Here's my thought on today. I think I finally understand why Pearl Harbor was such a big deal to our grandparents. I get why December 7th was an important day to them. It made them realize how fragile, how important certain things in life are. I was talking to my students today about 9/11 and I noticed something. To them, 9/11 is just another date to remember for a history test- much like December 7th was for my generation. They don't tense up when they hear that date the way we do. They don't replay the images of the falling towers in their minds. But we do.
I was only 11 years old on September 11. And to be honest, on September 10th, I can tell you that I was probably acting very selfish. But September 11th changed me. I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard the news. Even as an 11 year old it had a profound impact. The images we saw that morning- I know none of us have forgetten them. How could we? On 9/11 as I saw my world crumble around me, I began to see things different. All I wanted to do that day was stay home and sit on my parents laps. I was so overjoyed that my father (an airline pilot) was not out flying. I was actually grateful for the people I had in my life. Do you remember what our country looked like on September 12th? People were donating blood and feeding the homeless. They were being considerate of others, helping each other out. They were attending church. They were spending time with their families. They had realized how fragile life is and that the world didn't revolve around them. They cared.
My question is this. Are we still the people we were on September 12th? Or have we returned to our September 10th selves? Have we gone back to sleep and forgotten to invest in and be grateful for the important things in life?
The words "Never Forget" are often written on 9/11 remembrace memorabilia. So may we never forget, not the scene of those planes, but what that Tuesday morning made us remember- what it made us renew our love for.
