9-11-01

I would love to write a witty, interesting, or informative blog on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, but I simply cannot fathom writing about anything other than the obvious--the events that have been on my mind all weekend--the 10th anniversary of the 9.11.01 attacks on the World Trade Center.

For this generation, this attack was a shocking, life-altering and perspective-changing event. My parents have spoken about remembering where they were when JFK was shot--and I felt the way they recounted that event was always a bit dramatic--but I can completely relate to this now, as I remember where I was the moment I realized that the world was not safe.

2nd period keyboarding (a ridiculous and unnecessary elective I took my senior year of high school) was when I first heard that something was happening...at that point classes were still going on as before, no one knew anything.

By late morning, I was in the music department, sitting with twenty other students, crying and huddled with friends, watching re-cap videos of the planes, the buildings' collapse, and feeling completely frightened, shocked and devastated by the massive loss of life. We were dismissed early--sent home to be with our families--and this was one time when I didn't even WANT to spend my free afternoon anywhere but at home.

And I cried again this morning watching the footage. Imagining how it must have felt to be trapped in that building, sitting in those hijacked planes---how it STILL feels to be a loved one of someone who was lost in 9.11.

There are hundreds of political implications that have occurred since. Countless debates about the events that unfolded following the attacks, the war on terror, etc. I do feel a sense of personal powerlessness...like there's nothing I can do to fix the bigger problems.

And the reality is that this type of horror exists in the world. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. But you persevere despite the odds. You bring hope when you can. And in this world, any help and happiness you can share seems to be the greatest contribution that any of us can make. At least, that's what I've decided to contribute. We still live in a dangerous world, but its only as happy and peaceful as we make it.

May we never forget the events of that day. May we always remember to be the change that we want to see in the world.