Any other day
I woke up this morning early. Got up, did my constitutional, watched some TV about the hurricane, got mad at an author who claimed that a vote for John McCain was a vote for George Bush and went to my desk at like 7:30. I started my day, and while working I opened CNN which talked about a 9/11 memorial. I thought to myself how nice they're running 9/11 stories just because...then went to my MySpace and saw my cousin Dawn's bulletin about thinking of the people today.
Then it hit me.
Today is 9/11.
Seven years have passed...and I'm one of the many who have truly forgotten. What an amazing jerk I am. I'll stand up when the topic comes up. I'll defend our country, and the leadership of the time immediately after...I'll spout the verses of righteous anger and mention that I knew someone in one of the towers. I'll mention that I used to go to New York once a year and every time felt like I'd see the view from the towers "Next time" etc. What I fail to realize is...I mention me an awful lot in there.
There are people today waking up for the 2556th time without their husband, or daddy, or mommy or wife. Who are thinking about how 7 years ago this day was any other. Maybe they didn't say I love you. Maybe they had a tiff that they planned to make up for when the day was done. Maybe they slept in and their spouse went to work without waking them. Maybe they said all the things they needed to before that person left for work, and know that though the person is gone...that there wasn't anything left unsaid...yet they still feel an emptiness inside them. Today people are waking up and have truly felt the loss that this day brought 7 years ago.
The point I'm making is...while we as a country were affected as a whole...there are many of us today who were affected on a far more deep and personal level. For these people...today is an open wound. A scab that never quite fell off, and gets picked at to ooze a little less each time.
Today news media may cover it. If they do, I feel confident that while they believe they're being respectful and appropriate...I have to wonder what role the current ratings book plays. They'll manipulate and steer the conversation with these people who have truly lost something...and hope they get the big teary moment on tape to make the right emotional resonance with the viewer so they stay in their seat through the great commercial about the guy who sounds like Al Pacino complaining he needs better brakes at his local Meineke store. All to bring em back and listen to how Sarah Palin is a great step for McCain, or how Obama is going to take the election. The fact our news media is rated means unfortunately that I believe...we're all just pawns in their hope of ratings to get more advertising revenue. While I'm sure it hits some emotionally...I have to wonder as to the depth of their emotion...and if they TRULY felt the hurt that today could bring to someone...why ask them to relive it at all. I say respect their privacy and grief...and leave them alone.
My fear is...that 9/11 will become a commercialized day. Where we as a nation will remember where we were that day...and while in that mindset be expected to order some 20 dollar engraved silver piece from a country I've never heard of with the twin towers engraved on it. I'm worried that we'll forget what it was like that day...to drive home after hearing what happened...and getting that weird feeling when we looked in the skies and saw absolutely NO planes flying overhead...or how we felt watching the news coverage at home...waiting on word of survivors being found (if any). The feeling we had looking across the dinner table that night and being able to say "I Love You" to a person that was there...and not wishing we had said it 12 hours earlier and never being able to again.
I'm a lousy person today for forgetting what happened only 7 years ago. I'm even more lousy because I have a strange feeling it won't be the last time.
I urge everyone today to pray (if you do)...for those left behind...and for those of us who weren't personally affected to find some way to remember to tell those around us how much we love them...that seems the best way to honor the fallen (to me anyway).
Thanks for reading;
Then it hit me.
Today is 9/11.
Seven years have passed...and I'm one of the many who have truly forgotten. What an amazing jerk I am. I'll stand up when the topic comes up. I'll defend our country, and the leadership of the time immediately after...I'll spout the verses of righteous anger and mention that I knew someone in one of the towers. I'll mention that I used to go to New York once a year and every time felt like I'd see the view from the towers "Next time" etc. What I fail to realize is...I mention me an awful lot in there.
There are people today waking up for the 2556th time without their husband, or daddy, or mommy or wife. Who are thinking about how 7 years ago this day was any other. Maybe they didn't say I love you. Maybe they had a tiff that they planned to make up for when the day was done. Maybe they slept in and their spouse went to work without waking them. Maybe they said all the things they needed to before that person left for work, and know that though the person is gone...that there wasn't anything left unsaid...yet they still feel an emptiness inside them. Today people are waking up and have truly felt the loss that this day brought 7 years ago.
The point I'm making is...while we as a country were affected as a whole...there are many of us today who were affected on a far more deep and personal level. For these people...today is an open wound. A scab that never quite fell off, and gets picked at to ooze a little less each time.
Today news media may cover it. If they do, I feel confident that while they believe they're being respectful and appropriate...I have to wonder what role the current ratings book plays. They'll manipulate and steer the conversation with these people who have truly lost something...and hope they get the big teary moment on tape to make the right emotional resonance with the viewer so they stay in their seat through the great commercial about the guy who sounds like Al Pacino complaining he needs better brakes at his local Meineke store. All to bring em back and listen to how Sarah Palin is a great step for McCain, or how Obama is going to take the election. The fact our news media is rated means unfortunately that I believe...we're all just pawns in their hope of ratings to get more advertising revenue. While I'm sure it hits some emotionally...I have to wonder as to the depth of their emotion...and if they TRULY felt the hurt that today could bring to someone...why ask them to relive it at all. I say respect their privacy and grief...and leave them alone.
My fear is...that 9/11 will become a commercialized day. Where we as a nation will remember where we were that day...and while in that mindset be expected to order some 20 dollar engraved silver piece from a country I've never heard of with the twin towers engraved on it. I'm worried that we'll forget what it was like that day...to drive home after hearing what happened...and getting that weird feeling when we looked in the skies and saw absolutely NO planes flying overhead...or how we felt watching the news coverage at home...waiting on word of survivors being found (if any). The feeling we had looking across the dinner table that night and being able to say "I Love You" to a person that was there...and not wishing we had said it 12 hours earlier and never being able to again.
I'm a lousy person today for forgetting what happened only 7 years ago. I'm even more lousy because I have a strange feeling it won't be the last time.
I urge everyone today to pray (if you do)...for those left behind...and for those of us who weren't personally affected to find some way to remember to tell those around us how much we love them...that seems the best way to honor the fallen (to me anyway).
Thanks for reading;
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