Remembering 9/11

Okay, so I'm not the most patriotic person in the world. I don't totally understand why we should sit around thinking our country rocks and other countries suck, because, um, we don't rock that much. Some things about our country are fantastic and some things aren't, just like most other civilized countries.

But, still, I'm glad I live in the USA, even if I'm not always proud to be an American.

To me, remembering 9/11 has little to do with being patriotic and everything to do with remembering all those people who gave their lives that day. Those people who got up, got dressed, and headed off to work, just like any other morning. Maybe they were mad at their spouse; maybe they thought they were having a bad day because they spilled toothpaste on their tie; maybe they were headed to a bright new job opportunity full of hope and joy; maybe they were excited about the pending arrival of their child. There are so many things we think about on the typical day, without acknowledging the fact that tragedy can strike at any time.

On September 11, 2001, tragedy did strike, and thousands of innocent people just going about their business lost their lives. Firefighters lost their lives trying to save the lives of those who had, just minutes before, been going about their business. Family members received phone calls from their loved ones who were on a plane. Those phone calls were to say goodbye, because those people knew they weren't getting off that plane. People lost the ones who were most important to them in the world for no. good. reason.

I hope we all take a moment, or several moments, today to remember all those people who were taken from us on that day, to remember where we were when it happened and how it made us feel. We should all be sad and grieve for those who passed away in the 9/11 attacks, whether we knew them or not.