I hate how it sneaks up on me, almost daily, around this time of year.
I was confirming the day of my hair appointment: “That’s September 11th, correct?”
While paying the mortgage I notice the due date: September 11.
Sometimes it’s really dumb things, like looking at the clock when the time is 9:11.
Walking past the television during the GOP Convention and out of the corner of my eye seeing a plane crash into one of the towers.
Painted on the police car at the stop light: dial 911 for emergencies.
Some things really make me mad. Like hearing a Talking Head on the news say “nine one one” instead of “nine eleven” or “September 11th.” 911 is a phone number not a date. Why is that such a hard concept for some otherwise intelligent people to grasp? No one celebrates Independence Day as “seven four.” No one calls New Year’s Day “one one.” That lack of attention to such a little detail seems hugely disrespectful.
Why do these things bother me so much? Why can’t I look at my watch and just simply think, “It’s eleven minutes after nine o’clock?”
That’s a rhetorical question, by the way. I don’t have an answer and I don’t think there is one.
Maybe they’re little reminders of how lucky we are. Lucky we have each other. Lucky when my husband comes home in the evening. Lucky that a plane didn’t fall out of the sky two blocks from the White House.
There are some things that we do every day since then. We kiss goodnight every night. We say, “I love you!” whenever we leave to do an errand. We never forget that so many people lost loved ones simply because they went to work.
We live more in the present. Sometimes I just sit and soak in my husband and my daughter. I notice the details: their smiles, their hugs. I try to absorb them somehow. Store them inside. Live in the moment. Feel grateful for every day we have and don’t take life for granted.
These are just some thoughts for today.
Outstanding!!! Outstanding!!! Outstanding!!!
Ti amo.
hi wooly,
it really is amazing how time turns around our lives… i remember you were working in d.c. on 9/11 and i remember how traumatizing 9/11 was for you.
the importance of the day does not escape any of us today and yet your ability to ground us all in both remembrance for the lives that were lost as well as grounding us in what is most important each day is such a gift to me, as your friend and a devoted reader of your blog.
i know for certain i am grateful for the wisdom of your blog today as well as grateful for our friendship.
xoxo
ter
I hope for the day when all of mankind can live in a democratic society and there won’t be the need for any more memorials. It appears that when we make strides in one area we have set backs in another. Peace appears to be short times between upheavals. So sad. History repeats over and over but I am happy for the cycles of peace. I don’t relive September 11, 2001 other than to pay it respect. I’m told that many terrorist attacks have been averted and my government is doing its best to protect my country. Am I foolish to believe this? I hope not. We have an old foe raising her head once again. In high school at the end of the day we prayed for peace with this country and for a short time it almost looked possible. I am sorry for all useless death. I continue to pray for a time of peace. September 11, 2001 has in its own way served a purpose. Thank you, Julie, for your thoughts. Love, Cioci