September 11, 2007
Today I woke up and had no idea what today was. I don't usually wake up thinking about the date. I think, "It's Tuesday, 4 more days until Friday." Which is usually followed by, "What am I going to wear?"
I know that my thoughts 6 years ago when I woke up were the same. I didn't read the paper, I didn't follow international politics. I had never even heard of Al Qaeda or Osama Bin Laden. I kid you not. I had never heard of them. I knew "terrorists" attacked the USS Cole, I knew they attacked the Embassy Bombings, and I knew "terrorists" had previously attacked the World Trade Center ... but to me "terrorist" meant Timothy McVay types, Uni bomber types. I had no idea there was this whole movement, an entire culture, bent on destroying my way of life.
So September 11, 2001, changed me. Suddenly, I was aware. And really, more than anything, I was aware of our vulnerability. I had always thought, in my arrogant American way, that we were above the fray. Danger and attacks happened "over there." I look back and I see myself as Cher in Clueless:
Josh - You look confused.
Cher - I ... well, I thought they declared peace in the Middle East?
I was pretty stupid. Or really, just naive. I was 20 years old, a co-ed in college. I had no idea that my entire generation was going to be shaped by the events of the morning.
There are not a lot of days that I remember vivid details about. Even my wedding day ... I remember emotions and a few really great moments (singing "Going to the chapel" in the car with my mom) ... but it's just different. I remember no day the way I remember this day, 6 years ago.
I watched Superman Returns last week, if you'll remember. In that early scene where the plane is crashing, my heart closed in on itself as my mind immediately raced to Flight 93. It is too soon for me to see planes in that sort of distress. I don't know if I will ever see a plane the same way again.
Not that I'm afraid of flying. I'm not. My father's a pilot. It's stupid to be afraid of an inanimate object anyway. And it's stupid to be afraid. We do our best to protect ourselves, and we try and do the right things. That's all we can do. If we stay in hiding, we bend to their will. All we can do is be aware, look for signs, stop them if we can. Eagle Eyes Fight Terror.
In the last 6 years there has been no attack on US soil. I'm not sure what that means. I'd like to think it meant we were safer. That we had done something good. Mostly I just think Americans woke up to the possibility of attack 6 years ago today, and as they said in cartoon world, "Knowing is half the battle."
I pray for the families still suffering from loss, and the children and family members that are left behind. I hope they find comfort. And I pray for all of us, and our safety.
May God bless America, and keep her safe.
I know that my thoughts 6 years ago when I woke up were the same. I didn't read the paper, I didn't follow international politics. I had never even heard of Al Qaeda or Osama Bin Laden. I kid you not. I had never heard of them. I knew "terrorists" attacked the USS Cole, I knew they attacked the Embassy Bombings, and I knew "terrorists" had previously attacked the World Trade Center ... but to me "terrorist" meant Timothy McVay types, Uni bomber types. I had no idea there was this whole movement, an entire culture, bent on destroying my way of life.
So September 11, 2001, changed me. Suddenly, I was aware. And really, more than anything, I was aware of our vulnerability. I had always thought, in my arrogant American way, that we were above the fray. Danger and attacks happened "over there." I look back and I see myself as Cher in Clueless:
Josh - You look confused.
Cher - I ... well, I thought they declared peace in the Middle East?
I was pretty stupid. Or really, just naive. I was 20 years old, a co-ed in college. I had no idea that my entire generation was going to be shaped by the events of the morning.
There are not a lot of days that I remember vivid details about. Even my wedding day ... I remember emotions and a few really great moments (singing "Going to the chapel" in the car with my mom) ... but it's just different. I remember no day the way I remember this day, 6 years ago.
I watched Superman Returns last week, if you'll remember. In that early scene where the plane is crashing, my heart closed in on itself as my mind immediately raced to Flight 93. It is too soon for me to see planes in that sort of distress. I don't know if I will ever see a plane the same way again.
Not that I'm afraid of flying. I'm not. My father's a pilot. It's stupid to be afraid of an inanimate object anyway. And it's stupid to be afraid. We do our best to protect ourselves, and we try and do the right things. That's all we can do. If we stay in hiding, we bend to their will. All we can do is be aware, look for signs, stop them if we can. Eagle Eyes Fight Terror.
In the last 6 years there has been no attack on US soil. I'm not sure what that means. I'd like to think it meant we were safer. That we had done something good. Mostly I just think Americans woke up to the possibility of attack 6 years ago today, and as they said in cartoon world, "Knowing is half the battle."
I pray for the families still suffering from loss, and the children and family members that are left behind. I hope they find comfort. And I pray for all of us, and our safety.
May God bless America, and keep her safe.
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