"Seven years ago at this hour, a doomed airline plunged from the sky... and changed our world forever,"
George W. Bush
September 11, 2008
I remember exactly where I was on September 11, 2001 when the news came over the radio. A second plane just hit the World Trade Center. A second plane?
I stood there, unable to move. Later on that morning, in an office just 60 miles north of Ground Zero, my eyes remained glued to the television... watching the tragedy unfold... unable to change what was happening before me.
But I need to be honest with you guys. Looking back, my "world was not changed forever". In my provincial life -- a life where I only occasionally look up to see what’s really happening outside my backyard -- the world on September 12, 2008 is not that far different than September 10, 2001.
And I was wondering... does anyone else out there feel the same way as I? More after the jump.
If I were brutally honest, the biggest changes in my life since 9/11 are two fold:
- Need to arrive at airports at least an hour before departure
- Expect to be patted down whenever you go to the ballpark
Now don’t get me wrong. I feel for the deep loss people experienced on September 11th. Over 3,000 people died for no reason, leaving behind husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, friends, lovers.
But I live in a world where tragedy and joy are part of every day life. Over 15,000 Americans were murdered last year. 40,000 died in a car crash. Over 500,000 individuals were taken by cancer. Not to mention the 4,155 young Americans who have given their lives in the line of duty in Iraq. We can all point to days in our lives when we have felt the loss of tragedy.
In some ways, the world changes forever every day. Is 9/11 really that much different? How specifically has YOUR life changed from the events of that day? Is the world really more dangerous? Or safer?
Is war with a country that had nothing to with 9/11 part of that change... or would the current administration have found a way to instill the regime change they longed for? Is $4.00 gasoline part of that change... or would an administration run by oil executives deliver anything but record profits for their buddies?
I get up, get dressed, kiss my wife and kids goodbye and go to work. The occasional round of golf. Volunteer at Habitat. Come home. Eat dinner. Watch TV. Interact with people at work, my church, my community and family... building relationships... helping people overcome challenges... joining in their daily celebrations. For the most part, my post 9/11 world looks a lot like... my pre 9/11 world.
Yes, there are times when I peek out above the covers and wonder what’s going on behind the scenes... what’s this Patriot Act all about... what’s this FISA thing... is yellow worse than orange? But to be honest, for 364 days each year, 9/11 is not on my mind.
Did my world really changed forever because of 9/11? Or are the changes that have taken place driven by more complex (or simple) forces? Let me know.