There is no way that I could let September 11th pass without mentioning the events of September 11, 2001. I remember very clearly what I was doing that day, where I was, and how I was feeling. I remember watching Good Morning America. One minute they're playing their theme song, which was "Good Things Are Happening," and the next minute there are gasps of disbelief.
At the time I was in a ridiculous cycle of depression since I was working for Oracle Consulting and we were going through some massive lay-offs. I was especially worried because I was unassigned and had been for a record 11 weeks - thinking about it now makes my stomach turn.
The morning of September 11th started off the same as any that summer and it was all about me. Me wondering if I was going to get a call from someone asking me to turn in my lap top; wondering if I was going to have to file for unemployment (unthinkable); worried that I would have to go back to finance/accounting and wondering if there would be room for me. Seriously, it was all about me until Diane Sawyer gasped in horror.
In the hours that followed, there was such a hush in the busy neighborhood in Chicago that I lived in. I traveled that following Sunday and was anxious. The airport had this solemnity that I cannot describe and people eyeballed people of Indian or Pakistani descent suspiciously. In the days that followed, it seemed that people we actually nicer to each other - especially in traffic and in long lines. It was nice.
It's been 6 years since that terrible day and I still get a lump in my throat when I think about it. In the 6 years since, I think people have (sadly) returned to a state of normalcy meaning people aren't as nice to each other as they used to be. Although I think that if there were terrorist attacks on an airplane today people would be more apt to work together to thwart it, people really are less understanding about extra security measures that have been put in place. There was that whole thing about breast milk on airplanes - remember? I don't mind being delayed for a security reason. I don't care so much if I have to wait to get to where I'm going - even if it means I have to wait to get HOME - I do care if I get there in one piece and safely.
And then there's the war in Iraq. I don't want to talk about whether I agree or disagree with what we're doing over there. Whatever the opinion one holds, I think it's important to support the people who are serving there or supporting the effort at home. Without these people we would not be able to enjoy the freedom that we do. They are fighting for a belief and whether or not you agree with how the United States chooses to defend that belief, we owe the troops a big "Thank You".
Some things are better than they were 6 years ago and some things are worse, but one thing is for sure. The belief that we are "safe" in the United States, in the suburbs, or anywhere is just not true. In the end, we need to look out for each other because we're all in the same boat.
Lots O' Traffic
Today I took a look at stats for my site and was shocked to see that I had over 200 page views yesterday. I would love to think that the up-tick in page views was because people found my page so entertaining, but I know that probably isn't true. What seems to be driving the increased traffic is because I write for the Chicago Moms Blog and my site is listed under my biography.
It's very cool for me to be included on a site such as Chicago Moms Blog and it sounds corny, but with being a contributor comes a lot of responsibility. Responsibility in that I need to think twice about what it is I write. I don't censor what I say; in fact, I just write what I think with the realization that someone may not agree with me and that's okay. I cannot expect everyone to agree with what I think or what I write. I also cannot expect everyone to like me because usually I write non-thoughtful, non-controversial and some people probably think I'm a ambivalent twit. I know this because someone once told me this when I posted a comment on a photo community site about a photo that was posted as "Photo of the Week."
When I first read the comment that was written about my comment, I was a little insulted and sad. It felt like being back in high school when some "popular" person made an off-handed dismissive comment. But, then I realized that I really didn't care. It's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. I'm not worried that people may not agree with me or that they think I'm a twit. After all, if people are going to think that they know me based on an article or opinion that I write on a website then they're the ones with issues - not me.
Posted at 08:55 AM in Current Affairs, Misc Commentary | Permalink | Comments (3)