Recently, my wife and I planned a trip to New York City to see the play Come From Away, at the Schoenfeld Theatre, based on experiences from September 11, 2001. Having heard such glowing publicity about the play, the attraction to me, a Newfoundlander, now living in Kitchener, Ontario, was almost magnetic.<br /> There was a feeling that we should do something special to show our enthusiasm for the event. I made contact with my sister and her husband, Paul and Beth McLean living in Paradise, in an effort to acquire some symbols representing the province. They contacted the provincial Department of Tourism and their member in the House of Assembly, Mr. Paul Davis requesting the symbols. They ended up with miniature provincial flags, and lapel pins (flags, the provincial coat of arms, the Newfoundland dog, and puffins).<br /> The day of the play, we took the flags and pins and distributed them to those in attendance. There were people from many parts of the world who came to see the play. What happened is something we will not soon forget. In distributing the flags and pins to complete strangers we found they were in awe of the fact that somebody would not only give these items for free, but more so that these were symbols, not only of the province on which the play was based, but that the person handing them out was a Newfoundlander. This was a small connection to what happened on September 11, 2001 on this little island in the North Atlantic Ocean.<br /> In the row in which we were seated, were 8 ladies who accepted the pins and flags, and after speaking to them, we discovered they were flight attendants on American Airlines. They told us they knew some of the pilots and flight attendants that landed in Newfoundland on that eventful day, and some of them became very emotional in recalling the event.<br /> All people who accepted the pins immediately placed them on their clothing, proudly wearing the symbols. At the end of the play everyone stood, clapped hands and waved the flags.<br /> My wife and I felt blessed to have had this special opportunity, and to see the emotion from many in attendance. I felt very proud to say I am a Newfoundlander. This undoubtedly should be a bucket list item, and has become a good news story arising from such a tragedy in modern history.<br /> Special thanks to Paul and Beth McLean, Mr. Paul Davis MHA, and Mr. Christopher Mitchelmore MHA, Minister of Tourism<br />   Submitted By: NULL