On the eve of 9/11, I was compelled to pull over on the highway to snap a shot of the Washington Monument. We were attacked on a day just like this one and a weird feeling about the Monument not standing tall as part of the DC panorama made me stop my car. It had sustained damage during the earthquake a few weeks ago showing just how fragile it is against natural causes; the thought of a deliberate attempt to destroy it gave me pause. I try not to get too emotional when this time of year comes again but there is something haunting about it being 10 years since the lives of Americans changed once again forever. The United States, particularly certain cities, is on high alert right now, which this year has left me feeling unsettled. I have no desire to be on Capitol Hill or near the White House and wonder if I will venture out onto the Mall for my morning walk. I hate feeling like this.
Americans bonded on the day of and for months following the attack a decade ago. Fragile, we cared about and for one another united by a tragedy that touched almost everyone; how quickly that desire to be one disappeared. It gives me chills thinking about how very un-united we really are, about the uncivilized way we treat each other moment to moment. I am far from naïve knowing all too well that this behavior is human nature for countless individuals but now on each 9/11 that reality becomes quite magnified for me.
So on this day as we reflect, perhaps we should also remember that a people united can never be defeated…a tall order when minds seem to opt for being small.
keep your peepers open!®
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