Think pro-active in international relationships
by Casey Fagan

Commentary

As I write this, I am now on a Continental Boeing 737, flight 258 in seat 15C bound for Reagan International Airport. The time is 8:30 a.m. and I will arrive in Washington, D.C., in two hours and 30 minutes.

I close my eyes and say 10 Hail Marys to myself during take-off. Be strong, be tough Casey. The flight attendant has just announced that we must all remain seated for the 30 minutes prior to landing in D.C. I am now consumed with a feeling of comfort as I smile and remember that not only is my flight non-stop, but my flight is also guaranteed to have a minimum of one air marshal aboard.

My plane was late leaving Houston because of the weather, so I decided to use the phone on the back of the seat in front of me to notify my boyfriend, Michael. I reach his cell and hear his voice; all he can hear is loud static. I try again, and this time he screams, "Casey can you hear me? God I hope everything is OK. I love you."

What had I done? He saw that I called using the phone on the airplane by his caller-ID. I just wanted to let him know I was going to be 30 minutes late, but with all the news of passengers on the flights on 911 calling their loved ones to say good-bye, it just caused more harm than good. I am extremely worried about what is going through his head right now.

Michael and I met last summer in D.C. I was interning for Rep. Kevin Brady in the capitol and he was taking summer classes at George Washington University. We took a train to New York City with friends late in August before I had to return to Texas for school. It was my first trip to the city and I absolutely loved it.

I then returned to Texas and started classes at UH-Clear Lake. Michael and I decided to keep dating; after all, at the time, we were just a quick and easy flight away from each other. I thought that for sure the distance would be easy. In fact, before I left D.C. he bought a plane ticket to come see me in Texas on Sept. 14.

Then 911 happened. Everything changed. Michael, living two blocks away from the White House ­ and who was consumed by the city mourning for the victims from the Pentagon ­ was definitely not coming.

I began to get extremely angry and then it hit me; I became determined to make not only the relationship work, but to be strong and to live my life as I did pre-911.

I flew to D.C. in late November and bought another ticket for Christmas break as well. When I went again in January, I stayed in D.C. for one week, and Michael and I decided to go back to New York and stay another week.

Today, when I reflect on my first trip to the city, I remember feeling a sense of chaos. Most individuals I encountered seemed self-consumed and in a hurry. The second trip, post-911, was completely different. New York was much more united and laid back. I felt so much pride in individuals as we walked past one another on the busy streets.

On our first night, we went to Ground Zero and watched the workers pick up rubble by huge spotlights. We paid respects to the memorials and shrines individuals had set up for their loved ones just outside the barricades. We then went the very next day to get free tickets to view Ground Zero from the platform they had just built a week before we arrived.

I will never forget the huge hole the terrorists left. What I saw that day has only made me more determined to keep strong, make every day count, and cherish the precious time I have with loved ones.