September 11, 2011

How do I go about writing a "Ten Years Later" post when I still don't understand what happened on September 11, 2011? I know the obvious information- 4 planes hijacked, more than 3,000 people killed, 2 buildings destroyed and 1 severely damaged, countless families destroyed, millions of people all over the world affected; but I don't understand 9/11. I don't understand the hate that would malignantly live inside a person that would cause one to commit such a horrendous and heinous act. How could there be others that posses that same degree of hate and happily agree to participate in such a despicable plan? How was it that not one of the hijackers wavered and backed out? How can such hate exist?

Ten years ago I was getting Jonathan ready for a day of first grade. The phone rang and my friend who I carpooled with was calling to see if I was sending Jonathan to school that morning. I said "yes, why wouldn't I." She told me to turn on the TV. That's how I found out about the terror attacks. Both planes had already hit the World Trade Center Buildings and the South Tower had collapsed; the Pentagon had been hit; a fourth plane had crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, but it was unknown at that point if that crash was related to the horrors in New York City and Washington D.C. I turned off the TV and got Jonathan off to school. I told him that planes and crashed into buildings and that no one was really sure what was going on, but that he would be safe at school. After dropping Jonathan off at school, I turned on the radio as I drove home. Less than a minute later, I listened on the radio as the North Tower collapsed. I drove home and turned on the TV and sat in front of it for the majority of the next 3 days. Sometime on September 14th, I couldn't watch the footage anymore and I turned the TV off and walked away.

I remember the feeling I had in my chest. It was a bleak heaviness that sat inside me. I'd forgotten that feeling until Friday (September 9th) when I heard something that brought that sad heaviness back. KSL radio was broadcasting in preparation for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and was doing an "at this moment in history" segment and they reported that at that exact moment 10 years ago, Mohamed Atta boarded the flight that would take him to Boston. Two days later, he would hijack a plane that departed out of Boston and fly it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Hearing that "this day is history" blurb brought that sinking, dark feeling back to my chest. I guess I should be grateful that I don't understand the irrational hatred behind 9/11. It makes me heartsick to know that while a millions of rational human being around the globe mourned the losses and devastation, a few sick individuals were celebrating.

For a while, most of the world came together, united though this horrible tragedy. May the unity and brotherhood felt around the world in the days and weeks after 9/11 be never forgotten. May tolerance and acceptance of others grow in the hearts of all people on the earth. May we all work together for a global community of support and love, and may all recognize the inherent value of each individual.