Reflections on 9/11

As the country celebrates the 10th anniversary of 9/11, many thoughts about that day flow through my mind. I'm mulling attending the ceremony at the site this Sunday. I usually reflect on the day in private but I decided to share some of my thoughts here.

I was supposed to be in the tower the first plane crashed into at precisely the same time but was delayed. I remember the hordes of people scurrying to get home. Calling home was next near to impossible because all the phone lines were jammed. When the second plane hit the other tower, it really got crazy. I didn't know what was happening. I was able to get home in mid afternoon. There was an area that I could see the twin towers in clear view. Going to that same spot, all I saw was thick black and gray smoke where the towers once stood.

Now here it is ten years later, and I question if anything was gained. There's nothing to show for the so-called 'war on terror' because it was done under false pretenses. I can still feel the loss of all those people who did not escape the falling debris. Four members from my church died in the attacks. Many questions remained unanswered and people are questioning the official report about what happened. I could go into a long litany of my own findings and observatios but that's for another day.

9/11 is still a sore part in many people's lives. Though I suffered no loss personally, I still feel a sense of loss. The loss of innocence; loss of faith in our institutions and leaders (which was tenuous already), and the conclusion that America is a fascist state with the corporations running things and the politicians following like lap dogs.

This Sunday I choose to remember the many heroes and sheroes who brought comfort to those who were hurting. I choose to remember the many people lost and the loved ones they left behind. I have seen the changes in my own life and how now those changes affect me. In the end, I have no bitterness towards anyone because it would only destroy me. I choose to make a difference in other peoples' lives

~Genevieve