On the way home from work today, I caught a segment on NPR about 9/11. Nine people recalled what they did the day before. You can listen here.
Some of the people interviewed lost loved ones in the attacks, and one even happened to sit next to the pilot of United Flight 93 as he was catching a flight to New Jersey to go to work. The pilot had promised his 15-year-old son they would start spending more time together, because he had recently had a busy work schedule.
I was a self-centered high-school senior 10 years ago, and the most prominent feeling I can remember is fear, rather than grief. The events of 9/11 have been so symbolized and exploited for political and religious gain that I never actually took the time to reflect on the individuals and their grieving families.
My perspective has probably also changed because, 5 years after 9/11, I too experienced the horror of losing a loved one unexpectedly. I cannot fathom the pain of the families of 9/11 victims. Not only did they undergo a personal nightmare, but the events surrounding the death of their loved ones are splashed all over the newspaper headlines, the web, and the television. These events are manipulated and used by politicians nearly every day. To have such an in-your-face, ever-present national event accompany your personal grief is unthinkable.
So this weekend, I wish peace for the families and friends of those we lost on 9/11. To honor and respect them, I am choosing to unplug from the internet and change the channel if yet another report or memorial is broadcast. My heart goes out to those affected, and may you be able to remember your loved ones without the constant cacophony of those who wish to profit--politically, monetarily, or religiously--from your pain.
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