<p>I’m watching a Science Channel series of special programs on the events of 9/11, and it brings it all back—the overwhelming despair, the grief, the sadness. I can’t stop crying. This year is the tenth anniversary of the attacks. May we never experience a horror of this magnitude again. God rest the souls of all the victims.</p>
<p>I haven’t decided what I will watch of the coverage this year. Several times I have watched replays of the live news feeds, played in real time. 9/11 falls on a Sunday this year, so that’s probably out.</p>
<p>Actually, the specials are on the rebuilding efforts and the memorial to 9/11, but they are peppered with the accounts of survivors of the attacks, and the family members of victims. It is their recollections that so stab me in the heart. The new memorial museum is a beautiful structure, worthy of the sacrifices of the first responders and all the other unsung heroes who lost their lives that day.</p>
<p>Not watching any of it. Can’t. Got to watch it live from my kids school in NJ. Don’t need to see it again because it’s burned in my memory forever. I get to have boomerang panic attacks when something like the tornado in Tuscaloosa happens ('cause I was watching live coverage with my D on campus.) </p>
<p>I think for a lot of us that experienced it as a local event feel differently about the commemoration & anniversary events than those who experienced it as a TV event.</p>
<p>I will be participating in the Danskin Triathalon at Sandy Hook NJ that morning, hoping the positive vibes from the other competitors will compensate for the otherwise difficult memories. (I was in midtown NYC 10 years prior).</p>
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<p>Rob, I certainly can believe it. I can’t imagine how witnessing the actual events with my own eyes would have affected me. As it is, the strong emotions I felt on that day, and in the weeks that followed, still come rushing back when I see programs about Sept 11th. To this day, I have never felt such desolation, such grief for my country. It really was personal for me.</p>
<p>I feel exactly the same way, poetsheart. Which is why I can barely even think about it after all these years. And it has definitely changed the way I perceive the world. I never go on a flight (as a passenger) without eying the people around me. Who could be a threat, who is suspicious, who would help. What can I use as a weapon. Sit at an aisle seat, as close up to the front, so I can take action before that person ever reaches the cockpit. In any enclosed public room, I scope out where the exits are, and what can be used as a weapon. I feel like I am always on guard. I suppose this is how Israelis think. And I never even thought that way before.</p>
<p>Desolation and grief are exactly spot on.</p>
<p>It really was a day when (we) America lost our innocence, wasn’t it, busdriver? Being an airline pilot, I’m sure it’s easy for you to imagine the horror the crews of those flights must have experienced that day. I’ve not had occasion to fly since 9/11, but if I did, I’m sure I’d be entirely stressed out during the whole experience, eying my fellow passengers, hoping there’s a federal agent on board, scoping out all the exits, etc. Plus, flying is in no way the pleasure it use to be. I still remember flights during which I was served a hot meal on real china, and with real metal eating utensils, when check-ins and security checks were easy and stress-free, when they didn’t charge for pillows, drinks, snacks, and luggage. Now, given any other practical choice, flying would be my last mode of travel. The feeling that it’s just not worth it started with 9/11, and has been steadily reinforced with every new airline add-on charge, restriction, and story of trapped-on-the-tarmac-for-hours nightmare. Sigh…</p>
<p>I want to reply, but it’s all just too emotional and I just start crying.</p>
<p>I remember watching it live on tv. I doubt it will be the last of its kind though, due to the fact when two groups argue bad things tend to happen >< (thinking of recent shootings and such).</p>
<p>I also remember flying without all the damn security.</p>
<p>But life goes on. You can’t let something like this stop you.</p>
<p>We felt more confident and secure before 9/11. From 9/11 on we felt vulnerable and suspicious of everyone–that was the loss of innocence, IMO. Not like “innocence vs. guilt”–not as if we felt our country could do no wrong, but–as individuals, being sort of naive, and having this childlike confidence that nothing could harm us. We liked to think of ourselves, individually, as good people with good intentions and didn’t understand why/how we could be hated.</p>
<p>I took a flight with the worst legroom ever, recently. My first thought was, how the heck am I going to get out of the seat if there is a hijacker? </p>
<p>I don’t think that I would have thought this particular thought 10 years ago.</p>
<p>It’s so interesting how this horrible event shaped my older kids. They are much more clued into it, and it’s changed them. They see things way differently than my youngest does. They understand it on a different level than she ever can or will.</p>
<p>I feel blessed that I did not loose anybody close to me. I would never forget the day, I could not get thru calling my S’s cell to confirm that he is OK. He used to have meetings with client there. I will never forget the day, because while trying to reach my S., which took almost 2 hrs, I completely neglected taking care of my 12 years D. I still feel quilty, since her school finally called me at the office and said that most kids are picked up by their parents and she with few others are very frightened. She has spent all of her evening at home (all after school activities were cancelled) watching towers going down on TV over and over and over. it was her way to clam herself down. My D. has never watched TV when she was a child, she still does not care about it, never got into habit. Then I realized how deeply she was actually affected. I will never forget, I never cried, I had no right. I have saved the Time magazine with the picture on the cover.</p>
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I cried numerous times for many reasons. We all have the right to cry over things such as this. No one should feel that their response is/was invalid.</p>
<p>^Well I mean I did not do very well that day taking care of my family. I cannot cry, I should have done better.</p>
<p>goluhaqu- from your country of origin (have H and inlaws from India so I know there are differences) I can see that you don’t understand American word usage or the culture we had and now have. Yes, it was the loss of innocence. Personal freedom is very important to Americans and we lost a lot of it that day. Children don’t need to worry about many things because the adults take care of them- innocent. We Americans felt secure as trouble was always elsewhere, no dangers here. Being naive implies the dangers were always there and they weren’t, different from many other places. That all changed on 9/11. Not just airport security, but stadium barriers and so many more checks one never heard of a decade ago.</p>
<p>I’m commemorating 9/11 by sitting in my dorm room watching my NFL team’s season kickoff with my best mate, a few brews, and lively political conversation. I figure that having a great American experience is a good enough way to commemorate the fallen and tell al-Qaeda to jam it painfully up their collective rectum.</p>
<p>My DS and his GF are flying from JFK on 9/11. I guess they will have tight security and low airfares that day!</p>
<p>We have lost allot of our freedom since that day. And we are told it’s all for our own good. </p>
<p>History repeats.</p>
<p>^just because we’re told that the sacrifice of some measure of liberty is necessary does not mean it isn’t true</p>