A Life Post-9/11

Anyone currently over the age of 16 should be able to recall where they were eleven years ago when our country was shaken by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United 93. Even the youngest can surely remember what it felt like to see the frantic nature and horrified reactions to the news splayed across every television in every home.

I was 19 years old and living in Pensacola, Florida. My four roommates and I were a part of a Bible school there in the panhandle. That morning one of my roommates, Katie, came and woke me up with the news about an airplane hitting the WTC in New York. Coming out of my sleepy stupor, I headed toward the living room to watch the events unfold thinking this would be a one-time occurrence that news reporters would chalk it up to malfunction or pilot negligence. Six minutes later we saw the second plane fly into the second WTC building. Katie and I both went to wake up the rest of our household and together we all sat there in shock.

We watched history unfold on TV as footage showed desperate victims jumping and falling from the towers, then as both buildings crumbled I remember sitting there and just weeping. I've never been to NY but we had friends there at school with us who were from the city with family that they were unable to reach.The one amazing thing about that day was how the entire student body showed up at our church one-by-one to pray without any prompting from the faculty or church elders. We just came.

That day is engrained in my memory for all time and every anniversary I sit and watch the footage and the TV specials to help keep the memory of 9/11. Last year was the 10th anniversary and there wasn't a news channel not devoting its air time to the memorial service or to the memories of those lost. However this morning, I had to search for something...anything that was giving remembrance. The history channel wasn't beginning their specials until later this evening so instead they were airing the "history of ice cream". Really? I know life goes on and people need to move on but I couldn't help feeling upset over the lack of coverage. I mean Shark Week gets a full week every year of constant airtime but we can't manage to do that for one day to remember 9/11?

But to get off my soapbox, the real reason for this post is Noah...and all of the other children who were born post 9/11 or too young to remember. How are we teaching them about what happened to our country? Will they care? I see now what it means to feel like my grandparent's generation who experienced Pearl Harbor. Did they feel the pain of that devastating battle and then see the nonchalance of what it meant to our country in the eyes of my generation? Will we see the same thing happen with Noah's generation? Will 9/11 be something for the history books that they'll just never understand and roll their eyes when they hear our stories of remembrance?

It's a sobering thought and I don't know how, but I hope to be a parent who is able to convey the importance of September 11th so my son will know and appreciate the reverence of this day.