When Monica Spoletini tells people she was born on Sept. 11, 2001, “Nine times out of 10 I get a look and … nine times out of 10 the second question is ‘on the year? On 2001?’
asserted
question → tell → 2001
“And I just smile and (say) yep,” she says.
asserted
she → smile → ?
2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the hijacked airplane strikes on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the crash of a fourth plane in Pennsylvania.
asserted
2026 → mark → Pennsylvania
All told, the attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 people, including 24 Canadians.
asserted
attacks → tell → Canadians
On that same day, as many as 13,238 people were born in the United States.
asserted
people → bear → States
It’s not known exactly how many Canadians also took their first breath Sept. 11, 2011, but Statistics Canada says average daily births in September in that period numbered 1,067.
asserted
births → know → 1,067
Among those Canadians were Monica and her twin brother, born in Chestermere, Alta.
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Monica → bear → Chestermere
Both will turn 25 on Sept. 11.
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Both → turn → Sept.
Spoletini now works as a hairdresser in Edmonton, where her family moved when she was 12.
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she → work → Edmonton
(Her brother declined an interview.)
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brother → decline → interview
Neither twin has yet visited the 9/11 memorial in New York City; however, they were acquainted with the events of 9/11 from a young age, because their father read them articles about it, says Monica Spoletini.
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Spoletini → visit → it
“(He) wanted to educate us a little bit (about) why everyone knows our birthday so much and why it’s so recognized,” Spoletini says.
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Spoletini → want → birthday
One of her most vivid memories is of an old article that her parents framed on the wall, featuring her family.
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parents → frame → family
“I would say maybe (we were) eight or nine years old, and we could really understand why” it was so significant.
uncertain
it → say → ?
Christopher Rutkowski was born in Oshawa, Ont. on Sept. 11, 2001.
asserted
Rutkowski → bear → Sept.
He says some of his friends believe he is a reincarnated 9/11 victim.
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he → say → friends
“I was born about six hours before the first plane hit.
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plane → bear → ?
And I have a birthmark on the right side of my face.”
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I → have → face
His friends theorize that he was initially a financier working in the towers.
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he → theorize → towers
“I didn’t make it (out alive) — and then, ‘real Christopher’ was born.”
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Christopher → make → it
Rutkowski has visited the memorial at the site of the World Trade Centre three times, the most recent visit in August.
asserted
Rutkowski → visit → August
“I never realized the gravity of my birthday until the first time my dad took me to New York when I was 10 years old,” he says.
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he → realize → York
He also visited on his 15th birthday.
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He → visit → birthday
With his father, he went to the Ground Zero museum, which he recalls displayed “steel columns and pillars and escalators (from the site)… and people’s stories and phone recordings.”
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he → go → site
Rutkowski, who calls himself a “big reader,” says he has spent years expanding his home library dedicated to 9/11 to properly commemorate the event.
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he → call → event
The Spoletini twins, who had planned to visit the site some years ago, were delayed when COVID struck.
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COVID → plan → site
Now that they lead independent lives, coordination is a bit of challenge, Monica Spoletini admits, adding that “it definitely is something that the two of us want to do together.”
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two → lead → us
The challenge of being born on 9/11 has been difficult for some.
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challenge → bear → some
For instance, “My family pretends it isn’t a thing.
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it → pretend → instance
My birthday, I mean,” one person wrote on Reddit.
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person → mean → Reddit
“I was born in NYC, actually between the time the first and second towers were hit.
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towers → bear → time
My parents were pretty scarred (sic) by it so we just pretend I don’t have a birthday.”
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I → scar → birthday
Another posted: “My best friend was born on the date.
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friend → post → date
She gets a lot of sympathy aww’s and, “Oh, honey” comments.
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She → get → ’s
She does joke that our high school has an assembly for her birthday every year though so …
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school → joke → birthday
”
“My daughter was born on 9/11/2001 a few hours before the 1st plane hit.
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plane → bear → 9/11/2001
First few birthdays were rough for the family and we didn’t celebrate day of but by now we do.
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we → celebrate → day
I think it makes her feel kind of special being born that day.
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her → think → ?
But she shows respect and knows the significance of the tragedy,” wrote one mom.
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mom → show → tragedy
For his part, Rutkowski believes in balancing both aspects of the date — taking joy at being born, yet honouring the victims of the tragedy: “It’s a double-edged sword in a sense.”
asserted
It → believe → sense
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
