The phone call from a stranger named 'Nick in York' that comforted Americans after 9/11
Twenty-five years ago, on the evening of September 11, 2001, I received a telephone call from a stranger named Nick in York, England.
He had dialled my New York number at random, hoping to reach an American after the attack on the World Trade Center.
“Our hearts go out to you,” he said.
With Nick’s permission, I brought my friend Paul and my son Jeremy into our transatlantic conversation. We were stunned by the day’s attacks -vulnerable, confused and saddened beyond words.
Nick’s compassion and the human connection he created were uplifting. He made clear that he was expressing not only his feelings, but those of his friends and, he believed, the British people.
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My work then involved speaking at meetings throughout the United States. During the following months, I shared the story of Nick’s call at least 100 times, reaching thousands of Americans.
Whether I told it in Georgia, California, Illinois or elsewhere, the response was relief in knowing that we were not alone in our shock and grief.
On behalf of those who heard Nick’s message, my heart and our hearts go out to him, your readers and our friends throughout the UK, in gratitude for your compassion.
Twenty-five years ago, the world’s political, economic and cultural divisions were far greater than one brief telephone conversation. Today, Under President Trump, tariffs and foreign-policy differences have strained relations between our countries.
Yet Nick’s simple act of human connection remains a source of hope that those larger divisions may someday be overcome.
Thank you, Nick.
Alan Brownstein
Cold Spring, New York
United States
If you are 'Nick in York' - or perhaps another York resident who felt compelled to act after the 9/11 terror attacks to show compassion and solidarity with shocked and grieving Americans - we'd love to hear your story. Email nadia.jeffersonbrown@newsquest.co.uk or share in the comments below.
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