Today, I went to a special flag raising ceremony at my daughter's middle school. It dawned on me that none of the kids there really remember September 11. They may have seen images or studied about it, but they don't remember the feelings they had that day.
I do.
The main speaker, a representative from our local American Legion, said he would never forget 9/11, just like he would never forget John F. Kennedy's assassination, the Cuban missile crisis, and even Pearl Harbor. I realized I "see" those events like my daughters will see 9/11... a series of pictures with a history lesson.
It shows you the difference between experiencing something and studying it. This really made an impression on me today.
From the 9/11 Memorial Website...
We shall never forget
We shall keep this day,
We shall keep the events and the tears
In our minds, our memory and our hearts
and take them with us as we carry on.
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4 comments:
It is fascinating to think about how differently events can be seen simply by the fact that of whether or not we are able to recall the breaking news. When I was a student teacher (high school) this past spring, it was hard for me to imagine that many of my students didn't really remember the events as vividly as I did. It seemed like something so recent should be remembered by everyone, but I guess time is relative, isn't it?
Lovely thoughtful post. I live in NYC and work in Manhattan and this day will forever be with me. I agree that living history is something one never forgets.
I feel exactly the same way about 9/11. I was in college that day, and the events that transpired will forever be burned into my mind.
I wish I could experience the JFK assassination, or even Pearl Harbor, in this same level of emotional intensity.
I lead our church's high school youth group, and even they were too young to remember it the way I do. It's sad, in a way, to know that our young people, soon to be adults, won't understand the heartache that 9/11 brought our country, and better yet, how it managed to bring our country together.
Thanks for the tribute.
Clarinda, I know. In my mind, the images seem like yesterday. It's hard to believe my 12 year old has not recollection, because I remember squeezing her so tight that day.
Winnie, Thanks.
Mike, Thanks. I hope those of us who remember will make sure those that don't have some grasp of what happened.
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