The majority of the blog posts I read on Sunday, September 11, were about the terrorist attacks. Some of them told of where they were and how they heard the news. Others were about how life has changed since then. And then there was one from a young adult, probably in the 17-19 year old range, that grabbed my attention like no other.
On that day, she was old enough to realize something bad had happened but not old enough to understand the impact. As a result, she had mixed feelings about the the incident and events that have happened in the last ten years. To her, this was just something else to read about in the history books. It wasn't personal to her and she wrote of things she can't possibly understand.
At first, I was shocked at her attitude. She came across as flippant and disrespectful and that made me angry. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized she is part of the first generation that doesn't know what life was like before 9-11. Her generation and generations to come will see that tragic day as just another day in history. Their 'normal' is certainly not what our normal was.
This was a real eye opener for me! My anger melted away and I was left with a sadness for the generations to come. Generations that won't know what it was like to live without the threat of terrorism, without Homeland Security, without security at every event, airport, public, and government building. It was just something I had not thought about before. And it makes me sad.
To celebrate National Sewing Month, I'm ending each post with a sewing tip. Here is today's tip from Maureen at Maureen Cracknell Handmade: just give it a shot if it's something you've always wanted to do --it will change your life!
Good Morning Annette,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post today...something to think about and so true. But then it seems like every generation has their own historical tragedy. Unfortunately their is still evil out there just waiting for an opportunity to strike. Maybe they will be more prepared than we were...I don't know. I pray they never have to be tested.
Ok...off to get my sewing tip...enjoy the day my friend.
janet xox
You are so right and it is so sad that for them this is "normal". But then, for us, it was normal to look at your male highschool classmates and know the majority of them were going off to Vietnam and a sad percentage would not return and it was just a fact of our lives. It changed how we viewed the world and forced us to live in the here and now because the future was so unknown. I wonder how 9/11 will shape their view of the world when they are old enough to reflect on it.
ReplyDeleteI still think most young people from her generation feel very impacted by the wars that followed 911. Her reaction surprises me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for using my quote today!
What an interesting observation. I remember that day like it happened yesterday, and I never think about that generation (my daughters generation) and how they remember that day. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteValerie
Everyday Inspired
Having lived that day in Boston, where two of the planes had taken off from and remembering the shock and horror as well as the worry over whether people we knew were on those planes or in those buildings, it's forever burned in my memory...but...
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up in the place where the last non-domestic attack happened, that being in Hawaii where Pearl Harbor was attacked in WWII, I know how she feels, to a certain extent. I could tell you the whole horrifying story of what it was like on the island the day of the attack. I had been told the story every year on December 7th since I was old enough to remember. I drove within line of sight of the Arizona Memorial more times then I'd ever be able to count...but, it was all just stories to me. There was little left other than memorials by the time I came around and they were always just stories. Of course, there were many people still around who could still remember that day, having lived it, but for me...it wasn't the same thing. That...is why I kind of know how she feels.
Kathy expressed my thoughts exactly!
ReplyDeleteIt is very sad indeed but I wonder if a lot of this loss of emotional empathy could be a result of seeing so much carnage in our everyday news. From tsunami's and earthquakes, to bombings and tornados ... not to mention the violent video games that our youth play today. Perhaps all this creates is a generation that has become desensitized to human suffering. :(
ReplyDeleteI too am shocked by some of the comments I heard myself. Americans even saying the US deserved the attack really stun me - I don't think anyone deserves what happened that day and to boil it down to a Us is bad everyone else is good opinion stuns me - I don't think anywhere is perfect but you are living in a place where you can still voice your opinion and that is not a place to be taken for granted.
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