Remembering 9/11

As I look back five years to 9/11/2001, I ask myself what has changed? Personally the changes I see are how air travel has gotten more tedious because of the extra level(s) of security. Traveling on the T in Boston, I am reminded to be vigilant for unattended packages. This same vigilance can be seen if attending an event where a large crowd gathers.

What else has changed? Immediately after the horrific events of that infamous day, I noticed a change in the way people treated each other. People who would once flick you the finger in traffic were now stopping to let you go. There seemed to be a tremendous increase in random acts of kindness. People were truly living by the golden rule. In a sordid way, it’s almost as if we needed this harsh wake-up call. The country, for that matter the world was stunned. I heard someone on the radio mention that it seemed as if the country was sucker punched.

This sucker punch awoke a dormant nation and fostered a tremendous surge in patriotism. Young people were inspired to join the armed forces; fire fighters and first responders replaced athletes, and politicians in becoming the new heroes.

Recent polls reveal that at least 25% of the people in this country think about 9/11 each day while the remainder remember at different time periods. If I were to venture a guess I would say that 25% of the people continue to conduct random acts of kindness while the remainder have gone back to their old ways. They say that approximately 2% of the country is impacted by having a loved one serving in the military fighting to protect our freedoms.

9/11 saw approximately 3000 people lose their lives and over the last three to four years approximately three thousand more have died fighting in the Middle East. I think about these two factions every day. I think about the 6,000 that lost their lives and hope that they are resting peacefully. The ones I think about more are the loved ones that are left behind grieving, especially the children. Many have lost a father and even though as certain movements in this country would have you believe how fathers’ roles have been diminished, these children are left with a tremendous void in their lives. I know because I lost my father a few months before I was born. I will never diminish the role my mom played in my upbringing but there is still a void in my life because my dad was taken away from me because of a war related accident. My heart goes out to these children who are innocent victims of senseless violence.

May God bless them.