I Remember...

Mood: Somber (It's September 11 and it's hard not to remember the events of this day in 2001)

What I'm Watching: September 11: As it happened (A replay of the NBC coverage as it happened on that day).

Today I'm taking a break from my usual sarcastic commentary on life to take a moment to reflect on the tragic events of September 11, 2001. I don't think that there's anyone who was alive at that time who could possibly forget what happened that day. The tragic loss of life, the bravery, the miracles, the fear, the sadness and the uncertainty. In one day, in just a few moments really, our world changed forever.

Like most people I know exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard about the first plane hitting the WTC. I was watching it live on tv when the second plane crashed into the second WTC tower. I remember the absolute numbing disbelief as I watched the events of that day unfold. I remember my own fears, my own worries and my own disabling grief over the absolutely senseless loss of life that day.

I get angry, I get frustrated, I have a tendency to be sarcastic, short tempered and occasionally intolerant of others but even I can't even begin to understand the absolutely sick and twisted hate and intolerance that brings about such horrifying events. Even today, 8 years later, I still fail to comprehend what kind of twisted hate can give rise to such absolute destruction of innocent human life. Clearly, I wouldn't want to be the type of person who could understand it.

My grandparents had Pearl Harbor, my mother had the assassination of JFK, Bobby Kennedy and the terror of the Cuban Missle Crisis. Personally, I thought that the Challenger tragedy was going to be the "moment of tragedy" for my generation. I was so very, very wrong.

I wonder what kind of world we're handing to the next generation. I think about my nephews and my niece who will never know what it's like to live in a pre- September 11 world. They'll never know the joy of wandering around an airport, watching the planes take off and land just because you can. They will always know that America isn't safe, that terrorists can and will strike on a large scale. They will never be as innocent as I once was.

So, with prayers for those who were lost, for those who died bravely trying to save those who were trapped and injured, and for those who lost loved ones on that dreadful day, I remember...because I can't forget.