Be the change you want to see in the world.
- Mohandas K. Gandhi
Love and compassion are necessities.
- His Holiness The Dalai Lama
I doubt anyone needs to be reminded that today is the 10th anniversary of 9.11; Lords knows I certainly don’t. I’ve spent a lot of time recently thinking about what I could write that would properly encapsulate my feelings on this anniversary of our darkest day. I’ve done the research and the reflecting I felt necessary to fully understand and embrace the meaning of today. Even with all of that, I have to say that I still don’t have anything that feels right, and so I’m going to abandon the chase. What can I possibly add to the avalanche of remembrances, opinions, pronouncements, etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum? It’s not that the avalanche of media specials, remembrances, and solemn reflections aren’t important. I just can’t bring myself to participate. I can’t see how I could possibly have anything new or different or unique to add to the Sturm und Drang destined to wash over us today. While in no way do I wish to belittle the value of reflection and rememberance (I’ll be remembering my friend, Tim Haviland, who died in one of the Twin Towers), I see little to be gained by writing about it in any detail. There’s simply no longer anything new under the sun when it comes to 9.11. Today I’m keeping my own counsel, though I do recommend a thoughtful post by Brian Kane, who argues that it’s time to give 9.11 over to history. Agreed. Wholeheartedly. It’s time we stopped being mired in the past, so that we might focus on the present and create a better future. I wish that could be the legacy of today, but it won’t be, and I’m not going to lose sleep over what I can’t control or influence.
Enjoy your day in whatever way makes it meaningful- laugh, pray, watch football, hug your kids- and take what you can out of this anniversary. For those of you who need or want to revisit that horrible day, this would be a good place to start.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more of the usual silliness.
