Today is a very sobering remembrance of the attack that felled the twin towers in New York 20 years ago. I have found it oddly reductive that people tend to just call it "9/11". That's when it happened, yes. But like "4th of July" seems better remembered by the other name, Independence Day, today is also known as Patriot Day. At first I didn't understand what was patriotic about being attacked in such a horrific way. But that was a momentary thought, given how focused media can be about the attack and those behind it. I see the patriotic aspect of it in the way people came together to help others during such a shocking and confusing event. Many at the time didn't understand that it was an attack.
Some who read this may not remember it well, it was 20 years ago, and some who participate here were only children then. I also appreciate those who aren't Americans who shared the same shock and dismay abroad, and who think of those lost with us. This is not going to be a political piece. I didn't personally know anyone lost in the various attacks that day, but it's not hard to imagine: what if my father, mother, brother, sister, cousin, friend, lover were there at that time. Not just inside the towers, but nearby, as well as the other areas sometimes overlooked in remembrances, including near the Pentagon. What if I knew someone on one of the flights involved that day? Or someone I cared for was hurt or killed responding to those disasters? Many are still feeling effects even though they survived.
There are likely going to be anniversary videos playing, found on more cooperative media outlets. It's moving to see how complete strangers came together to help others, no matter who they were. Then I think about how divided people in the United States are today. Never want to see anything like 9/11 happen again. But if it did, would we see the same cooperation, selfless helping of strangers, often who may look different than themselves? Sadly, I doubt it given how things are today. I wonder if we can ever get back to that, without involving another terrible tragedy.