Saturday, September 11, 2004

On trying to write about September 11, 2001

For months I have planned to write a blog entry on September 11, 2001. A personal account, giving step-by-step details of everything I was doing that day. What I thought when I heard about the first plane. Then the second. Then the Pentagon. What I thought when I saw a plane racing through the sky in the minutes afterwards. How I tore a chair apart for the speaker wire that was binding it together so we could use it as an antenna to turn one of our monitors into a television. What I thought when I saw the people falling. What I thought when I saw the towers falling.

But I can't, not just now. Not just for emotional reasons, but for reasons of time and technical limitations as well. My PC crapped out on the first version of my "Smithian irony" post, so I think this is something I had best compose offline. But I hate composing blog entries offline. They don't have the same wild, spontaneous feel that "live" entries do. Even if I polish and edit a "live" entry, it feels less forced and artificial than one I have had all the time in the world to create. Plus, I have things I promised people I would do this morning, so I have to get going.

Do not forget. I doubt anybody can, anybody who was alive and aware that day. But forgetting is a part of what makes us human, able to cope with tomorrow after what happened yesterday. Some things should be seared into our souls, never to be forgotten.

I will write more later. For now, my heart also goes out to the good people of Australia who have once again been the targets of terrorism. As you remember September 11, 2001, please also do not forget October 12, 2002, or September 9, 2004.

2 comments:

Lisa said...

I have been reflecting on this day as well. I was fortunate enough to have the honor of making 2 quilts for a fireman's family who died in the world trade center. It was made from all his clothing, uniforms, jerseys, jeans, suits. I wish we all lived our lives like we did that first week, coming together and supporting one another.

marcoshark said...

Well, it wrecked my life but good. I will tell you this, after the first attack of '93, some of us thought that this was not going to be the last time. During 9-11, I wanted to cause bodily harm to someone because of that deed, but to whom?!