Ten Years Hence - 9/11/01 to 9/11/11
Sep 08, 2011
The morning of September 11, 2001 is seared in my memory. I can remember details from that morning with such vivid recall. One of my strongest memories was that of watching the television and hearing myself say, "This must be a movie trailer. This can't be real." It took several minutes for my mind to process the inconceivable reality that was indeed unfolding minute by minute on the television screen. My eyes welled up as it all began to sink it. That day, a day of infamy, scarred the United States and served as the ignition for a cascading series of dramatic geo-political bursts throughout the world. That day signaled a seminal change in the world that has marked the first decade of the 21st century. The events set in place on September 11, 2001 led to the March 2003 Iraq War with its radiating impact on the Middle East and the western world. For citizens of the United States the eleventh of September represented a fracturing of their primordial sense of identity. The elemental ethos in which citizens of the U.S. most strongly identified with was turned in to a wartime weapon. That elemental ethos was the highly prized sense of freedom, long cherished in the history of the U.S. Those who hijacked the airplanes had exploited the freedom of U.S. society in unimaginable ways. And, not only had the attacks resulted in the loss of thousands of people, but they also introduced fear into the American culture. The sense of freedom that exists in this nation remains highly prized. I met an acquaintance from the Middle East at the Los Angeles airport. It was his first time in the States. As he encountered the sights and sounds of the city he remarked, "So this is what freedom smells like." Freedom touches all the human senses and we instinctively know what it smells like. This week your memories of 9/11 will be accompanied by daily media coverage of the ten year anniversary. The visceral images will bring all of us together as we remember the details of that infamous morning. As you remember, see if you can still get a whiff of that intangible smell of freedom. Take a deep breath this week and fill your chest with the freedom that continues to define the United States. It is still there, even after such a tragic day. Where were you on the morning of September 11, 2011?
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