Jean Kelly Florek

 …September 11, 2001 is a day that we as Americans, Family and Friends will never forget.  For those of us who experienced that horrific day, diving under our desks when the first tower collapsed watching the dark cloud slowly making its way towards our office windows and wondering … is this how it’s going to end!

Then running to the stairway and patiently making your way down with hundreds of others not knowing what was ahead of us, then you find yourself outside in blackness, with debris still flying and the air so thick, it was difficult to breath.  As you get your bearings to figure out where you are as visibility is basically nil, you hear a low flying aircraft and on instinct you hit the pavement and wonder…is this how it’s going to end!  After walking for miles trying to get near the river, thinking if we were attacked again, we could jump in the water and at least have a better chance of swimming away, police and fire vehicles go screeching past us telling us to run because of gas leaks and your still surrounded by brick buildings, glass and man hole covers and you wonder…is this how it’s going to end!

Then 8 hours later you walk in the door and get a “knock the breath right out of you” hug from your loving husband and sister and phone messages from brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and old co-workers, it was just overwhelming.

For a whole week I did not leave the house.  7 business associates that I have known for 10+ years and who I would have been working with today if I didn’t accept another job were among the missing.  I was glued to the television news waiting every day and late into the night to see if the rescue crews found any survivors.  Unfortunately, they were never found.  Some were young with small children, one was just newly remarried and glowed with happiness and I recalled a luncheon I had with her and she just talked about her new husband and how good he was with her son and future plans they had.

After September 11^th, I just went through the motions of everyday life.  I was scared and felt helpless.   Several family members did not want me going back to work in NYC; and to be truthful, I didn’t either.

I didn’t want to be so far away from my family again.  However, I was committed to do a job and I had Responsibilities to my co-workers, business associates and family to be there.  I had a mortgage to pay and car payments to make.  So everyday I would do my 3 hour commute, constantly on alert, passing police and national guard carrying firearms, sitting in my office and jumping at the slightest noise I heard, freezing in place when I heard an airplane and breathing a sigh of relief when I got home at night.

When the Emerald GrenaDear Alumni started, for me, it’s the best thing that happened in a very long time.

When I show up at rehearsal, I feel like I’m 17 all over again.  I’m having so much fun for the 3-4 hours that I’m there, seeing familiar faces from so many years ago and reminiscing about the good ole’ days.   I’m excited that I get to try to play a horn again and not worry that I sound awful.  I’m having fun.  I don’t feel like I’m 44 when I’m with the Alumni.  I feel 17 and acting silly as ever.  It’s like taking a trip back in time.  You’ve heard the saying “check your attitude at the door”; well our saying should be “check your age at the door”.  When you walk through the door, you’ll see what I mean.

Life IS too short.  We never know what tomorrow might bring.  All I know is that I’ve missed a lot of the girls that I used to march with so many years ago.  I spent more time with my drum corps family then I did with my biological family.  I sacrificed family parties and picnics to march in parades or do a field competition. (what a sacrifice!!). 

I don’t regret missing those parties.  I had my own fun with my friends in drum corps.

Drum Corps was family to me. I remember my friends in school would joke about me being in Drum Corps and imitate someone marching and playing a horn or a drum.  They just didn’t understand.  They didn’t want to understand.  I think they were afraid to commit; afraid they would get hooked to the camaraderie that we shared as members of the Drum Corps fraternity. I spent so much of my early years in Luckie Ladies and Emerald GrenaDears that I firmly believe I am the way I am today because of it.  I’m not taking anything away from my parents.  Believe me, I’ve had my share of soap in my mouth for sassing back, but with the drum corps, you also had to respect your elders.  

You also respected your fellow members, but most importantly, you had respect for yourself.  You learned Responsibility. You learned Commitment.  If you wanted to be a member of the drum corps, you had to commit yourself.  When the drill was written, it was written knowing that a spot in the drill was put there for you and you alone.  If you weren’t there, then the whole picture of the field show was lacking.  When the music was written for the horn line; music for the drum line broken down in sections; movements written for flags and rifles, they were done knowing you would be there.  You were depended on and You depended on your fellow members to be there.  Without you there, there was a void.  Maybe the horn line didn’t sound as loud, or the drum line would have looked a little bit better with 10 snares instead of 9; or the flags or rifles would have been sharper looking with 36 instead of 35.  Each of Us mattered to create the whole. 

We are looking to create that “whole” again.  We are looking to reunite long lost friends.  We want to know what you’ve been up to after drum corps.  We’re still family and we still care.

The Emerald Grena’Dears Alumni was created for just that purpose.  It’s a way to reunite with long lost friends.  We would love to have Everyone back marching.  Someone said that there were over 400 girls during the history of Luckie Ladies and Emerald GrenaDears who marched at one time or another.

Could you just imagine?  We won’t be just the first all girl senior alumni drum corps in the history books; we could also be the biggest.  Wouldn’t that be something?

I know that some of you are unable to participate in this great new venture.  Although we only practice twice a month (the 2^nd and 4^th Fridays of each month), and we only have 2 parades lined up for 2003 and 2004, one of them is Wildwood, NJ in June 2003 for Elks convention, and in Wharton, NJ in 2004 for the Wharton Fire Departments Anniversary, we understand that as adults, we all have responsibilities that don’t permit you participating.

Just because you can’t participate doesn’t mean that you can’t stop by and just say hello and maybe see a familiar face, swap e-mail addresses, show pictures of your family or better yet, just bring the family for a visit.

The door is always open and the welcome mat is out.

Life IS too short. Come join us and get reacquainted with the “young” women we have become.

For me, I no longer wonder….is this how it’s going to end?   I know…..This Is Just The Beginning.

(From The Alumni Corps President, Jean Kelly Florek)