Remembering...

This morning was pretty typical. In the rush to get everyone fed, dressed and out the door to work & school I gave no thought to anything going on in the world. Then I sat down at my computer with my coffee to check my email and start the day. What day is it, anyway? Oh yeah. September 11th. Ouch.

I suppose that most thoughtful people today are feeling conflicted about the state of America and the world in the 5th anniversary of the terror attacks of 9/11/01. Angry, sad, sick, hopeless, afraid go ahead—pick a feeling, any feeling. Collect ‘em all.

I’m inclined to ignore the popular media today. I do believe that it is important to remember 9/11 and all its lessons, but I don’t really need to watch the planes hit over and over again to help me remember. I don’t need to hear any of the political rhetoric, finger-pointing or second-guessing. No hare-brained conspiracy theories, please. Thank you.

The week before last, I was vacationing with my family in New York (my home town). We sublet an apartment on West 90th street for most of the week, except for the first night because the apartment was unavailable. We stayed that one night in the Embassy Suites in Battery Park City, right across the street from Ground Zero. It was the first time I’d been down to the site since 9/11 and it was really disturbing, as one might guess. Not the same as on TV. I moved away from NYC when I was 24, but still consider myself a New Yorker. It was really painful to see the Ground Zero crater—like a giant, open wound on a familiar friend. Any New Yorker can tell you that the Twin Towers provided a tremendous landmark that one was always aware of. The absence of the towers is an emptiness in the skyline that, like the elephant in the room, is a constant reminder of that terrible day. I hope that when the new Freedom Tower is built, that it remains that much-needed reminder, instead of patching the hole in the sky and letting everyone forget.

Not sure why I’m writing this at all. A million others have written on the subject using more eloquent words. I guess the minutes I’m spending writing this blog entry constitute my ‘moment of silence.’ While I reflect on the meaning of 9/11 this morning. After I upload this post, it’s back to the rush of the day. I have much to do, as do we all.