Another year gone
It's almost the end of September, not quite year-end from the Western world's point of view. But we've just passed the anniversary of 9/11. Remember where you were? Who doesn't? Anybody over the age of reason could tell you exactly how, when and where they heard the news of terrorist activity here on our own American shores. I myself was standing in our company's video conference room, watching the news updates on the burning Tower 1, when the second plane crashed into Tower 2. Frankly, despite having watched the Discovery Channel's retrospective during the Anniversary Week, I can't even say with certainty whether I'm numbering those towers correctly in order of their destruction, but I'll never forget my feeling of horror and shock when I realized I really had seen a second plane flying at speed into the OTHER tower. This year, I was in tears listening to the DJs on my fave radio station rehashing their memories of that day.I didn't know anybody in either of those buildings, or if I did, I didn't know them well enough to have even now realized that they're gone for good. I didn't find out until later that many people had to make the horrific choice between burning to death or jumping.
We tend to focus all memories of 9/11 on the World Trade Center - perhaps understandably so, since it was totally destroyed and the other areas affected were not so visibly vanquished. But I sincerely hope that all of the those who lost family members have managed to find some peace. Our country is unalterably changed by the events of that day, and continue to be so - even though the airlines just relaxed the strictures on carrying liquids onboard, the fact that they've decided that shampoo was a cause for worry is such a drastic change from everyday life in my childhood is staggering.
We, as a nation, continue to focus on far less profound matters. Maybe we need to do that - how many people could LIVE their lives if all they do is think about their own eventual, unescapable death? But we need memories like this to remind us of how finite life is, and how quickly and unexpectedly the end can come - if only so we can make a special point of reminding those we love how much they mean to us before the chance to do so is gone forever.
posted by PratchettFan @ 10:36 PM
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