Sunday, September 11, 2011

Reflections on Tragedies

For my generation,  September 11th has the same  meaning as December 7th did to our Grandparents.  a Day of Infamy.  one of those dates that 30 years from now you will still recall with prefect clarity  where you were and what you were doing when you first heard the news.  History books will devote entire chapters to this day and all that happened.

for some, the loss is deeply personal.  For others, a general feeling of sorrow and pain.   it was one time where the entre planet was united in grief as it wasn't just American lives lost.  and then, we got angry.   a Righteous indignation that someone DARED to  commit such a heinous act on OUR land.. in OUR back yard.  it was unheard of, intolerable, and by golly we were not gonna stand for it.

The entire Nation rallied.  Military enlistments soared to unprecedented numbers rivaling those of WW2 in the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Patriotic songs by the dozens were written and sung  by musicians everywhere across all genres.  Congress passed the Patriot Act (hell that was probably the last time both sides have agreed on anything since) .  Promises were made regarding Payback

Here we are ten years later.    Lots of headlines are asking: Are We Safer?  

who knows.   Osama bin Laden, the mastermind,  has met his Maker and is facing whatever judgement awaits him.    Saddam Hussein was tried, convicted, and hung by a jury of his own people The Taliban has lost most of its vast control network and has been reduced to a shell of its former  power base.  Fre elections have taken place and both Iraq and Afghanistan are recovering from the horrors of war..  The military, once begging for people , is now turning away new  recruits left and right and basically kicking  many already in out.

things ave changed, certainly.   anyone who has flown commercially in the last ten years knows that intimately.   it is our new reality.

 and yet, on this day, I can't seem to give a damn about any of it.   there are tragedies, and there are tragedies.  and right now my personal one   is more important to me.  I really could care less about  all the tributes and photo montages and  moments of silence.

Tomorrow, I have to  euthanize  one of my cats.   I have only had KeKe a few months, but that doesn't matter,  she became my Cuddle Monster  the first day.  she has been a member of my family  and I love her.  I will cry buckets  when she is gone and I am not ashamed to admit it

so you will forgive me if my facebook status doesn't  list one of the ten billion different versions of "Never Forget".   You will understand if I am not glued to CNN all day reliving the fall of Tower 2 or the dedication of a memorial in a Pennsylvania field.

some things.. are more important.

1 comment:

  1. Keke is a special girl, who will be missed by everyone. She had to fit 15 years of cuddles into her short 4.5 years of life. Thank you so much for taking such good care of her. That has meant so much to me. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete