Opinari.net
Opinari - Latin term for Opinion. Opinari.net is just what it seems: a cornucopia of rants, raves and poignant soliloquy. |
Thursday, September 11, 2003
How 9/11 Affected Me - A Two Year Memorial:
Two years ago today, I was sitting in my office in Southern Connecticut, watching the horror that was the attack on the World Trade Center. We have a makeshift television in there, hooked to a Snappy for scanning images of aircraft parts, and displaying them on the screen.
An hour before that, I was listening to the local morning show, usually upbeat and comical, when the news department interrupted to tell us that a Cessna had crashed into one of the towers. It turned out to be much more than that.
When I arrived at the office, I disconnected the Snappy, and turned on ABC, the only network available on the aging television. What I saw was initially shocking, and started a feeling of sickness and anger that still has not receded much.
Sixty miles to my south, people were leaping from great heights. Death was the theme of the day. My co-workers gave up their daily tasks, and adjourned to the set, riveted to the horror they witnessed. Many in my midst had friends there. I stopped to thank God that all of my friends and family were far from this mess.
Then we heard about the Pentagon. Immediately, I thought about the fact that my last two homes were in Washington, DC, and the New York - Connecticut area. The irony was not lost on me.
Then the unspeakable happened. The towers came crashing down - first one, then the other. The bustling, busy office in which I worked suddenly became deafeningly silent. Some were sobbing. Others were in literal shock.
I can only remember one emotion in my heart at that moment - anger. I was angry that Americans had become so complacent that they allowed this terrorism to fester in its midst. I was angry that Americans had become so ignorant of foreign affairs that they could not understand why something like this would happen. Further, I was angry that Americans were so self-absorbed, that they didn't see something like this coming. And you know what? I am an American. I can count myself in this group at which my anger was directed.
Life has changed drastically for me in two years. Priorities changed. Seeing how fragile life can be, visiting the trade center site in southern Manhattan, these things really refocused my thinking. Being faced with the mortality of your peers, not to mention yourself, can have that effect. I had forgotten how much my family and friends meant to me. Worst of all, I had forgotten how much God meant to me.
Perhaps September 11th, 2001, was a wake-up call to all of us that we should focus on more important things. Some of us have. Many have returned to the norm. However, none of us were unscathed. Today, I will be remembering this two year anniversary in the context of how life has changed, and how it can be improved, for everyone, not just myself.
Labels: Archives_2003
.: posted by
Dave
9:03 AM
| |
Recommended Reading
|
