Remembering

I had a bunch of different ideas for today’s post, but after watching a bit of the History channel last night, I’ve decided that there’s something more important to discuss.  As I’m sure you all know, yesterday was September 11^th, which is a date that will live in infamy if you are a resident of the United States.  The tragedy of that day lives forever in our memories and I think it’s worth noting that we need to remember.  As the saying goes, “the best predictor of the future, is the past.”  We need to remember and never forget that fateful day and how it changed our lives in so many ways so that we never have to relive a day like September 11, 2001 ever again. 

Last night, over a dinner of pizza and sushi (kinda weird I know, but it’s actually a pretty normal dinner combo at our house), Doug and I watched a program that featured some pretty incredible footage of the tragedy that day.  The show featured seven people who had captured their own video footage, from a college co-ed filming from the window of her apartment to an amateur filmmaker capturing the reactions in Time Square as New Yorkers stared up at the screens in disbelief.  It was pretty incredible and brought me back to that day 12 years ago.  I’m sure you all know exactly where you were and what you were doing when you saw the news and watched horrified as those planes crashed into the World Trade Center.  I was in my high school Physics class, and there we all sat, completely silent in our desks, watching the coverage on TV.  There was no talk of Physics that day, no lesson plans more important than what was happening on the other side of the country.  It truly was a remarkable tragedy and a day that none of us will soon forget. 

We were attacked, on our own soil, and for no good reason.  I think 9/11 was the first time I was really aware of the animosity throughout the world towards Americans and the first time I really knew what a “terrorist” was.  It was interesting watching the college co-ed’s footage last night.  Her roommate can be heard in the background saying something to the effect of “it’s terrorists, we’re being attacked.”  She knew it right away.  I’m pretty certain that I had no idea at the time I first saw the planes hit the towers that it was a terrorist attack.  I figured that a plane was out of control and crashing, or it was some sort of terrible accident.  I didn’t and couldn’t imagine that something like that could happen on purpose.  It wasn’t until much later when it was reported on the news that I understood it was the work of terrorists and was absolutely done on purpose.  The actions of those terrorists impacted every single American on that day in some way, and although I lived thousands of miles from New York City, Washington D.C. or that field in Pennsylvania, my life and views on the world were completely altered that day.

After 9/11, our lives changed as we, as Americans, had to deal with the real and present threat of terrorists in our country.  Flying became an absolute nightmare, as so many new security precautions were put in place.  In fact, extra security was put in place at many different venues, from concerts to sporting events to museums.  Today, many of those same security precautions are still in place.  It may be annoying to us at times, and I think we’ve all been guilty of thinking it can be a little much.  Especially living in a place like Montana, where we don’t think this kind of thing could ever happen.  But it’s important to remember.  Remember how we felt, the way the nation banded together, and the extreme pride that all Americans had after that day.  We are so lucky to live in this great country and we can’t ever take our freedom and the opportunities afforded to us as Americans for granted.  So, today, I encourage you to remember and be proud.  It’s good to be an American!