‘It’s Not There Anymore’

On Tuesday, I was honored to once again take part in the annual 9/11 Patriot Day motorcade. The CV Chamber of Commerce and the Early Rodders organize the motorcade, which features classic cars and emergency vehicles making their way through La Crescenta, Montrose and La Cañada. The event is an opportunity to honor first responders and also, in my opinion, it is also a reminder of how the United States rallied and responded to the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001.

The motorcade passes several schools, the sheriff’s station on Briggs Avenue and several fire stations. This was the first year that the Montrose Search & Rescue team took part in the procession and my husband Steve was in the team truck. It was the first time he took part in the motorcade and he was overwhelmed by the thousands of students who came out to cheer on the first responders and to ogle the classic cars. Seeing the students, safety personnel and local residents waving flags in support was truly amazing and made me feel proud. At Crescenta Valley High School, students lined the sidewalks on both sides of Community Avenue, and cheerleaders and other squads were dressed in their uniforms and the marching band performed. I was surprised and touched that the manager of Trader Joe’s on Honolulu was waiting in front of the store, handing out water to those of us passing by.

The amount of work it takes to coordinate the annual motorcade, which features more than 50 cars, is daunting. CHP and sheriff’s personnel ride in front of the motorcade, blocking intersections to ensure the safe passage by the procession. The path has to be laid out months in advance and schools notified. Knowing how much work goes into this volunteer effort, I was disappointed to learn that the City of La Cañada charged the 9/11 procession $100 for it to travel through its public streets.

In the evening at Bob Smith Toyota in La Crescenta, a solemn commemoration was held acknowledging what was lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

As I was settling in late Tuesday evening, I turned on the television, channel surfing until I found a show about 9/11. Among the footage shown was a family where the dad was recording the events as they unfolded not far from his family’s apartment windows. His small children looked out the window as the towers, first one then the other, collapsed into a heap of dust and destruction.

“It’s not there anymore,” the little daughter said. “It’s not there.”

What a sobering comment that brings home the disbelief that is 9/11 and all who – and what – were lost. It is the ultimate reminder of why we should never forget.

  robin goldsworthy