September 11

Last night while "babysitting" a recently turned 13 year old and her 14 year old brother I was lounging on the couch of thier home and staring into space. As the 14 year old boy channel surfed I heard screaming coming from the TV. I glanced quickly to see that he had passed a program called 102 minutes that changed America. I asked him to go back and we watched the program for the next hour or so. I was glued to the TV and intrigued while he was antsy and it was apparent he wished to hear my command to change the channel. I ignored him. This program was comprised of the different videos that were taken by citizens of New York and the surrounding areas. It was raw, and in the moment... it made me sick to my stomach to watch but I wanted to see it all. 

The whole time I heard negative comments coming from this 14 year old boy. It is apparent he thinks he knows it all anyway which is frustrating in itself, but to hear the negative comments that came out of his mouth...it took a lot of me to stay calm and to tell him in a civilized way why it was so important. 

"those people are so stupid! why didn't they just ...."

"why don't people just get over this already?! who really cares about september 11th?"

"look! that is soooo cool! look how that plane hit the tower!"

"man...when is the second tower going to drop already?!?!? this is so boring. i hope it just collapses soon."

I then got pretty short with him and asked me how he felt about September 11th. He was 6 when it happened. He said he remembered his mom crying all day. That's about it. He said he wished people would just "get over" September 11th. It was 8 years ago and we need to move on with our lives.

What a contrast. Being a senior in high school I remember the day vividly. I was scared, I was confused... I was seeing live footage on the news at school but I couldn't comprehend that it was real life, and not a movie. I could see faces of people waving white shirts as flags out of the office building windows, and I remember seeing chairs, and then human bodies being flung out of these buildings. All air travel was grounded for days, and friends who had family members in NYC and especially the twin towers wept throughout the day worried for the life of their loved ones. It was such a traumatic event for so many people.... and though 8 years seems like a long time, I feel like it was a few short months ago that I stood in E building of Clear Creek High School walking into my speech class and freezing in the doorway as my teacher was shaking and shoving popcorn in her mouth at the same time (eating popcorn in the morning was her daily routine) eyes glued on the TV and exclaiming to me that I wouldn't believe what was going on..  The nation came together and vowed to unite and "never forget." And now, 8 short years later.... that's all the upcoming generation wants us to do. Forget about it, move on...who cares.... wow.....if only they truly understood.  I understand now how my grandparents must feel when I talk about Pearl Harbour or any sort of war. I wasn't there... I didn't understand. 

And still, most of me hopes he never understands. He never worries that his country will be attacked and bombed and that his safety is in jeopardy. No one wants to feel their safety is violated. No one.