“Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day?” –Alan Jackson
Those lyrics still resonate eleven years later, tugging at emotions and opening the floodgate of memories. I’ve never forgotten, and never will as long as I still have a functioning memory. But for some reason, today’s anniversary is hitting me harder than in other years.
Maybe it’s because so many others are publicly remembering through posts on social media, blogs, and other forums. Perhaps it’s because I’m heading down to Long Island this weekend. The thought of being closer to Ground Zero than usual is creeping into my subconscious. It could also be due to a host of other reasons. I couldn’t begin to name most of them because there’s no way to untangle them in a short blog post.
Whatever the reasons, a few things stand out for me today.
Too many lives were lost because of terrorism. (A direct result of intolerance in all its many forms.) In the face of it, unity and determination brought countless people together to rebirth something good from the ashes of wanton destruction and despair. Many of them paid the ultimate price during rescue and recovery efforts. Others paid with ongoing health issues and living nightmares.
Each of us has a choice as the world keeps turning. We can remember both the good and bad, or forget and become apathetic.
I choose to remember. And I will never forget.
