What I Think about 9/11

As with most Americans, I can remember vividly what I saw and how I felt on 9/11/2001.  I remember the helplessness I felt watching the TV, my frustration at the lack of information as that long morning and afternoon progressed, the fury I felt towards those who did this to us.  I remember the long night sitting at home watching the replay of the day’s events over and over again, barely believing what had happened.  I knew then, as I’m sure we all did, that everything had changed.  I wrote down my thoughts and feelings in a document that is lost in the ether of my old computer.  I remember the crux of it though … 9/11 was a massively important day in history, a day that would be remembered all my life and beyond.  With the 10th Anniversary of that day finally here, it’s clear how true that still is … we all still remember.  We look back on 10 years and marvel at the things we’ve seen, the things we did, the lives lost, the lives forever changed.  I could never have predicted or imagined the world we live in today.

For me though, 9/11 taught me what heroism really is.  Before 9/11, it was a general concept applied primarily to the long dead.  The heroes of World War II and the wars since.  The firefighters and policemen whose names are forgotten so quickly and whose actions are lost in time.  When I think of a hero today I immediately think of those men and women who ran into the Twin Towers, ran into the flames, knowing full well the risks.  I remember the everyday men and women on Flight 93 and their brave acts.  I remember their selflessness and their sacrifice.  They are true heroes, and all of us who remain have a very high bar to reach to compare to them.  And I remember how great this country is and how amazing our people can be.

9/11 hurts, make no mistake, but it also uplifts.  It reminds of us of the human race at our worst and at our best.  We can see clearly, in the course of a single day, the great potential of us all in how we can impact the lives of those around us.  We can choose to care for each other, to sacrifice ourselves for each other, to take pride in our country and our way of life.  Those brave souls who died on 9/11 taught me that, and teach me that again each and every day.  To them I say, God bless you and may he bring you rest.  For the rest of us I say, never forget, never surrender and never be less than those heroes who came before us.