Like most Americans I know exactly where I was when I heard about what happened. I can still vividly remember watching the footage on tv, going to the Capitol for a candlelight vigil, praying for families whose loved ones weren't accounted for. Everything just felt so numb, as I'm sure it still does for those who lost family and friends.
It occurred to me yesterday that Charlotte will never have a memory of September 11th. I mean sure, she'll learn about it in school and see coverage of it as every anniversary rolls around, but she'll never know what it was like to live through it. I'm grateful that she doesn't have first-hand experience with that kind of loss, but at the same time just find it confounding because it was such a life-changing event for so many. It almost feels like she's out of the loop in a way.
I was just shy of 20 years old when our nation was attacked. It was the first major event in history that I really remember with great clarity. I was only four when the Challenger shuttle exploded, just eight when the Berlin Wall came down, and wasn't around for the Miracle on Ice, John Lennon's death, JFK's assassination or most of those other where were you when moments. Just as I'm sure the baby boomers find it unfathomable that I have no real tie to those events, I find it amazing that Charlotte will never really have a tie to the events of a decade ago.
Not sure what the point of this post was, other than just getting the jumbled up thoughts in my mind out.
2 comments:
That's weird, I was thinking about that on Sunday, regarding Elijah. Joe and I were talking about the attacks and the ceremonies on the way to the grocery store that day. Elijah was listening in the back seat, when it occurred to me that he has no idea what we are talking about and it will be like Pearl Harbor is to our generation... Just footage, facts and feeling sad.
I hadn't thought about this until you and Johanna mentioned it - wouldn't it be nice if they could live nice long lifes and never have to experience what we have. Not likely...but we can hope.
Post a Comment