Patriot Day

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks on September 11th.  It's a day like many others in history that triggers instant recall as everyone remembers where they were when the planes crashed.  But it's a different day in so many ways. The profound sadness that ensued in the days, weeks, even months, was nearly debilitating for me and I'm certain I was not alone.  As tragic as the events were I could not get enough information -- I had to watch every piece of footage and hear every sad story.  Worse than a train wreck, I simply couldn't look away.  It was important for me to absorb every detail and ingrain them in my memory so I could try to understand just how and why this happened.

Each anniversary is like an excruciating sore that won't heal.  An open wound into which salt is thrown.  Tears flow freely as the events are re-lived in print, on the radio, and on TV.  Impossible to escape the memories of that day.  Perhaps that's how it should be. We should never forget the sadness, the anger, and more importantly, the unifying effect the tragedies had on our country.  We've lost that unity, due mostly to divisive politics, and we need to recover those feelings that made us seem as one nation.  We owe it to the memory of those who died that day and all the troops who have since died defending our country.