"One day everything changed.
I met neighbors I had never met before.
Strangers spoke openly and freely to one another.
People were unusually courteous and thoughtful.
Famlies hugged each other and walked to church holding hands.
Strangers greeted each other with kindness and generosity.
No one cared about the color of anyone's skin,
the clothes they wore,
or their station in life.
I thought I had stepped into Heaven.
It was September 11, 2001."
~ John Welshons
On the anniversary of the day that changed our lives forever,
we post it on our blogs and in our newspapers.
We announce it in our synagogues and places of worship.
We watch the continuous news loop of the events of that notorious day.
Our American flags are hanging from our front porches.
We vow to NEVER forget.
And then tomorrow comes!
And we are off - on to whatever is important to us now.
Back to our politics and finger pointing.
Back to putting ourselves first and others second.
I'm afraid
I'm afraid we ALL have short memories.
I fear we've forgotten the tremendous unity and love
that was felt in those immediate ‘post 9/11 days’.
Even in the middle of this vast country,
thousands of miles from the crash sites,
strangers were talking to each other.
We stopped our co-workers in the halls,
We called our family members all over the country
just to ask,
"How are you doing?" - and we meant it.
We said "I love you" - and we meant it.
It didn't matter the religious affiliations we had - or didn't have.
It didn't matter the political affiliations we had - or didn't.
It didn't matter the differences in philosophy we had - or didn't.
For a brief few months, we loved.
We truly loved and cared!
And oh . . . . . it felt so grand,
so impressive, and comforting.
Why should it take a tragedy to bring us together?
Why DOES it take a tragedy to bring us together?
Why can’t we remember the feelings we had that day,
and continue the loving and caring?
Why?
Janet B Macy 09-11-2011
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