21.1 Weeks Along - Remembering 9/11

Today is not the day to reflect on the contraversy that either does or does not exist surrounding the events of 9/11. It happened. Period.

For me, today is a day to remember the many lives that were lost, the many lives that were sacrificed and the many thousands of lives that will forever be altered due to the acts of men who took religious fanatasism to horrific heights.

I think about what this day will be like 6 or 7 years from now and if we will have come any closer to managing the world-wide threat that is terrorism. I think about explaining to this child who will be here in less than 5 months, when he or she questions; "Mom and Dad, what is 9/11?" and having to explain how human beings can be so horrible, cruel and nasty to one another and I wonder if I will be speaking in past tense, or speaking as a parent who is concerned that the threat of terrorism is something that we as a human race may not have contained and are still dealing with on a day to day basis. Sometimes I don't understand how others, who bleed the same colour blood as you and I, can aspire to see the blood of innocents running in the streets, and celebrate over it.

And then I think about all the other Moms and Dads out there who very personally still have those discussions with their children today, children who came home on 9/11/01 to a house where either parent would never walk through the door again, and in some cases, neither parent would ever walk through the door again, and my heart goes out to them. They live with this day in and day out, and not just one day a year when the rest of us choose to remember one of the most tragic days in American history.

Like a lot of Americans I remember 9/11 perhaps a few times a year. I've moved on to a life where other things pervade my thoughts and concerns. Occasionally as both Gareth and I travel frequently, I'll think about my safety or his safety and I'll glance over my fellow passengers, and yes, those who look Arabic or middle-eastern, I may scrutinize a bit more closely. But I try not to think about it or worry about it too much. After all, when I've driven through Oklahoma City on one of my many cross-country trips over the past recent years, I haven't really scrutinized white males any harder or wondered if they were going to blow up another federal building. And besides, if I spent any real time thinking about my safety when traveling, I'd probably never get on another airplane again. I've a hard enough time just thinking about getting on the tube when in London, which I was no huge fan of before the recent bombings. But again, I don't dwell on it too often because then the terrorists have succeeded in making me physically and mentally fearful of traveling. I will try not to give these cowards that sort of power over my life.

But again, I don't really think about 9/11 that often. Life goes on. I'll even venture far enough to say that soon enough, the horrific sights from the devestation of Hurricane Katrina will be far removed from memory. We've written checks, sent teddy bears, helped out where we can....yet like so many things that seem to come along and grip our nation and our collective attention spans, this too will fade away. I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering what the "next big thing" will be.

But yet I will take today to remember how the events of 9/11 forever changed our nation, our people, our collective roles as human individuals among a sea of other humans, and honour those who were lost.