Thoughts on 9/11

As the whole world knows, it has been ten years since that day that America was attacked.  I remember that day well.  I watched the second tower getting hit on live TV. It just so happened that it was a quick note on the internet that alerted me to turn on the television.  I had made arrangements to have lunch with a friend that morning.  I did meet her in town at the proper time and we watched news coverage along with everyone else in the restaurant.

As a side note, that was the last time I have met with that particular friend or even had more than a passing conversation with her.  We get along just fine and had many a good talk about spiritual things.  I had not made the final decision to walk the path I am on now. She had gone through her own search and ended up staying in the christian church that we are both members of.  Since then, she has gone to college and now serves at the church as a counselor.  I had opened up to her telling her that I was feeling that I needed to do some of my own searching.  Actually, she encouraged me to do so.  Now I wonder if she meant it though. After that morning, I called her a few times to chat and maybe meet again for lunch.  She was busy and said she would call me in a week or two and set up a time.  Huh...I am still waiting for that call.  Good thing I don't hold my breath. 

So as I watched that day and the next several days, I felt the sadness and the fury that someone would do such a thing.  As time went on, we Americans had more and more of our individual freedoms shackled and taken away even.  Why is it that so many people do not seem to see that?

Husband and I were talking the other night about all the coverage this past week and this weekend.  We were in agreement, we are choosing to not watch all of it.  It isn't a matter of not caring, we care very much.  We remember vividly.  No, I don't know anyone personally in real life that died that day or lost a loved one.  I do know lots of people that lost something that day though.  All of us did in fact.  Some say that America was not changed but rather was awakened like a sleeping giant that day.  Perhaps for a while.  Some say that America did change that day.  I agree with that.  We did change and not necessarily for the better.

The main reason I am choosing to not watch constant reminders of that day and am not dwelling much more than this post about it is different than not caring.  I am choosing to not participate in a drawn-out national grief.  We have our grief and we deal with it in our own ways as individuals. However, national grief is collective.  It can be fed by the media.  It is a mass consciousness thing too.  I agree that a remembrance is called for.  I do not think it is helpful to be bombarded with it 24/7. 

Dwelling on it and allowing the changes that have happened in some ways let those who did these evil acts win just a bit.  The point of terrorism is to instill fear and cause changes in peoples lives.  That did indeed happen.  I am not going to play their game and live in fear.  Some changes I can't do anything about but I can decide to live my life with the freedom of spirit that I believe makes America great.