support one another, proving through daily action that no one will be left behind. Your Word is Your Currency: In moments of crisis, trust is the only thing that holds a team together. If you make a commitment to your people, you must fulfill it. Forward Motion: Authentic leaders do not retreat when operations become difficult; they rely on their deeply ingrained values to navigate the chaos and pull their team out of the dark. Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/honoring-9-11-and-servant-leadership-with-jason-thomas/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 In the second hour Kerby speaks with 911 Survivor Sujo John. Sujo joins Kerby in the studio. He was pulled from the rubble of the towers falling on top of him, after having climbed all the way down from the North Tower's 81st floor that morning. The trajectory of his life […]
Sujo John: Surviving 9/11, Finding Purpose, and Living the Gospel Out LoudIn this week's Team Never Quit Podcast, Marcus and Melanie meet with Sujo John, who, on the morning of September 11, 2001, went to work on the 81st floor of Tower 1 of the World Trade Center carrying a question that had been weighing heavily on his heart: What is my purpose?Just months earlier, Sujo and his wife, Mary, had moved from India to begin a new life in America. They were expecting their first child, building successful careers, and seemingly living the American dream. Sujo worked in the North Tower of the World Trade Center, while Mary worked on the 71st floor of the South Tower.Yet despite everything going well, Sujo felt an unmistakable emptiness. He believed God had a greater calling on his life but had no idea what that calling would look like.At 8:05 a.m. on September 11, Sujo sent an email to a friend at church describing his search for meaning and purpose.Less than an hour later, everything changed.American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the North Tower. Sujo's office filled with smoke, fire, shattered debris, and chaos. As terrified employees searched for a way out, Sujo began the long descent down the stairwell, surrounded by hundreds of people trying to escape—and firefighters and police officers heading in the opposite direction toward the devastation. All the while, Sujo could think of only one person: Mary. He had no way of knowing whether she was alive.After escaping Tower 1, Sujo began making his way toward Tower 2 to find her. Then the unimaginable happened. The South Tower collapsed. Standing near the base of the building, Sujo found himself surrounded by people as the massive structure came crashing down around them. In those terrifying moments, he began praying and felt compelled to tell the people nearby to call on the name of Jesus.Soon, voices around him were crying out, "Jesus!" When the dust settled, Sujo found himself buried in several feet of white soot and broken glass—but alive. Through the darkness and debris, he encountered a man lying face down who had a flashlight. Sujo encouraged him to get up and keep moving. When the man stood, Sujo noticed the letters FBI on his jacket.Together, the two men held hands and walked through the near-zero visibility until they spotted the flashing lights of an ambulance and eventually found their way to safety.But Sujo still didn't know whether Mary had survived. Then his phone rang. It was Mary.In an extraordinary turn of events, her train had arrived at the World Trade Center subway station just minutes after the first plane struck. She had never made it inside Tower 2. Both had survived.Standing together later that day and looking back at the smoking ruins of the buildings where they had worked, Sujo and Mary realized that the promises they had separately made to God during those terrifying hours would define the rest of their lives.They would dedicate themselves completely to Him.From Survival to CallingSeptember 11 became the defining turning point in Sujo John's life.What began that morning as a search for purpose became a calling to share the Gospel around the world. Sujo and Mary devoted their lives to ministry, sharing their testimony in churches throughout America and internationally.Their ministry also developed a deep commitment to helping people who are often overlooked and forgotten, including women and girls rescued from the sex industry in India through the House of Rahab.For Sujo, surviving 9/11 was never simply about being given another day to live. It was about being given another opportunity to live with purpose.And his message to Christians today is challenging:The Gospel was never intended to remain inside church walls.Believers are called to make their faith visible—to serve their communities, invest in the next generation, and become the hands and feet of Jesus to the people around them.In This EpisodeSujo shares the extraordinary story of escaping the World Trade Center on September 11, the desperate search for his wife, the prayers that rose from the rubble, and the miraculous phone call revealing that Mary was alive.He also discusses the deeper story behind that day—his lifelong questions about suffering, his search for purpose, and the calling that emerged from one of the darkest moments in American history.This conversation is ultimately about more than survival. It's about purpose. It's about faith when life stops making sense. And it's about what happens when someone decides that the life they've been given will be spent serving something greater than themselves.Support Sujo:- IG: https://www.instagram.com/sujojohnofficial?igsi=MW5ibmVidGJkd3N0Zg==Sujo John - https://sujojohn.com/YouCanFreeUs - https://youcanfreeus.org/ I Am Second Story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CryxwzBuldcSupport TNQ - IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13 - https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquitSponsors: - Navyfederal.org - Dripdrop.com/TNQ- vinted.com/TNQ - davidprotein.com/TNQ- quo.com/TNQ - mengotomars.com [Team Never Quit] - bubsnaturals.com [Promo code TNQ] - mizzenandmain.com [Promo code: TNQ20] - masterclass.com/TNQ - ShopMando.com [Promo code: TNQ] - Tractorsupply.com/hometownheroes - meetfabiric.com/TNQ - Prizepicks (TNQ) - armslist.com/TNQ - PXGapparel.com/TNQ - bruntworkwear.com/TNQ - shipsticks.com/TNQ - stopboxusa.com {TNQ} - Tonal.com [TNQ] - greenlight.com/TNQ - drinkAG1.com/TNQ - Hims.com/TNQ
── Interview 1: Richard Gage — RichardGage911.org / Turning the Tide Conference ──────────────────────────────────────────[00:07:04]Building 7 Came Down at Freefall in 7 Seconds — No Steel Frame High-Rise Has Ever Collapsed Due to Fire47 stories, 100 feet from the North Tower; fires few, scattered, burned out; not one of 82 columns gave any resistance during the fall.────────────────────────────────────────[00:35:30]FEMA Found Never-Before-Observed Eutectic Reactions Melting Steel — Fire Cannot Do This; Thermite CanSteel from Building 7 turned to Swiss cheese; rapid oxidation and sulfidation at over 3,000 degrees; FEMA included it and it was suppressed.────────────────────────────────────────[00:09:07]"Turning the Tide" — 40 Speakers; New York September 10-13; Live Streamed on RedactedRoger Waters, architects, structural engineers, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks team; largest 9/11 Truth conference ever; next false flag: a nuclear bomb in LA blamed on Iran. ── Interview 2: Pfizer's Former Chief Toxicologist ──────────────────────────────────────────[01:37:43]Spike Protein Still Present in Tissues Three Years Later — mRNA Was Modified to Remain Active Much LongerTold it would stay in the muscle and disappear within days; it spread systemically; the modification making RNA more durable was the mechanism of prolonged damage.────────────────────────────────────────[01:38:07]We Are Living Under a Sword of Damocles — Especially for Constantly Boosted People; It Is Not OverMyocarditis became a household word; children require ECGs before sports; people are accepting this as normal; it is not normal and will not go away.────────────────────────────────────────[01:40:18]Doctors Who Spoke Out Had Their Careers Destroyed — After Retirement People Dared to SpeakIf you can't publish and risk jail, you stay silent; people no longer dependent on the system spoke up; the few who did were purged in Europe and the US.────────────────────────────────────────[01:41:42]Trump's First Day: Partner With Oracle to Design Custom mRNA Using AI — Doubling Down, Not Pulling BackKnight: where's the off switch? For many it hasn't turned off; Trump only sees business opportunities; the acceleration is deliberate.────────────────────────────────────────[01:43:16]Do Not Vaccinate Children Before Age Three — Period of Greatest Brain Development and SensitivityThis one change would reduce the harm enormously; the pro-vaxxers will not change their minds; wake up everyone else: do not get boosted again.────────────────────────────────────────[01:47:42]Fauci Is the Scapegoat — The Real Culprit Is an Institutional Mafia; Francis Collins Never Gets ScrutinizedBiden gave Fauci a pardon; Trump gave him a commendation; responsible from 2014 when gain of function funding began; safe target so the bigger network is never discussed. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code “KNIGHT” For high quality made in America products go to HomeSteadProducts.shop and use promo code “Knight” for 10% off your purchases Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.
Surviving September 11 took more than courage. It took preparation, trust, and the ability to manage fear. I share my experience escaping from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center with my guide dog, Roselle, and the lessons that shaped how I responded that morning. You'll hear how years of learning my surroundings, trusting my training, and understanding my role as a leader helped me stay focused during the evacuation. I also explore blindness, the limits society places on blind people, and the power of teamwork between a guide dog and handler. Most of all, this story is about focusing on what you can control, trusting the relationships you've built, and preparing yourself to act when fear shows up. Highlights: 00:10 – Why Michael is revisiting September 11, 25 years later. 11:45 – How Michael learned that blindness itself isn't the limitation. 32:50 – Why preparation inside the World Trade Center mattered when crisis hit. 36:40 – How staying calm helped Michael lead others toward safety. 44:46 – The lesson Michael heard while running from the collapsing tower. 51:59 – What Roselle taught Michael about fear, trust, and moving forward. About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Transcript: Michael Hingson 00:04 Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of Unstoppable Mindset. I am your host, Mike Hingson, and today we're doing something a little bit different. This is Friday, september 4, 20/26, and this is the first of four episodes commemorating all of the events that happened in and around September 11, 2001. As many of you know, I was in the World Trade Center working for a company. I had opened an office for them on the 78th floor of Tower One of the World Trade Center, and on September 11th, I was in my office because we were going to be doing some special sales training for people, and I was there getting prepared to do all of that when the terrorists attacked the towers, and then later the Pentagon. And as you may know, a fourth aircraft was crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, because people on the aircraft took it over from the terrorists or tried to anyway, so one of the things that we thought would be helpful would be for me to give you again a taste of what I actually went through and what occurred on September 11, 2001, when we started this podcast back in August of 2021, I played a speech that talked about some of what happened to me in the World Trade Center. But today we're going to do a different speech. In April of 2024, I was invited to be a speaker at the Marshfield, Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival. Now that festival is a yearly event celebrating and commemorating different events in American history. In 2024, I was invited to come and speak and talk about my experience at the World Trade Center and to help put some of that into context. I thought it would be very relevant for all of you if we played that speech for you, so that you would again get a taste of what occurred with me, why I was able to survive and escape, and a little bit about the lessons that we should learn about not only September 11th, but frankly, from my perspective, being the fact that I have been blind since I was born in 1950, I want you to learn a little bit more about blindness. So we're going to present to you now my speech delivered in April on April 27, 2024, at the Marshfield, Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival. I hope that you'll enjoy it. I hope that it will teach you some things, and don't forget that we have other episodes coming up. We have another episode occurring on the eighth of September where I'm going to be interviewed by Michelle Abraham from Amplify You. Amplify You is the company that I work with to get these podcasts out twice a week, and Michelle has her own podcast, and she's going to interview me to talk about lessons we've learned, to talk a little bit about what happened on September 11th. But we won't give anything away for what's going to happen later in this series of episodes. On September 11th, I will be talking with Bob Ellis. Bob was at the Pentagon on September 11th and literally just walked out the door just before the aircraft hit the Pentagon. We're going to talk about that and again, hopefully, put some of things in perspective for you. Then on the 15th of September, I'm going to come back on episode 475 of our podcast, and talk a little bit more in detail about the lessons that I've learned, and talk about things that I hope people will take away and remember from september 11. I know many of you weren't even born when the World Trade Center terrorist attacks occurred, and so this episode 472, especially, I hope will give you a little bit better sense of what occurred, and from my perspective, why things occurred the way they did, and and how we proceed. So I hope you'll enjoy this episode. Hope that you'll enjoy what it brings, and we will definitely be moving forward to talk about some other things later on. Speaker 1 04:24 There are moments in American history that changed the national conscience. Yesterday, we heard about the assassination of President Kennedy. Some of you might be old enough to remember the attack of Pearl Harbor, and for most recently in American history, of course, the terrorist attacks September 11th. Today, you're going to hear a riveting account, a a heroic story of a man whose story I believe will really pull at your heartstrings. And to moderate that panel today, or that interview, to do is conduct our interview. Today is Mary Acher, who's no stranger to this stage, good friend, presidential historian, and a great interviewer. If you'll put your hands together for Miss Mary, Speaker 2 05:11 I just am so honored to met Michael Hinkson and Alamo. You know by what you see that he came down on the 78th floor of the North Tower with his guide dog Brosel, but I have a friend named Doug Weed who always told me, "You don't brag on yourself; you get somebody else to brag on you. And I want to brag on Michael before we start this. Before I ask him to tell this story, Michael was a premature baby, and at the time when he was born, they put the babies in pre in a the premature babies in a incubator sealed with 100% oxygen, and the doctors didn't know that then, but it blinded the children, and Michael was blinded at birth. So Michael was very fortunate that he had parents that refused to allow him to even think about being disabled. They mainstreamed him before mainstreaming was even known, and they taught him to ride a bicycle. They let him drive a car, and later in his life, he actually piloted an airplane. Is that amazing? He loved mathematics. He loved physics. He was taught geometry. He solved math problems in his head. He's got a master's degree in physics and another-not a master's, but a regular in in teaching. So that is why he is such an amazing man. He's never ever let this what enough people call a disability stop him at all? As a matter of fact, he has been such an amazing gift to the unsighted community in in the Braille and things that technology that blind people can utilize to be online and be all kinds of of things that they wouldn't ever have been allowed to do even 50 years ago. So anyway, I'm just so honored to have met you, Michael. It's just been amazing. I'm going to take him to Lambert's tomorrow. He says I have to catch the rolls, or somebody else will catch them and they'll eat them and he won't get it. I promised him I'd catch the rolls. All right, my dear Michael, would you start telling us about that horrendous day? I am Michael Hingson 08:00 going to not do what I said I was gonna do. I'm gonna stand up, and I'm gonna be very interested to go to Lambert's to see what they do with me, since normally they would throw the rolls, as I understand it. And I'm gonna point out that doesn't really work. So now, what are you gonna do? Because if they all fall on the floor and the dog gets them, and the dog gets sick, you guys are in trouble. So I'll be interested to see exactly what happens. No, I'm sure it will work out. Mary, thank you for those those kind words. I'd like to start by defining a couple things to help us in all of this. Mary is absolutely right about what my parents did in their position, the doctors told my parents when it was discovered I was blind at about four months of age that I should be sent to a home because no blind child could ever grow up to amount to anything or contribute to society. If you think that's bad, it was worse in other parts of the world where, when children were born who were blind, were just drowned in a bucket of water. So, in a sense, it wasn't as bad. Not every child who was born premature and put in an incubator did go blind, and it's unfortunate, in a sense, that at the time that I was born. Dr. Arnold Papps at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University had discovered that, in fact, oxygen could cause blindness, and even a few minutes a day of a non-oxygen environment would drop the incidence of blindness down to zero. But medical science didn't believe him because they said, "Well, too much oxygen can't be a problem. And what Dr. Arnold Pats essentially really proved is that too much of anything can be a problem. So it is it is an issue. I finally actually some time ago got to meet Dr. Pats. Before he passed, it was it was fascinating to talk with him about that. The condition at the time when I was born was called retroenterial fibroplasia. If you want to know how to spell that, I wrote a book called Thunderdog: The Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero, which we plan to have here, but the publisher messed up, so it wasn't. But you can go buy Thunderdog anywhere, and you can learn how to spell retrolateral fibroplegia. It is now called retinopathyoprematurity. I guess that's a little easier to spell. I don't know still why they changed the name, but they did. So fine, I don't care. I am blind. I don't care. Blindness isn't the problem. I've learned from my parents and growing up and being alive now for yep 74 years, blindness isn't the problem. The problem is our perception of blindness, what we believe blind people can and can't do, as opposed to what they truly can and can't do. If you want to really see a story or something about a blind person driving a car, there is a website www.blinddriverchallenge.org. Blinddriverchallenge.org. The president of the National Federation of the Blind in October of 2001 challenged private industry and universities to create a vehicle that a blind person could drive, not an autonomous vehicle, but truly a vehicle that would transmit to the blind person the information necessary for them to drive the vehicle. What you will see at blinddriverchallenge.org is a video of a gentleman named Mark Riccobono. Too many marks. Mark Riccobono driving a vehicle independently without any assistance around the Daytona Speedway, right before the 2011 Rolex 24 race, he will go through an obstacle course. He will pass boxes that are being thrown out of a van to try to block his way. He will pass the van and a number of things like that. The reality is, what is driving? It's all about you having the information necessary for you to control your vehicle, and as far as I'm concerned, given what Mark Riccobono did, and given the reality that the information is available to us, given the way most sighted drivers drive, I'll take me any day, especially where I live in Victorville. My gosh! But the the reality is, blindness isn't the problem. I grew up believing that I went to public school. I went to college. Michael Hingson 12:26 I did get a master's degree in physics. As I love to tell people, I'm as good as Doc Brown from Back to the Future in building reactors and nuclear bombs. The only difference between me and Doc Brown is I won't go steal fissionable material from some source that might come after me later. So you know, I think I was a little smarter than Doc Brown, but the fact is, again, it's not the problem. I was also the program director of the campus radio station for a while, and I worked at the campus radio station KUCI 89.9 on your FM dial for seven years. I did a show playing old radio shows every Sunday night from six to nine. Didn't even know what 60 minutes was. I heard about it, and one day finally somebody from the show or from the the Orange County Jail called and said, "We really got a situation. We want you to know about it here at the jail. People who heard about you, they've heard about 60 minutes, and on Sunday nights we have to divide the jail in half. Half of the people go up to a television room to watch 60 Minutes, and the other half, which is the bigger half, want to hear your show playing old radio shows on Sunday nights. So you know we must be doing something right. That even at the jail, they liked us. I went to work in 1976 for the National Federation of the Blind. It's the largest organization of blind consumers in the country. I was offered a position because I was in in the science world, one of the few at the time in that world. And the president of the federation, Dr. Jernigan, told me in late 74, early 75, we got a situation. There's a guy named Ray Kurzweil. You may have heard of Ray. He's a futurist. He's an inventor. He's invented the singularity. I'm not totally sure I agree with everything that Ray says. You know, Ray once said the only problem with God is we haven't invented it yet. I don't agree with that. And the other part about it is Ray says that we're really going to all become part of the world when chips are created that will allow us to directly interact with computers. Well, we'll see. I don't want to chip in my brain yet. But Ray at that time had developed a piece of technology that would actually look at a printed page. It actually had to build it up line by line, so it wasn't like snapping a picture. But it would learn to recognize all the characters on that page, no matter what their type styles or print styles were, and it would read it out loud, called the Kurzweil Reading Machine for the Blind. Just like with blindness and retro-entral fibroblasia, the government didn't believe he could do it because nobody else had been able to do it, and so they wouldn't help fund it. He came to the federation, and the federation said, "Tell you what we're going to do." Ray, I'm not sure they said it quite that way, but tell you what we're going to do, Ray. We're going to send somebody up there with a bunch of material, and if your machine reads what we bring up, not what you want to read, if it reads what we bring up, then we're going to help you get funding. And Ray, I'm sure again it wasn't quite the way he said it, but he said, "Bring it on. They did. It did, and a relationship began that exists to this day-a machine that literally would read print out loud. And Ray wanted the first application of omnivore optical character recognition to be a machine that would read print out loud for blind people. We created a project where we purchased several machines, and then for 18 months, from 1976, in October through June of 1978, I lived in suitcases or out of suitcases in hotels, traveling around the country where we put machines at places like the New York Public Library, the Iowa Commission for the Blind, the San Francisco Public Library, and some other agencies for the blind around the country. Michael Hingson 15:59 The idea being that we wanted blind people to come and use the machine, read whatever they wanted to read, and then give us information about what needed to go into a final production model of the machine. I wrote training curriculum. I wrote the the technical manuals for teaching people how to use the machine. I taught people to use it. I observed people using it. Sometimes grabbed my old soldering gun and fix things that broke on the machines. These were $50,000, 400 pound machines. They weren't little things like an app on an iPhone today, right? So anyway, we finally wrote the final recommendations, and then Ray said, "I want to hire you to come and do the same sort of thing within the company. So I went to work for Ray, moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Actually, I learned I moved to Winthrop, Massachusetts, learned how to go from Winthrop to Cambridge every day, and we began a relationship. And I worked at Kurzweil Computer Products, in and that started in again October of 1978. In May of 1978, I was called into the office of the VP of Marketing, and Andrew Parson said, "We're laying you off. What? We're laying you off. Why? Oh, it's not that you're doing a bad job or anything, but unfortunately, like a lot of engineering startup companies, we've hired too many people who aren't revenue producers, and we have to have more revenue producers. And so, as important as your job is, it's not as important as making money for the company. So we have to lay you off. Then he paused and he said, "Unless you'll go into sales. Now, I'm a science guy. However, I thought about it for a micro nanosecond, and I said, "Sure, I'll go into sales. As I love to tell people, I decided I would lower my standards and go from science to sales, and did. I said I don't know anything about sales. He said we'll send you to a Dale Carnegie sales course and all that. Well, I started selling, but not the reading machine for the blind. Instead, I sold a new product they had called the Kurzweil Data Entry Machine, and unlike the reading machine for the blind that sold for $50,000, if you want one, we might be able to find one of the old machines for you for 49 995. Instead, I sold a new product called the Kurzweil Data Entry Machine, which was only $125,000. I guess they had confidence in my ability, and I was very grateful for it. The real reason that I didn't want to refuse the sales position is I knew that at that time, and it's still somewhat today, the unemployment rate among employable blind people is close to 70. That is seven 0% It's not because we can't do the work; it's because people think we won't be able to do the work and don't give us the opportunity. So the bottom line is, I lowered my standards and went from science to sales, and did that for a while. And then in 1981, while Xerox was considering and actually working toward buying the product, I was asked by Ray and the VP of Sales to move back to California, where I was from, to help integrate Kurzweil into the Xerox West Coast environment, including their research center called Palo Alto Area Research Center Park, and I did. And my thanks for that was that after the the whole sale was consummated and Xerox completely took over. I was the last salesperson in June of 1984 to receive a FedEx letter saying thank you for your service, but we don't want you anymore. Goodbye, because all Xerox wanted was the technology. They didn't want the people. Now I was confronted with the situation. How am I going to find a job? What am I going to do? 70% unemployment. and I went out and I wrote lots of cover letters, sent out lots of resumes, and I even got a headhunter who called me and said, "Love your resume. We're going to have you interview with this company up in San Jose, California. We'll send you a ticket. They sent me the ticket the night before the flight. The guy called. Back and he says, "You know, I was just looking at your resume again. I see you do a lot of things with blind people. Michael Hingson 20:04 Is there somebody in your family who's blind? You notice that? And I said, "Yeah, I'm blind. You're blind? Well, I'm going to have to call them. They're not going to want to talk to you. I said, "Nothing has changed. My resume is still the same, but you're blind. It's all changed. No, it hasn't. There were no laws to stand on. The reservation was canceled, and I didn't do the interview. Their loss. If Speaker 3 20:30 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset Community. Michael Hingson 21:02 Eventually, not finding a job, I started my own company selling computer-aided design systems to architects. A blind guy selling CAD systems? Why the heck not? I didn't need to work the machine. What I needed to know was how to work the machine, so I could describe it to architects, and I could sit them down in front of a machine and talk with them and talk them through it. We also hired people to demo CAD systems, and I did that for four years. And then I went back into the workforce. And when I went back into the workforce, my wife and I were talking one day, and she said, "You know, I got this great job I just discovered in the newspaper. It's selling high-end, new, revolutionary, hot, pluggable disc technology. It's perfect for you. You should apply. And I said to my wife Karen, who I had married in 1982. By the way, Karen also had a disability. She was in a wheelchair her whole life. She reads. I push. Worked out well. I said, so do I say in my cover letter I'm blind or not? Because typically, if you say you're blind, same thing will happen with the headhunter. You won't even get a call back if you don't say you're blind. You might get a callback, but then they're going to have all their defenses go up when you show up for the interview. And she said, "You're an idiot. Wives can do that, gentlemen, and it's fine. You're an idiot. Why? What's the most important thing you always said to every salesperson you ever hired, well, I wasn't quite sure which things she was thinking of. I had several things that I always said to salespeople I hired. She said, "You always told every salesperson you ever hired turn here's the operative word perceived liabilities into assets. You ever watch those little cartoons in the newspapers and all that, where the light bulb goes on over your head. Well, that's what happened, and I went and I wrote a cover letter to send with this resume to this company. And here are the last two paragraphs of the letter. The most important thing you need to know about me is that I am blind. As a blind person, I have had to sell all my life just to be able to function and survive. I've had to sell to take my guide dog on airplanes. I didn't tell them that we had to sue one airline because they violated their own policy because they wouldn't let me go on an airplane with my guide dog. I've had to sell to convince people to let me buy a house, move into apartments, sometimes take my guide dog into grocery stores, and do anything else because I was blind, I've always had to sell. So, second paragraph: When you're hiring someone for this job, do you want to hire somebody who comes in and works for eight or 10 hours a day, and then just goes home because the job is over, or do you want to truly hire somebody who understands sales for the science and art that it is, and who sells 24 hours a day as a way of life. Sent off the letter. Waited for two weeks, wondering if I'd get a call or an email. Well, no, not an email, not back then. But in late June 19 or May 1989, I got a call. This is Doug Cooper, head of marketing for Articon. We love your letter. Would you come for an interview? And I said sure. Next day we were down there. I was hired and started on july 2, 1989. Love to start on the second of July, or actually the third of July, because then I got the next day off. It was great. So I went to work for them, and we moved from where we were living in Mission Viejo down to Vista, California. The company was in Carlsbad. I began selling to the East Coast, selling our technologies and other technologies, Sun Microsystems products, and so on. And then in 1996, the owner of the company asked me to move to New York for them because we were selling to Wall Street. Michael Hingson 24:37 Wall Street was always good at getting and demanding and getting what they demanded, and they always said, "If you are a manufacturer and you're selling products to us, we want a representative, not an agent, but we want the company in Wall Street Arena to be able to to hold responsible and deal with. So we moved to New York. And I went to work on the 23rd floor of Tower Two of the World Trade Center, and was there for about a year, and then was recruited away by another company, and it wasn't hard because Articon did not figure out how to support a branch operation. So I was recruited away, and then in 1999 I was recruited away by Quantum Corporation, and now we're getting to what Mary asked about. But I needed to give you the background. Hope it was okay. So in 1999, I was hired to open an office for Quantum Corporation on well in New York City. Quantum was a company that made products called tape libraries. They were big boxes that consisted of tape drives and lots of tape cartridges, and you would attach them to computer networks, and then you would use software like one called Veritas, which is still used today. And what you would do is you would back up all of your data over the network into these tape libraries, onto tape cartridges, and then you would take the tape cartridges out and store them off-site. Now I gotta stop and be spiteful because in New Jersey they love to say that they stored them in a town called Mountainside Under a Mountain. You ever see a mountain in northern New Jersey? I came from California where we had mountains that were eight, 910, 1000 feet tall. They didn't even have decent hills, but they still called it a mountain. That was fine, whatever. They still were able to store the tapes in safe places. But the point is that all the data was backed up off-site, which is what they needed to do. We opened the actual office on august 1, 2000. I hired a staff, and we had a staff that came in and and sold, and we also worked with resellers. And in August of 2001, our main distributor Ingram Micro said, "You know, we got a lot of resellers who are selling your products, but they don't really know how to do it. Can we hold some seminars to teach our your reseller partners, our customers, the resellers, how to sell your product? I said, "You bet. We worked it out with the folks at Quantum. David Frank, who was in charge of pricing and distribution, said he wanted to come back to be a part of the seminars, and we set up doing the seminars. The idea was that we would teach them. I would be their main point of contact since I worked and lived there. David would be the person that I or they would contact without with any pricing issues, but I would be the technical point of contact contact. Master's degree in physics helps, and so we set up the seminars. And wouldn't you know it, we set them up to be held on september 11, 2001. The evening before, or the morning of September 11th, about 12:30, Roselle, my guide dog at the time, woke me up. She was very nervous and fidgety. I knew what it was like when she was fidgety. It was usually because it was a thunderstorm. She didn't like thunder, and we went down to my office. And of course, a thunderstorm did happen, and the storm literally came right over our house. I've never been in an environment where bombs went off around me, but I got to say that in this case, the thunder claps were, as I said, literally right over us, and it had to be like what a bomb sounds like going off. Anyway, it went on till about two, and then we went back up and got a couple more hours of sleep, three more hours of sleep. I got up. We went in and got to the office at about 7:40 in the morning on September 11th. As I came to the door, somebody came up with a cart. It turns out it was a guy from the Port Authority cafeteria. Michael Hingson 28:33 We were going to be providing breakfast and snacks for the first and second seminarians. We had seminars going all day, so we went in. I showed him where I wanted to set up everything in the conference room. I went in, got my laptop computer out of my backpack briefcase. I got my PowerPoint projector, and I went into the conference room and set everything up because I was going to be doing a PowerPoint show that day to give people all the information they needed about the ATLP 3000, the ATLP 1000, and so on. Yes, blind people can do PowerPoint, folks. It's not magic. You sighted bigots. So I had a script, and my wife and I had created the script, and I'd used it many times. The script was in Braille. I knew what was on every slide. We put a couple of things in addition on the script. We put all the wording from the slides on the script, and we also put on the script descriptions of the pictures, as well as where the picture would show up on the screen. So I would, for example, when we showed this to other customers around the city, I'd blow their minds because I would be doing the presentation. My sales guys loved it when I went out and did PowerPoint presentations because I could just point over my shoulder. On the left side of your screen, you'll see the ATLP 3000 with 16 cartridge, 16 drives, 326. Cartridges, and you see the label that says Prism Technology. We could hook five of them together. On the right side of your screen, you'll see the ATLP 1000, which was a single unit with 30 cartridges and one tape drive. And people would come up to me afterwards, and they say, "You know, we're ticked at you. I go, "Why? Well, first of all, your presentation was not boring, which usually they are. But second of all, you never turned and looked at the screen. You kept looking at us, even though you were pointing right to where everything was with your laser pointer. We didn't dare fall asleep. We forgot you were blind. And my response was, "You don't get it. My dog was down here taking notes. If you'd fallen asleep, we would have got you anyway. But that was what it was about. My responsibility was to be the leader of that office, and I had to do what anyone else would do. One of the main things that I did was spend hours, days walking around the World Trade Center, learning what the kiosks were in the shopping mall on the first floor, learning where different offices were, consulting with the Port Authority police and the fire prevention people learning what to do in case of an emergency because sometimes I might be in the office all by my little self. There would be nobody else around. I didn't want my staff in the office. I wanted them out selling and working and supporting customers. Not being in the office, of course, they did usually come in at least once a week. And and so I learned never watched The Sopranos, but I got to tell you, I learned more about the Sopranos from all the Italian Americans on my staff who talked about the Sopranos constantly. Bada bing, bada boom, and I learned a whole lot about Tony Soprano without ever watching the show. But the point is that I needed to know all that stuff. I needed to know where the restaurants were. Customers come into the office. Oh, you want to go out to lunch? What kind of food do you want? There's a great deli downstairs called Fine and Shapiro. Let me take you there. How would it have looked if I didn't know how to do that, and I had to say to someone, "You're going to have to let me take your arm and lead me there because I don't know how to get there, and two hours later we're supposed to be negotiating multi-million dollar contracts? No, I needed to know it. I didn't have the luxury, and I don't regard it as a luxury. I regard it as a disability of reading signs. I needed to know all of that stuff. What I didn't realize is that was creating a mindset in me, which I'll talk about in a moment. Michael Hingson 32:15 Anyway, got all the laptop projectors and everything set up. The only thing I knew I didn't know how to do extremely well is to get it exactly aimed right, but about 8o'clock, David Frank came in and I said, "Say, David, this is all set up, but let's aim the projector just exactly where you want it on the screen. And we did have to turn it just a little bit, but not too much. But anyway, at 845, I was in my office and David was with me. We were creating a final list of all the people who were going to be attending the seminars, because the Port Authority police, the security people, needed to know who was coming. There were two ways you could get into the building: either we faxed on letterhead a list of people who were coming on any given day, and then the people coming in would show their photo IDs, and it would be verified against the list. And if they were allowed in, then they would be given a badge that they would put over their neck, and they would carry that, and they could scan barcode and go into the appropriate elevator to come onto our floor, or they'd have to call us every time somebody came in. And I didn't want a lot of phone calls coming in, so we were faxing the list. I was reaching for Letterhead to fax to to print the list on Letterhead when suddenly I heard and felt kind of a muffled thump and a vibration. And then literally, if you any blind people in the room, well, I'll do it anyway. I'm holding up my hand, and what happened was that literally, as I'm now tipping my hand toward you, the building began to tip. We probably moved about 20 feet. The building kept tipping and tipping. David and I said together, "What's going on? I don't know. What's going on? What do you think? Was it an explosion? I said. David said, "Didn't sound like it. Is it an earthquake? David was from New York, and now he's living in California. He didn't know about earthquakes. I said, "No, the building wasn't shaking around. It was going in one direction. And finally, and I went over and I stood in the doorway between my office and the the outside lobby of our our offices, and I stood there. Roselle was asleep under my desk. David was just on the other side of my desk, holding it near our windows, looking out over Manhattan, the south side of Manhattan. And finally, David and I both said goodbye to each other because we thought we had moved so far that the building was going to take a 78 floor plunge to the street. And then the building slowed down, and it stopped, and it moved back. As soon as it got vertical, I started walking back into the office. I met Roselle coming around from under my desk. I took her leash. I said "heel, which meant to come around behind me to sit and lie down, which is what I would normally have Alamo do, but he's comfortable, so we'll just leave him there. Roselle sat down, and about that time. The building dropped straight down about six feet. Why did it drop down? Because tall buildings like that literally are springs. They're made to flex in windstorms and other things like that. An Empire, an airplane hit the Empire State Building in the 1940s because it got lost in a fog bank. Tall buildings are flexible. They have expansion joints, and when the building was hit, the expansion joints took up all of the the things that were going on. And then when the building got straight again, the expansion joints dropped back down to their normal configuration. I knew that because I had talked to people about stuff like that. I'd forgotten it until later, but I knew it. What I hadn't realized is that what was happening when I was learning so much stuff was that a mindset was being developed in me that said, "You know what to do in an emergency. And as soon as the building dropped, David turned and looked out the window and started shouting, "Oh my God, Mike! There's fire and smoke over us! There were millions of pieces of burning paper falling outside the windows. Michael Hingson 35:59 We got to get out of here right now! Slow down, David. No, we got to get out of here. The building's on fire. I could hear things rushing and brushing outside our windows, and now I knew what they were. David told me millions of pieces of burning paper, right? And I didn't smell any smoke. Roselle wasn't doing anything to indicate any concern, and David kept saying, "We got to get out of here. The building's on fire. And I kept saying, "Slow down. Our guests began to scream. We had like five or six who were in our conference room. Early arrivals. They started coming out, but then they heard me say, "Slow down, stop, David. Just wait. And they waited to see what was going to happen. And finally, David used the big line: "You don't understand. You can't see Speaker 4 36:37 it. The Michael Hingson 36:38 problem wasn't what I wasn't seeing, the problem was what David wasn't seeing-a dog sitting next to me, wagging her tail, yawning, going, "Who the heck woke me up? I was comfy, not giving any indication of fear. And I eventually got David to focus, and I said, "David, get our guests to the stairs. Don't let them take the elevators, because I knew if there's fire, especially because if there's fire, the elevators could become fire traps. The fire could get into the elevator shafts, which it did, and anybody in the cars would be burned. David left with our guests, got them to the stairs. Meanwhile, I called Karen and told her that there had been an explosion or something. We had no clue. There was no way to know. I love it. Reporters, even today, and other people say, "Well, of course you didn't know you couldn't see it. Excuse me, you numbskulls. The last time I checked, Superman and X-ray vision were fiction, and the airplane hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. No one knew. All the way down the stairs, we didn't know because no one saw it. No one knew. Anyway, I called and told Karen she wanted to know more. I said, "I don't know anything else. I've got to go because we're not staying here. We knew instantly that we had to leave, but we got our guests out. Then David came back. We swept the offices one last time. Went to the stairs and we started down. If I knew it was the last time I was going to be in the building, I would have taken a couple of things that I didn't take. Like I had a really neat talking scientific calculator that I couldn't replace. And if I had known that I wasn't coming back, I would have taken it. It would have been a little heavier, but I would have taken it anyway. We started down the stairs. There were other people, of course, on the stairs. We got down about four floors, and I was smelling an odor. I couldn't quite figure it out, and suddenly I realized I'm smelling the fumes from burning jet fuel. I traveled 100,000 miles a year for my company. I knew what the odor of jet fuel was like. I knew the kerosene smell, but it took a while to associate it with the World Trade Center because no one would have ever thought you would have smelled it there. When I realized what it was, I observed to the other people around me on the stairs, "I'm smelling the fumes from burning jet fuel. And they said, "Yeah, you're right. That's what it is. We must have been hit by an airplane. You understand? Nobody knew. We must have been hit because of what we're smelling, so we all accepted that that was what was going on, but we had no clue. We continued down the stairs, about 10 floors down. At one point, a woman stopped right behind me, and she said, "I can't go on. I can't breathe. We're not going to make it out. And I stopped and turned around and said, "Sure, we are. Come on, this is my guide dog Roselle. He's guiding me, and and she'll encourage you. Roselle gave her kisses, and this lady gave Roselle a few pets, and so on. And other people surrounded her, and we had a group hug, and the lady was able to keep going. A few burn victims passed us on the stairs as we went down. At about the 50th floor, David, who had gotten a little quiet. Suddenly said, "Mike, we're going to die. We're not going to make it out of here. Now you heard that I have a teaching credential. What you don't know, and teachers won't generally acknowledge it, but I'm going to tell you anyway. There's a secret class we take called Voice 101: How to Yell at Students. Didn't know that, did you? And anyway, as soon as David. Said Mike, "We're going to die. We're not going to make it out of here. I just said as sharply and with a snap into my voice that I could, "Stop it, David! If Rosella and I can go down these stairs, so can you. And David told me later that that brought him out of his funk. Michael Hingson 40:12 What he then said is, "I got to keep my mind off this. I want to walk a floor below you and shout up to you what I see on the stairs. Is that okay? And I said, sure. Did I really need him to do that? No. Did it matter? No, but it did to David. However, what I came to realize over time was, David doing that was one of the most important things that I experienced on that day. So I'm going down the stairs. I get to floor 49. David, I'm on the 48th floor. All's clear here, Mike. Going on down. I get to 48 floor, 47. We keep going down. Finally, I get to the 45th floor, David. I'm on the 44th floor. This is where the Port Authority cafeteria is. Not stopping. So David was obviously doing better, and he kept going down. Why do I say what I did about David and doing that? Because David became a focal point for anyone within the sound of his voice who could hear him say, "43rd floor, all's clear, everything is good. He had to have helped 1000s of people stay focused and not panic going down the stairs, and I think that was so cool that he did that all the way down 42nd floor, all good. We kept going down the stairs. We met firefighters on the 30th floor. They wanted to escort me down, and I finally convinced them that I was capable of going down without them. And I did it by playing the sight card. I said, "Look, my friend David is here. He can see we're good, and the firefighters let us go. I didn't want them to escort me. First of all, they don't know how to work with a blind guy and do sighted guide. But second of all, I didn't want to break up their team because I knew that each of those people were carrying the equipment that they had to use to fight the fire. You couldn't store it somewhere. Where would you store it? Oh, the 34th floor. And what happens if a fire broke out on the 33rd floor, you couldn't get to it. You had to carry the equipment, so we kept going down the stairs. Finally, got to the first floor. David got there, and I was at floor two. And he said, "Hey, there are water sprinklers running. You're going to have to run through a waterfall or a down torrent of water to get out of the stairwell. Why was there all that water? Because it wanted to keep fire either in or out of the stairs, if fire was around. David ran through. Then I got to the bottom. Roselle stood there, and I picked up her harness and said, "Rosel, forward, hop up, which is a command to speed up. We went through this torrential downpour. It was a waterfall, and we came out the other side, soaking. David was there, and there were voices. Hey, don't go outside! No, no, don't go that way. Go this way. A PA system, a guy on a bullhorn. No, no, no! Don't go outside. Don't go to the outside. Go this way. What we didn't know is, if they had let people go out, they might have been right below where people were jumping. And so that was one of the reasons they didn't want anyone out. They wanted people to go through the complex and get out at the far side, as far away from where everything was occurring that they could. This guy comes up to us and he goes, "I'm with the FBI. I'll get you where you need to go. And of course, I'm sitting there with my warped sense of humor, going, "I'm sorry, I only talked to McGarrett, and I didn't do it. I'm innocent. I just thought that I didn't say any of it out loud. Anyway, he got us through out to the outside of Tower One. We passed now the empty Ben and Jerry's ice cream kiosk that was there. Darn didn't get a chance for a scoop. Kept going. Finally, went up an escalator and got outside into the sunshine outside of Tower. Well, of the whole complex, as far away from the towers as we could be, we got outside. Michael Hingson 43:44 We were told to leave the area, but David looked around and he said, "Mike, I see fire in Tower Two. And I said, "What are you talking about? There's fire in Tower Two, really? What's that all about? We didn't feel a thing going down. We were in our own little cocoon, our own little cave. We had no clue. Anyway, we were told to leave, so we went to Broadway. We walked across the plaza to Broadway, turn left, going now north on Broadway. There was a building on my left. Broadway was on my right. We crossed several streets, crossed Fulton Street, finally got to Vetsy Street. David said, "I want to stop because I can see the fire in Tower Two really clearly from here, I want to take some pictures, and I said, "Great, I'll try to call my wife. I got out my phone. David was taking pictures, which I have today. I tried to call Karen. I couldn't get through. Later, of course, we learned that people were saying goodbye to loved ones, and that was why the circuits were busy. I had just put my phone away, and a police officer, and while David was putting his camera away, and a police officer yelled out of here! It's coming down now. We heard this rumble that became this deafening roar. I describe it as kind of a combination of a freight train and a waterfall. You could hear glass breaking and tinkling, and metal crashing down, and then this white noise sound as Tower Two, 100 yards away from. Pancake down. Everyone turned and ran. David ran. He was gone. I literally lifted Roselle by the harness, turned her 180 degrees, and started running back the way we came. And the first thing I remember saying in my mind was, "God, I cannot believe that you got us out of a building just to have it fall on us. And as soon as I thought that, I heard in my head as clearly as you hear me now, a voice that said, "Don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on running with Roselle, and the rest will take care of itself. Who is God? Absolutely no question. Don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on running with Roselle, and the rest will take care of itself. And so I also had this incredible sense of peace and calm that came over me. That said, you're okay if you work together. We kept running. We got back to Fulton Street, turned right on Fulton Street, and ran about 25 yards. And suddenly we caught up to David, who had apparently gone the same way. And David suddenly realized that he had left us behind and he was going to come back, but we caught up to him first, and he apologized. I said, "David, don't worry about it. Let's just keep going. The building's coming down, you know. And we both just started to run with Roselle, and suddenly we were engulfed in all the dirt and debris and the dust cloud from Tower Two. It was so thick that David said he couldn't see his hand six inches in front of his face, and all I can tell you is that every breath I took, I felt dirt and debris and junk going down my throat into my stomach, and we knew we had to get out of that. So I started telling Roselle, "Go right, right. There was a building on our right side, and I wanted her to find the nearest opening if she could even hear me, see my hand signals, or whatever. And I was also listening for openings. Yes, I can hear when I pass an opening, and I and I can tell it's there and deal with it accordingly. Like during a time when you're running away from a collapsing building, run into it. Suddenly, I heard an opening on the right, and Roselle must have known what I wanted. She must have been able to see my hand signals or something because she turned right, she took one step, she stopped, and she would not move. Come on, Roselle, keep going. She wouldn't move. Come on, Roselle. Nope, wouldn't do it. And I realized, focus on running with Roselle, and the rest will take care of itself. So I stuck out a foot. Michael Hingson 47:13 I trailed a hand along a wall, and realized that we were at the top of a flight of stairs. Roselle had done exactly what she was supposed to do, and I knew what I was supposed to do if I wanted to get her to move. But before I did that, I gave her a big hug, good girl, and then I said, "Roselle, forward! That's the command. And we went down the stairs into an arcade area that was the entrance to the Fulton Street subway station. There were a few other people down there. Then a guy came up from the subway system and saw about eight or nine of us there. He introduced himself as Lou, an employee of the subway system, and he took us down to an employee locker room where we could sit down and and kind of hack and cough and get the dust out of our lungs. There was a water fountain and there were fans. We were there about 10 minutes. Then a police officer came, and he said, "You got to get out of here right now. The air's clear up above. You can't stay here. And so we followed him. Of course, he probably had already been told that Tower One was going to collapse. the The officials knew that each building was going to collapse probably about a half hour before it actually did. At least that was their presumption, and that's what I've been told. Anyway, we followed him back up the stairs, through the arcade, up the last two flights of stairs. We got outside. David looked around and he goes, "Oh my God, Mike, there's no Tower Two anymore. And I said, "What do you see? And he said, "All I see are pillars of smoke, hundreds of feet tall. We stood there for a moment, and then we just turned, and we kept walking. Now west on Fulton Street, we walked about 10 minutes, and we were in this little plaza area when we heard that freight train waterfall sound again, and we knew it must be our tower collapsing. We saw a little retaining wall David did, and we got behind it and ducked down, and we waited until everything stopped, and then we stood back up. And David looked around and he said, "Oh my God, Mike, there's no World Trade Center anymore. And I said, "What do you see? And he said, "I just see fingers of fire and flame, hundreds of feet tall. We see, I see pillars of smoke. It's gone. Are you sure? Yeah, it's gone. It's not there. We stood there a moment, then I tried to call my wife Karen again. That was kind of my first thought. I need to tell her we're okay. This time I did get through because clearly the circuits were were free. And after some tears on both sides of the phone, she is the one who told us how two aircraft had deliberately been hijacked and crashed into the towers, one into the Pentagon, and a fourth at that time was still missing over Pennsylvania. Who would have thought? We spent the rest of that day getting up toward Midtown Manhattan, and eventually I got to Penn Station, learned that the trains were running, and went back. Out to New Jersey, David wanted to go back up to be with his sister, who he who he was staying with. She lived on the Upper East Side, so I got on trains and I went back over toward New Jersey. I called Karen and told her what was going on, and a friend of ours, a friend that Karen had known since high school out in California, Tom Painter, was also living in New Jersey, he had come down to be with her, not even knowing at the time whether I was in the World Trade Center or working from home that day or whatever. But he drove her to the station in our accessible van, and as I came off the train, I heard the van show up. I went downstairs, climbed and went up the ramp into the van, and got to hug Karen about 7o'clock that night, for the first time since leaving home, we got home. Tom drove us home. We all went inside. I was going to take Roselle outside because she hadn't been out since like five that morning. Michael Hingson 50:53 Well, I take that back about six that morning, and I took her harness off. But before I could do anything else, she was off like a shot. She went to her toy box, found her favorite tug bone, and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog Linny. Why? Because it was over for her. And I talked to the guide dog people later, and I said, "Will any of this affect her? And they said, "Was she threatened? Did anything hit her or injure her in any way, and I said no. They said then no. It was over for her because dogs don't do what if. It was over. It was done. She was fine. Lesson to be learned. Lesson you will learn more about if you buy our new book, Live Like a Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and His Guide his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity, and walking in faith. That that book is available for pre-order, and I've been signing bookmarks all day. I still even have a few with me. But the point is, you can pre-order it, and and it's about something that I learned later. I thought about during the pandemic. I've talked a lot about escaping and not being afraid because I developed a mindset that said you know what to do, but what I've not done is to teach others how they can learn to recognize that fear is not something that needs to blind or overwhelm you. You can use fear as a very powerful tool to guide you and steer you in the right direction if you know how to control it, and live like a guide dog is all about that. So I hope that you'll all get that when it comes out in August. But again, you can pre-order it now if you go to michaelhinkston.com. There's a link there where you can go to a web page to get information and to go to a link where you can pre-order it. And like I said, I have some bookmarked with a QR code on it, and and I'm and I yes I am plugging the book, but I'm also saying, look, folks, the bottom line is we operate in so many ways with misconceptions about things. I've talked about blindness. Anybody could have been in the World Trade Center, and and a lot of people were. The reality is, though, if you learn what to do and how to prepare for situations in general, when it becomes something specific, you'll know what to do. People have asked a number of times, "Well, wasn't your guide dog trained to operate in an emergency like the World Trade Center? How are we going to do that? No, the dog isn't trained to do that. The guide dog's job is not to lead. Guide dogs do not lead blind people. Guide dogs' jobs are to make sure that we walk safe. It's my job to know where to go and how to get there to give the dog direction. The dog depends and relies on me to give it direction. The dog's job, as I said, is to make sure we walk safely. It's a team effort. We each have a job to do, and we develop a trusting relationship when we learn to trust each other and respect the job the other member of the team is doing, which is what it's all about. Which is what happens on any team, trust is all around us. Trust is under attack in so many ways from our politicians, and in so many ways. But the reality is, trust is all around us. I think we all trust that the roof isn't going to fall in on the church. I think that we trust that the PA system is going to continue to work, and so on. Trust is all around us. The difference between dogs and people is that dogs, while they do love unconditionally, do not trust unconditionally. But dogs are open to trust unless some incredibly traumatic thing has happened to them where they lose that ability. But dogs are open to trust, dogs want humans to give them direction to establish rules, and all too often with our pets and so on, we don't do that. We don't really develop the relationship that we should and can with them. Michael Hingson 54:54 If we would, we would have so much stronger bond and relationships with them. It would be. Amazing for for all of us, but the bottom line is that's the relationship that I get with each guide dog. That's the relationship I have with Alamo. He trusts that I am going to feed him before too awfully long. He trusts that you guys are going to buy books, so he'll have kibbles for me to feed him. Just saying, but but seriously, the the trust has to be earned with a dog or with people or whatever, and if you find that you you discover you can't trust someone, don't wish them ill will, forgive them and move on. So you don't trust them, but you know what you have, and you go off and make new friends and learn other trusting relationships that you can develop. Focus on running with Roselle; the rest will take care of itself. The reality is, we worry so much about so many things. We are always doing what if we create most of the fears that we face in our lives, and we Don't need to do that. If we would focus on just the things that we have some control over and leave the rest alone, well, we might want to be aware of them, but we don't have to worry about them. We don't have control over them. Trust and deal with the things that you have to deal with, and let the rest take care of itself. And that was what I learned on September 11th, listening to the voice of God, absolutely, and that is something that I pass on to all of you, and I think that's the most important thing that I can leave you with. Hi again, everyone. This is Mike Hingson. I hope that you found that speech to be helpful and relevant and interesting. I hope that you learn some things from it. From a personal standpoint, I hope that you learn that blindness isn't really the big problem that I face. The challenge that I face really comes from the fact that people who have eyesight tend to believe that blind people are not capable of doing much because they can't see. Wrong thing to believe. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on that because we did it during the speech, but I just wanted to thank you for being here today, for listening and watching this episode. I hope that you will also tune in for our episode on Tuesday, where I'm in conversation with Michelle Abraham on next Friday, the 11th of September, that you will tune in to hear the conversation with Bob Ellis, and then episode 475, which will occur on the 15th of September, where we will talk about lessons to be learned and and give you some things to hopefully take away that maybe you haven't thought about. Thanks very much for being here with us. I really very much appreciate all of your support. If any of you have any questions or want to reach out to me, you are welcome to do so. Please feel free to email me at speaker@michaelhinkson.com. That's s p e a k e r at m i c h a e l h i n g s o n.com speaker@michaelhingson.com hope to hear from you and as you gather I do speak I continue to speak publicly I've been a keynote speaker since September 11 if anybody knows of anyone that needs a keynote speaker or you can use us in events that you have please reach out to me at speaker@michaelhingson.com let's talk about it. Let's see how we can help. I'm always looking for ways to inspire, but also to teach and help. And I'd like to be part of your world in that regard. Thanks again for being here. Thanks for listening, and come back next time for another episode of Unstoppable Mindset.
Twenty-five years after the September 11th attacks, the stories of those who lived through that day remain as powerful and necessary as ever. Tim Brown, a career firefighter and emergency management professional, was at the heart of it all. His new book, “The Greatest Love: Lessons for Living with Extraordinary Courage Even After the Worst Day of Your Life,” is a testament to the heroism and humanity he witnessed firsthand. In a recent conversation on the Follow Your Different podcast, Tim Brown shared his deeply personal account of that morning, offering a perspective that is both heartbreaking and profoundly inspiring. Approximately one third of Americans today were either not born or too young to remember September 11th. That is precisely why Tim Brown’s voice matters so much right now. His account cuts through the noise of time and reminds us of the truth: 2,977 innocent human beings were intentionally murdered by radical Islamist terrorists. Not just Americans, but people of all colors, all faiths, and all beliefs. Tim speaks this truth with care and precision, having learned firsthand the weight that words carry when describing one of the most painful days in modern history. You're listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let's go. Tim Brown and the Morning Everything Changed Tim Brown was working at the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management on September 11th, 2001, stationed at Seven World Trade Center. He had traded his fire helmet for a tie in 1998 when Mayor Giuliani invited him to help build a new emergency management office. That morning, he was simply reading the newspaper and eating breakfast when the power went out, signaling that something was terribly wrong. When a young woman told him a plane had hit the tower, Tim did not hesitate. He put on his helmet, his windbreaker, and his boots, and he ran toward the North Tower. While most people were running away from danger, Tim Brown was running directly into it, driven by a lifelong instinct to help people in need. He had been doing it since he was 15 years old, and September 11th was no different. The Greatest Love Witnessed in the Tower Lobby Inside the towers, Tim Brown encountered something that stopped him in his tracks, not in fear, but in awe. Hundreds of office workers were making their way toward the escalators and underground exits, directed by Port Authority officers to safety through the shopping mall beneath the complex. What Tim saw was not panic or chaos but something far more remarkable and deeply human. For every person who was elderly, pregnant, disabled, or injured, there were four or five ordinary office workers helping them move to safety. No one was pushing or trampling others. People were reaching out to strangers in the middle of a catastrophe. Tim describes this moment as seeing the truth of 99 percent of humanity, a truth he has carried with him ever since and that forms the very foundation of his book’s message. Tim Brown’s Mission: Honoring the Real Heroes Tim Brown is clear about why he wrote “The Greatest Love.” He wanted the title to reflect the actions of the 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, EMTs, paramedics, and others who gave their lives that day. Each one of them made a conscious choice to lay down their life for strangers, and Tim Brown believes that act is the purest definition of love that exists. He has spent the years since September 11th advocating for first responders, their families, and the broader healing of a nation. He has sat in the courtroom at Guantanamo Bay and witnessed terrorists express pride in their actions. Yet despite everything he has seen and lost, Tim remains a man shaped not by hatred but by love. His story is a reminder that even on the worst day imaginable, love is the force that endures. To hear more from Tim Brown and his thoughts and advocacy about 9/11, download and listen to this episode. Bio Tim Brown is a retired, decorated 20-year FDNY firefighter and 9/11 survivor who lost friends on September 11, 2001, including his two best friends, Captain Terry Hatton and Captain Patty Brown. A veteran of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Brown served as a supervisor for Mayor Giuliani's Office of Emergency Management on 9/11. On that day, Brown was responsible for the safe evacuation of hundreds of workers in the South Tower before being caught in its collapse while only 20 feet away. He survived by holding onto a vertical column in the lobby of the nearby Marriott Hotel as debris buried the structure. Now a sought-after motivational speaker and media commentator, Tim Brown dedicates his life to defending the memory of those lost and educating audiences on resilience, leadership, and emotional recovery. He is the founder of The Families Inc., a charity supporting 9/11 victims’ families, and serves on the U.S. Department of Defense's 9/11 Prosecution Task Force. Links Tunnels to Towers Foundation We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, X, Instagram, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!
With the phone to her ear and her eyes on the TV, Terry Strada is unable to comprehend how her life is about to change. Her husband is on the 104th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center and their four-year-old is supposed to start nursery school. A BBC News Long Form Audio production.
Michael Hingson was hosting a training session in his offices on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower on the morning of September 11, 2001. As he reached for some paper, Hingson felt and heard a muffled explosion and the tower bent drastically before snapping back into place.Of course, it was American Airlines Flight 11 crashing into the tower - the first of four planes hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists as part of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.Hingson was born blind but knew every inch of his office and the North Tower. Soon he, his guide dog, a colleague, and everyone else in their office began the long descent to the ground floor.In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Hingson explains why he was so meticulously prepared for an emergency, how he quickly got a clue abut the cause of the explosion as soon as he entered the stairwell, and what it was like going down 78 floors with countless other people as the firefighters started to make their way up the stairs.Hingson also shares escaping from the World Trade Center only to discover the South Tower was also on fire and what it was like getting caught in the dust storms from both towers collapsing to the ground near him.Finally, Hingson details the fantastic performance of his guide dog, Roselle, that day and how his experience and Roselle's actions actually led to a career change as an author and public speaker.
www.patreon.com/theconspiracypodcastTwenty-five years later, The Conspiracy Podcast is finally tackling it. "9/11: Unanswered" kicks off with the day itself — minute by minute, four flights, one morning that changed everything.It starts like any other Tuesday. Nineteen men move through four different airports — Portland, Boston, Newark, Washington Dulles — carrying box cutters and knives with blades under four inches, which was perfectly legal at the time. Ten of them get flagged by CAPPS, the era's passenger screening system, before they even board. Flagged, and let through anyway. Hosts Eric , Sean and Jorge pull apart exactly how that happened, working straight from the 9/11 Commission Report to keep the timeline accurate rather than relying on secondhand retellings.From there it's real time. Flight attendants Betty Ong and Amy Sweeney calling it in from the air as it's happening. Daniel Lewin, a former Israeli special forces officer, trying to stop his own hijacker before anyone on the ground even knows what's unfolding. The first plane hits the North Tower and the world assumes it's an accident — until the second one hits live on television, and there's no more room for that assumption. Then the Pentagon. Then United 93, where the passengers find out, mid-flight, exactly what happened to the other three planes and make a decision most of them never get the chance to think twice about.The episode also follows President Bush's morning at a Florida elementary school — the seven minutes in that classroom people are still arguing about twenty-five years later — through Air Force One and into the address that ended up shaping the next two decades of American foreign policy.This one ran long. Long enough that the hosts split it into two parts rather than cut corners on any of it. Part 2 picks up exactly where this one leaves off. Later episodes in the series get into what's still unresolved after twenty-five years — the Commission's own gaps, the disputed collapse of Building 7, and the questions around the Pentagon that never fully went away.New episodes of "9/11: Unanswered" drop every Tuesday through September 28th. Patreon members get early access to every episode in the series plus the full, extended After Hours cut. www.patreon.com/theconspiracypodcast
Surviving 9/11: A Story of Providence, Courage & RemembranceIn this week's Team Never Quit Podcast, Marcus and Melanie meet with Daniel Geraghty, who shares his deeply personal and harrowing account of surviving the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.Daniel was a newlywed, transitioning from military life into the corporate world, and working near the World Trade Center. On that September morning, he was preparing to make his way to Tower 2 for business. A seemingly insignificant series of delays—including an unexpected breakfast with his mother-in-law and spilled coffee on his shirt and tie—changed the course of his life. Those few extra minutes meant Daniel was not inside the South Tower when it was struck at 9:03 a.m.When Daniel emerged from the subway near the World Trade Center, he encountered chaos unlike anything he had ever experienced. Sirens filled the streets. Paper rained through lower Manhattan. Looking toward the Towers, Daniel witnessed the North Tower engulfed in fire and people desperately signaling from above.Then the second plane struck.Daniel recalls the tremendous fireball, the concussion, flying debris, and thousands of people running for their lives. Believing he might die, he still found himself unable to ignore a woman who had fallen in the stampede—until another stranger appeared, lifted her from the street, and carried her to safety. It is an image of humanity and courage that has remained with Daniel ever since.Daniel's story is more than an eyewitness account of one of America's darkest days. It is a powerful reflection on survival, providence, service, courage, and the weight of being given another day. For thousands, September 11 remains a story preserved only in remembrance. Daniel knows how close he came to becoming one of them—and why he remains profoundly grateful that his own story continued.In This Episode, You'll Hear: The seemingly ordinary delay Daniel believes saved his life. His transition from the Army into corporate life in New York City. What Daniel witnessed as he emerged from the subway near the World Trade Center. His firsthand account of the moments before and after the second plane struck. The internal struggle between his military instinct to run toward danger and the realization that he needed to get away. The unforgettable acts of courage and humanity Daniel witnessed in the streets. The emotional burden carried by those who survived. Daniel's reflections on gratitude, remembrance, and why September 11 must never be forgotten. This is an intense, moving conversation about a day that changed America forever—and one man's extraordinary experience of being just minutes away from a very different fate.Listen in as Daniel Geraghty takes Marcus and Melanie back to September 11, 2001, sharing what he saw, what he survived, and the moments that continue to live with him more than two decades later.Support Dan:- IG: https://www.instagram.com/dan_getready?igsi=c2R3MjlhN2p0OWg3- Order his book here —> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MJTCQKD?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_mwn_dp_4245V5E8YA3SXW7RTZG4&bestFormat=trueSupport TNQ - IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13 - https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquitSponsors: - Navyfederal.org - Dripdrop.com/TNQ- vinted.com/TNQ - davidprotein.com/TNQ- quo.com/TNQ - mengotomars.com [Team Never Quit] - bubsnaturals.com [Promo code TNQ] - mizzenandmain.com [Promo code: TNQ20] - masterclass.com/TNQ - ShopMando.com [Promo code: TNQ] - Tractorsupply.com/hometownheroes - meetfabiric.com/TNQ - Prizepicks (TNQ) - armslist.com/TNQ - PXGapparel.com/TNQ - bruntworkwear.com/TNQ - shipsticks.com/TNQ - stopboxusa.com {TNQ} - Tonal.com [TNQ] - greenlight.com/TNQ - drinkAG1.com/TNQ - Hims.com/TNQ
Twenty-five years on, the loudest lesson from 9/11 is still the quietest one: appreciate every damn day. In this replay from the Independent Americans archive, Paul Rieckhoff — combat veteran, 9/11 first responder, and founder of IVA — hands the mic to his friend firefighter Rob Serra and Al Barry of Engine 65. Al walks us floor by floor up the North Tower stairwell, through the May Day at 22, through the collapse of the South Tower that he first mistook for elevators being recalled, and through the black cloud on West Street where he ended up at the bottom of a pile of strangers under a police car. It is not a war story. It is a working man's story about a job that turned into history. The conversation goes where most 9/11 retellings will not. Al talks about the years after — the ceremonial bugler who couldn't hit the notes on TAPS anymore because his lungs were shot. The brother firefighter lost to suicide. The retired 40-year man lost to cancer. The father-in-law and the father and the brother, all gone in eighteen months. He talks about finally sitting with a counselor, about how the guys from Vietnam in his firehouse never spoke of it, and about how the newer generation is finally starting to. If you were not born yet in 2001, this is the episode to share. If you were there, this is the brother-to-brother conversation you already know by heart. -WATCH full video of this episode here. -Millions of American veterans are being locked out of primary elections in the country they served. See what we're doing to change that. -Visit Kalshi and trade on anything. Use code [INDEPENDENT] to get ten dollars when you trade ten. -Head to cozyearth.com and use the code AMERICANS for an exclusive 20% off. -Join Noble Mobile today and get a $100 bonus when you use code PAUL and stay a member for 2 months! -Join IVA and help us get independent veterans elected to office. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here. -Remember Independent is an Attitude. -Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It's a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms Read more at Substack Support ad-free episodes at Patreon Connect: Instagram • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. And now part of the BLEAV network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Michael Hingson was on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower on September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building. Blind from birth, Michael couldn't see the destruction unfolding around him—but at his feet was Roselle, his trusted guide dog.Michael Hingson joins Ric Bratton on This Week in America to discuss his #1 New York Times bestselling book, THUNDER DOG: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero.As chaos engulfed the World Trade Center, Michael and Roselle began the long journey down 78 floors and toward safety. While terrified people, falling debris and uncertainty surrounded them, Roselle remained calm. Michael trusted her, Roselle trusted Michael, and together they demonstrated an extraordinary partnership in one of the darkest moments in American history.But Thunder Dog is more than a 9/11 survival story. Michael shares powerful lessons about trust, teamwork, faith, overcoming fear and refusing to allow blindness—or any perceived limitation—to determine what a person can accomplish.Ric and Michael discuss what happened inside the North Tower that morning, the remarkable bond between Michael and Roselle, how they relied on each other to survive, and how Michael's experiences have shaped his message in the years since September 11.The conversation also explores grief, loss and healing, the assumptions people make about blindness and disability, and why telling our stories can help create understanding and meaningful change.Praised by legendary broadcaster Larry King for celebrating "the power of the human and animal bond," Thunder Dog is an unforgettable story of courage, partnership and the extraordinary trust between a man and his guide dog.This Week in America with Ric Bratton is heard on more than 100 radio stations and podcast platforms worldwide, bringing listeners informative and inspiring conversations with authors, experts and thought leaders.For listeners interested in September 11 history, 9/11 survivor stories, guide dogs, blindness and disability awareness, faith, resilience, courage, overcoming adversity and the human-animal bond, don't miss Ric Bratton's compelling conversation with Thunder Dog author Michael Hingson.Keywords: Michael Hingson, Michael Hingson interview, Thunder Dog, Thunder Dog book, Thunder Dog Michael Hingson, Roselle guide dog, Michael Hingson Roselle, 9/11 survivor, September 11 survivor, World Trade Center survivor, World Trade Center North Tower, September 11 2001, 9/11 stories, Ground Zero, guide dog, guide dogs, service animals, blindness, blind author, disability awareness, human animal bond, faith and trust, courage, resilience, overcoming adversity, survival story, inspirational story, New York Times bestseller, Ric Bratton, This Week in America, This Week in America with Ric Bratton, author interview, inspirational podcast
Michael Hingson was on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower on September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building. Blind from birth, Michael couldn't see the destruction unfolding around him—but at his feet was Roselle, his trusted guide dog.Michael Hingson joins Ric Bratton on This Week in America to discuss his #1 New York Times bestselling book, THUNDER DOG: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero.As chaos engulfed the World Trade Center, Michael and Roselle began the long journey down 78 floors and toward safety. While terrified people, falling debris and uncertainty surrounded them, Roselle remained calm. Michael trusted her, Roselle trusted Michael, and together they demonstrated an extraordinary partnership in one of the darkest moments in American history.But Thunder Dog is more than a 9/11 survival story. Michael shares powerful lessons about trust, teamwork, faith, overcoming fear and refusing to allow blindness—or any perceived limitation—to determine what a person can accomplish.Ric and Michael discuss what happened inside the North Tower that morning, the remarkable bond between Michael and Roselle, how they relied on each other to survive, and how Michael's experiences have shaped his message in the years since September 11.The conversation also explores grief, loss and healing, the assumptions people make about blindness and disability, and why telling our stories can help create understanding and meaningful change.Praised by legendary broadcaster Larry King for celebrating "the power of the human and animal bond," Thunder Dog is an unforgettable story of courage, partnership and the extraordinary trust between a man and his guide dog.This Week in America with Ric Bratton is heard on more than 100 radio stations and podcast platforms worldwide, bringing listeners informative and inspiring conversations with authors, experts and thought leaders.For listeners interested in September 11 history, 9/11 survivor stories, guide dogs, blindness and disability awareness, faith, resilience, courage, overcoming adversity and the human-animal bond, don't miss Ric Bratton's compelling conversation with Thunder Dog author Michael Hingson.Keywords: Michael Hingson, Michael Hingson interview, Thunder Dog, Thunder Dog book, Thunder Dog Michael Hingson, Roselle guide dog, Michael Hingson Roselle, 9/11 survivor, September 11 survivor, World Trade Center survivor, World Trade Center North Tower, September 11 2001, 9/11 stories, Ground Zero, guide dog, guide dogs, service animals, blindness, blind author, disability awareness, human animal bond, faith and trust, courage, resilience, overcoming adversity, survival story, inspirational story, New York Times bestseller, Ric Bratton, This Week in America, This Week in America with Ric Bratton, author interview, inspirational podcast
www.patreon.com/theconspiracypodcastMost people, when they hear "World Trade Center," think of one date. But eight years before September 11th, the Twin Towers were already a target — and the man behind it wanted to bring down both buildings at once.On February 26, 1993, Ramzi Yousef detonated a truck bomb in the parking garage beneath the North Tower, hoping to topple it sideways into the South Tower and kill a quarter of a million people at lunchtime. He failed — but not by much. Six people died, over a thousand were injured, and roughly 50,000 people evacuated through smoke-filled stairwells in what was, at the time, the largest evacuation in American history.In this episode, Eric, Sean, and Jorge dig into the story almost nobody remembers: the co-conspirator who got caught because he wanted his $400 deposit back, the FBI informant whose secretly recorded tapes suggest the bombing could have been stopped, the now-debunked Iraq conspiracy theory that helped shape a war, and the bomb-maker who vanished into Baghdad and has never been found. They also trace the single $660 wire transfer that connects this attack to Yousef's uncle — a man named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who would return eight years later to finish what his nephew started.This is Episode 163, and the official start of the show's lead-in to the 25th anniversary of 9/11.Patreon members get early access to every episode in this series, plus exclusive bonus content not available anywhere else.
TEATIME WITH MISS LIZ SERVES: Michael Hingson August 11th | 7 PM ESTTitle:Live Like a Guide Dog: Courage, Trust & Living Beyond FearTagline:Fear may prepare us—but courage, trust, and faith determine how we move forward.Description: On August 11th at 7 PM EST, Teatime with Miss Liz proudly welcomes #1 New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, and 9/11 survivor Michael Hingson.Blind since birth, Michael has spent his life proving that limitations do not define potential. His remarkable journey captured the world's attention on September 11, 2001, when he and his guide dog, Roselle, safely led themselves and countless others down 78 flights of stairs from the North Tower of the World Trade Center.His inspiring story became the #1 New York Times bestseller Thunder Dog, touching millions of readers worldwide.Now, through his newest book, Live Like a Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and His Dogs about Being Brave, Overcoming Adversity, and Moving Forward in Faith, Michael shares the powerful life lessons his guide dogs have taught him about trust, resilience, courage, teamwork, and transforming fear into purposeful action.Today, Michael continues travelling the world as an internationally respected keynote speaker, podcast host of The Unstoppable Mindset, and advocate for inclusion, accessibility, leadership, and the extraordinary bond between humans and guide dogs.Join Miss Liz for a heartfelt conversation about resilience, faith, leadership, overcoming adversity, and discovering that our greatest obstacles often become our greatest teachers.Opening: Welcome everyone to Teatime with Miss Liz, where every conversation reminds us that resilience is not measured by what happens to us—but by how we choose to move forward.Tonight, it is my great honour to welcome a man whose story has inspired millions around the world.Michael Hingson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, internationally recognized keynote speaker, podcast host, and advocate whose life has become a living example of courage, trust, and unwavering determination.Blind since birth, Michael has never allowed others to define what he could accomplish. On September 11, 2001, alongside his guide dog Roselle, he safely escaped the World Trade Center, reminding the world that preparation, trust, calm leadership, and courage can prevail even in humanity's darkest moments.Through his newest book, Live Like a Guide Dog, Michael teaches us that fear is not our enemy—it is what we choose to do with fear that shapes our future.Michael, welcome to Teatime with Miss Liz. It is truly an honour to share your remarkable journey. Closing: Today's conversation reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear—it is the decision to keep moving forward despite it.Michael's extraordinary journey teaches us that trust, preparation, resilience, and faith can carry us through life's greatest challenges. His partnership with his guide dogs demonstrates the incredible power of teamwork, while his advocacy continues to break barriers surrounding disability, inclusion, and human potential.Thank you, Michael, for sharing your wisdom, your heart, and your unwavering belief that every obstacle can become an opportunity to grow.Your story continues to inspire people around the world to live with purpose, confidence, compassion, and an unstoppable mindset.Michael Hingson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, podcast host, and advocate for inclusion and accessibility. Blind since birth, he survived the September 11 attacks alongside his guide dog Roselle, inspiring millions through his books, including Thunder Dog and Live Like a Guide Dog, and his message of courage, trust, and resilience.#TeatimeWithMissLiz#MichaelHingson#LiveLikeAGuideDog#UnstoppableMindset#TriumphTrustAwarenesshttps://michaelhingson.com/
The Central Tower of Torres del Paine in Patagonia has been on the radar of many elite climbers ever since Tyler Karow's viral YouTube vlog documenting his ascent of the South African Route during an unprecedented long weather window. This past winter, several teams from around the world came down to test themselves on the slightly overhanging 4,000ft thumb of granite. You've probably heard of Tommy Caldwell and Siebe Vanhee's remarkable 24-hour free ascent of the South African Route, or the first all-female ascent by Belen Prados, Caro North, Amelie Kühne, and Julia Cassou. While climbing icons were making headlines, Myles Moser and his team were just around the corner making history of their own.Nearly 15 years ago, Myles and Amy Ness established Plate Tectonics, a grueling 3,300ft Grade VI 5.12 C1 on the East Face of the North Tower — a route they were both lucky to survive. The North Tower offers a remarkable view of the Central Tower, and it was from that vantage point that Myles first began imagining a new line up its unclimbed east face. That vision finally came true this past winter.Myles approaches new routes with a very specific style: ground up, capsule style. Once they leave the ground, they does everything possible to never come back until the route is finished — bringing everything they needs to live on the wall for up to a month, dedicating every waking second to pioneering a masterful, safe, repeatable, and free-climbable route up an unclimbed tower of granite. It's an approach that reflects Myles' blue-collar work ethic and a depth of passion for route development that's only found in the most elite climbers in the world. It took two expeditions over two years, $60K of personal funds, and a cumulative 71 days on the wall to establish his new route up the Central Tower. Together with Hugo Perez, Kellen McGrath, Trevor Anthes, and Harry Kinnard, Myles successfully completed the first ascent of Paradigm Shift — Grade VII 5.12+ A2, 4,000ft.This team is not sponsored. Every person on this expedition contributed their own money, gear, and time to make it happen. Which is exactly why this route — and their remarkable collective effort — has gone largely unnoticed in the wider climbing community, overshadowed by the catchy headlines of sponsored athletes. In alignment with the purpose of this podcast, I'm here to tell their story.If you've been following the show for a while, you'll remember episodes 67 and 68 where I last spoke with Myles. If you haven't heard those, I highly encourage you to go back and check them out — they add real context to who Myles is and the depth of experience he brings to Patagonia's big walls.This is part 1 of 2 of my conversation with Myles Moser and Harry Kinnard.#patagonia #firstascent #bigwallBoth Myles and Harry have written remarkable journals from their time on the wall — filled with personal anecdotes and intimate moments not fully shared in this podcast. If you'd like to read them, they're available to Patreon subscribers.Help Support The Show & Unlock The Ad-Free Podcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/TheClimbingMajorityPodcast/membershipResourcesMyles' IGhttps://www.instagram.com/mylesmoser1987/Harry's IGhttps://www.instagram.com/karry_hinnard/Trevor's IGhttps://www.instagram.com/wildincognito/Kellen McGrath's IGhttps://www.instagram.com/dirtbag.chiq/Cover Photo Credit: Trevor Anthes
There's never been a legitimate criminal investigation into 9-11, the deadliest terror attack in US history. Roger Waters is trying to change that. (00:00) Waters' Thoughts on 9-11 and Where He Was When It Happened (25:09) The JFK Files, Ukraine, and Russia (33:08) What Was the Response to Waters Raising Questions About 9-11? (42:57) Is the West Moving Toward an Actual War With Russia? (57:49) The Iran War Roger Waters—legendary Pink Floyd co-founder and one of the world's most outspoken advocates for peace and justice—is standing with the Campbell family in their historic effort to secure a new inquest into the death of Geoff Campbell, who was killed in the North Tower on 9/11. As the family's landmark UK Supreme Court hearing approaches, he urges everyone to stand with the Campbell family by contributing to their Crowdfunder before the July 31 deadline. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/911 Paid partnerships with: Carnivore Bar: Use code TUCKER for 15% off your first order of the Everyday Bar at https://carnivorebar.com/tuckerEthos: Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/TUCKERCozy Earth: Luxury shouldn't be out of reach. Get up to 20% off at https://cozyearth.com/TUCKER Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Plus. Our guest is retired Lieutenant Glenn Daley of the New York City Police Department Aviation Unit. Glenn's career in airborne law enforcement spans decades of service, leadership, instruction, and experience, that has taken him around the world. This conversation is powerful, emotional, educational, and, without question, one of the most important discussions we have had on this podcast.This series begins on Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., the moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Glenn takes us back to that horrific morning and provides a firsthand account of the response by NYPD Aviation assets during one of the darkest days in American history. He shares not only the operational response, but also his personal experiences and how that day forever changed him both professionally and personally.Throughout this series, we walk through Glenn's remarkable NYPD career, including his time assigned to the Special Enforcement Unit, and discuss the transition into flying and instructing after retirement from the department. Glenn's passion for aviation safety and training is evident throughout every episode.One of the most impactful parts of this conversation is our deep dive into IIMC (inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions). Glenn shares his extensive knowledge and experience on what pilots and crews must do to prevent and survive these situations. We discuss go and no-go decision making, simulator training, proficiency versus currency, instrument ratings, crew coordination, and the mindset required to avoid tragedy. These lessons are real-world, practical, and potentially lifesaving.Episodes like this truly have the power to save lives someday, and we are incredibly fortunate that Glenn was willing to share his experiences, knowledge, and perspective with all our listeners.This is a conversation you will not forget.Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Dallas Avionics and Spectrolab.
Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Plus. Our guest is retired Lieutenant Glenn Daley of the New York City Police Department Aviation Unit. Glenn's career in airborne law enforcement spans decades of service, leadership, instruction, and experience, that has taken him around the world. This conversation is powerful, emotional, educational, and, without question, one of the most important discussions we have had on this podcast.This series begins on Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., the moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Glenn takes us back to that horrific morning and provides a firsthand account of the response by NYPD Aviation assets during one of the darkest days in American history. He shares not only the operational response, but also his personal experiences and how that day forever changed him both professionally and personally.Throughout this series, we walk through Glenn's remarkable NYPD career, including his time assigned to the Special Enforcement Unit, and discuss the transition into flying and instructing after retirement from the department. Glenn's passion for aviation safety and training is evident throughout every episode.One of the most impactful parts of this conversation is our deep dive into IIMC (inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions). Glenn shares his extensive knowledge and experience on what pilots and crews must do to prevent and survive these situations. We discuss go and no-go decision making, simulator training, proficiency versus currency, instrument ratings, crew coordination, and the mindset required to avoid tragedy. These lessons are real-world, practical, and potentially lifesaving.Episodes like this truly have the power to save lives someday, and we are incredibly fortunate that Glenn was willing to share his experiences, knowledge, and perspective with all our listeners.This is a conversation you will not forget.Thank you to our sponsors Precision Aviation Group, Robinson Helicopter and SHOTOVER.
Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Plus. Our guest is retired Lieutenant Glenn Daley of the New York City Police Department Aviation Unit. Glenn's career in airborne law enforcement spans decades of service, leadership, instruction, and experience, that has taken him around the world. This conversation is powerful, emotional, educational, and, without question, one of the most important discussions we have had on this podcast.This series begins on Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., the moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Glenn takes us back to that horrific morning and provides a firsthand account of the response by NYPD Aviation assets during one of the darkest days in American history. He shares not only the operational response, but also his personal experiences and how that day forever changed him both professionally and personally.Throughout this series, we walk through Glenn's remarkable NYPD career, including his time assigned to the Special Enforcement Unit, and discuss the transition into flying and instructing after retirement from the department. Glenn's passion for aviation safety and training is evident throughout every episode.One of the most impactful parts of this conversation is our deep dive into IIMC (inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions). Glenn shares his extensive knowledge and experience on what pilots and crews must do to prevent and survive these situations. We discuss go and no-go decision making, simulator training, proficiency versus currency, instrument ratings, crew coordination, and the mindset required to avoid tragedy. These lessons are real-world, practical, and potentially lifesaving.Episodes like this truly have the power to save lives someday, and we are incredibly fortunate that Glenn was willing to share his experiences, knowledge, and perspective with all our listeners.This is a conversation you will not forget.Thank you to our sponsors CNC Technologies, Metro Aviation and Trakka Systems.
David Ferrugio has been hosting Dead Talks Podcast for six years, built on a simple but radical premise: death is the one experience every single one of us shares, so why aren't we talking about it? What started as a way to process losing his father in the North Tower on September 11th, 2001 when David was twelve years old, has grown into one of the more remarkable shows in the grief space. Eclectic guests, real conversations, zero pretense. Sarah and Jane are big fans, and this episode felt like meeting an old friend. David talks about what compelled him to start the show, what hundreds of conversations about grief and loss have taught him, and why death remains so taboo when it's the most universal thing we've got. David, Jane and Sarah dig into the strange duality of grief: how 9/11 was simultaneously the most public and the most isolating event of his life, and how that contradiction is actually at the heart of what grief feels like for all of us. They also get into intuition, energy sovereignty, why men are so underrepresented in this space, and how Dead Talks has become a place where people feel safe. Key Takeaways: Grief is simultaneously the most universal human experience and the most isolating one. Building community around it, even just a comments section, gives people permission to speak their truth. Men showing up to talk openly about grief is significant. It lets other men know that vulnerability is safe and it shifts the cultural conversation in a way that benefits all. Fear of death often comes down to fear of the unknown. Trying to control the uncontrollable is exhausting and ultimately impossible. The better plan is learning to go for the ride. Direct Quotes: "It's the most universal experience, yet the most isolating experience at the same time. Just like life, it's a double-edged sword." — David Ferrugio "All people want is to be heard and validated. And if they're saying it here, they might feel somewhat safe in saying it — because this is what we're doing here." — David Ferrugio "My dream is for everybody who wants to, to just delight in the fact that they have access to energy, to spirit, to their intuition. It's not some weird, freaky thing." — Sarah Dead Talks – https://www.deadtalks.net/ Dead Talks YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB_jnuH15XMk2Vx_7_-aIAw David's Book: You're Not Dead Yet - Pre-Order and Download Ch 1 Pre-Order on Bookshop Pre-Order on Barnes and Noble Medium Curious – https://www.mediumcurious.com Book a reading with Jane Morgan https://www.janemorganmedium.com/ Book a reading with Sarah Rathke https://www.sarahrathke.com/ Jane's Substack – https://janemorgan.substack.com Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mediumcuriouspod/
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