Current events of today eventually turn into history.
If we are fortunate enough to live long enough we will actually remember some of the history our young students study about in textbooks.
Today, Sept. 11, 2019, is the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attack that changed lives forever. Many of the students today were not even born in 2001.
Most adults will remember the morning when four airplanes were hijacked by 19 terrorists. Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers, one into the Pentagon and one was taken down by passengers who gave their lives to save others. Books have been written, movies have been made but it still seems more like fiction than real life.
Because of the evil act, many young people have had to grow up without parents and many parents only have memories of the children they lost.
Survivors who were in the Twin Towers or the Pentagon have to live with the scars. Many emergency workers lost their lives trying to save others.
Even though it has been almost two decades, I still remember that morning in history.
I was getting ready for work when I glanced at the television and saw the first plane fly into the building.
My thought was “what a terrible accident.” It was soon evident it was not an accident but an act of terrorism.
Almost 3,000 people ranging from the ages of two to 85 were killed (including the terrorists) and more than 6,000 others injured.
It was a dark day in our history and in my opinion, a day we all changed just a little. We began to realize just what evil looks like and just how far hatred can go. We also discovered, “it can happen here.”
I don't know about everyone else but since that day, I never get on an airplane without remembering those images. I don't enjoy carefree flights like I once did.
Young people will never know that once upon a time our family and friends could walk us right up to the plane before we boarded or we could see their faces as soon as we stepped off the plane.
Those were the old days. Today we have to be screened and even take off our shoes before we are allowed through to the gates. Only the passengers can go to the boarding areas.
It always makes me a little sad to know we have to be on guard all of the time.
We can't let fear stop us from living our lives.
We can't stay at home and lock the doors.
What kind of life would that be?
We have to get out and visit with friends, see new places, and focus on the good and not the bad.
The evil acts of 9/11 clouded some of the beauty for a while but as Americans do, we survived and move forward.
Things may never be quite the same and we should never forget all those innocent victims and their families of 9/11.
We should remember the brave deeds of the emergency workers, police officers, firefighters and volunteers. We should try to regain some of the patriotism we saw right after the attack.
I saw more flags flying just after 9/11 than ever before. Young men and women volunteered to serve their country joining the military.
Several years ago, a friend (a World War II veteran and POW) who has passed away sent me a CD containing President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech aired on the radio made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt declaring World War II.
I remembered his words, “Dec. 7,1941 -- a date which will live in infamy.”
I did not know exactly the definition of infamy so I looked it up and read, an extreme act of evil.
Almost 60 years later, Sept. 11, 2001, can be described the same way.
It is human nature to try to forget the bad and remember the good but I do think we need to remember those dates and the innocent people who lost their lives.