9/11 Never Forget (To Live)

"The earth belongs to the living, not to the dead."

~ Thomas Jefferson

My old hometown hasn't changed much over the years. People come and go, houses are bought and sold, businesses are built and die out, but for the most part, the streets still look the same, the sidewalks are still cracked in the same areas, and that fire whistle still makes me jump whenever it starts wailing.

One of the things that I have noticed has changed is a building near the elementary school I used to attempt. It's still unknown to me what the building is for, and it's still set in such an odd place, being right on the route where the buses drive, but there's a big white sign hung on the side of the front of the grey metal building that shows an American flag and 9/11, with the words "Never Forget" emblazoned in big red letters so no one can miss them.

I remember the attack on the Twin Towers. I was in my eighth grade English class when Mrs. B turned on the news, and for the rest of the day, we were left to watch as two planes crashed into the skyscrapers over and over again. Was it horrible? Yes. Was I bothered by it? Yes? Was it the end of the world? Yes.

Don't give me that look, you know I'm right. Oh, sure, the Earth's still spinning, the Sun still rises every morning and sets at night, and we're still dealing with the weird-ass weather prominent in this region. When September rolls around, however, as it always does, people look upon the month as though the entirety of it represents what happened a growing number of years ago. People look upon this incident as having shaped their world, and they forget that life has gone on, despite the pain and horror that attack caused.

What happened that day was a tragedy, no question, and a lot of people lost loved ones during the attack, and after it. It was a horrible day, a horrible week, and yes, even a horrible year, and those that lost others especially have suffered the aftermath. Life doesn't end for those of us who are left behind, however. The dead have passed on beyond our reach, but they're at peace now, and while we must suffer their loss and what remains now that they're gone, we should not act to bring suffering more greatly upon ourselves.

The world keeps moving on, and so should we.

We will never forget what happened on September 11th, 2001. It's been written in the minds of those who bored witness to it, and children now and in the future will read about it in history books for decades and centuries to come. We will never forget, but in the wake of remembering the pain and terror and loss, we must be careful not to forget to live.

Life is very short, and shorter still for some, and each moment is precious and should be cherished. What is gone is gone, at least for now. There will be more tragedies to come in the future, as there were tragedies in the past, but we must remember to not forget that the Earth continues spinning, the Sun continues rising, and Life goes on.

As should we.