For some of us, it impacted our lives and our identities greatly.
I never watched the news up until that day. I had seen enough “ugly” in my own life and felt I was protecting myself by not being aware of the world affairs around me.
How young and naïve I was.
On the evening of 9/11, after watching about 5 straight hours of CNN, my parents tore me away from the TV and I wrote in my journal. I read it now and the entry is filled with fear and uncertainty. I, like so many others, felt a sort of panic. And maybe even something similar to what our ancestors felt during war times, I felt compelled to grasp onto family, happiness and my dreams/goals/ambitions. It’s no surprise that only 2 months after 9/11 happened, I moved back to California after having lived in Idaho for 7 years. I was miserable in Idaho and felt, “Hey, if my days are numbered, or, our nation’s days are numbered, I am going to go to where my heart is.” I needed to believe that if these were my last days I was truly going to be living.
But, I think we have all lost sight of what that day represented to us individually.. We felt a unity, a need to belong to the people and society around us. We felt such tremendous pride in our country and neighbors. But, 10 years later, I think things just went back to the way they were before.
It’s important to be one with your fellow man. This is something we can’t lose sight of and 9/11 reminds us of what can happen when we band together and believe in the goodness of the world.
Rest in peace, all those who were lost. And let us never forget.
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