In reflection of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I have a personal story that I feel compelled to share …

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was on a plane that departed at 8:00am for Dallas, Texas. I was scheduled to put on an extended CE roadshow there, starting on Wednesday and continuing through the weekend.

While enjoying beautiful weather and a smooth flight, the passengers on my plane were unaware of what was happening in New York, Shanksville and the Pentagon. Halfway to our final destination, we were informed by the pilot that we were going to make “an unscheduled stop in Nashville,” but not given any reason. After landing, we were instructed to gather our bags and deplane since there was significant news that rendered all flights cancelled for the rest of the day.

At home in Premier Corporate, our CEO, Gary Charlestein gathered all the employees working that day for hugs and prayers in our lunchroom. He asked if any members of our Premier family were traveling that day. Gina Kehagias recalled that I was flying … and then, through a series of emails, they put out a call to the southern team to see where I was heading and when I was supposed to land.

When I checked in at a nearby airport hotel, I was contacted by one of our sales reps, Ron Kimbrough, of Alabama. He happened to be working in Nashville that week and offered to pick me up and take me out for dinner. It is difficult to describe the fear and uncertainty I experienced being so far from home, watching everything unfold on a TV screen. I lived in that hotel room for three days until I was allowed, and capable, to fly back home.

I still thank Ron every year since then, for his kindness and care to make those three fateful days a little less traumatizing, and to help me through until I could get home to see my husband again.

Every individual has a unique story of where they were on the morning of 9/11 and how they got through it all. A lot of those stories feature people who showed up and helped out in unexpected, awe-inspiring ways. This is just mine. And what Ron did for me is just one example of how the best of humanity can be brought to bear even in our darkest hours.

Lil Caperila RDH, BSDH, MEd.
Manager of Professional Education
Premier Dental Products Co.